The purpose of this policy is to describe Parami University’s regulations with regard to academic integrity.

Scope

This is an academic policy, affecting all academic staff, administrative staff and students of the University. 

Referenced Laws, Regulations, and/or Policies 

Artificial Intelligence Use Policy.

Compliance/Policy Statement 

Academic Integrity's Definition

Parami University fosters collaboration between faculty and between students. The creation of new knowledge involves the discussion and debating of ideas and language. Such collaboration is based on mutual trust and depends on the integrity of the University community and its members. The principle of integrity is realized by maintaining responsible conduct, respectful communication, academic honesty, ethical research, and fairness in one’s study and work. Breaches of academic integrity include cheating, plagiarism, the fabrication of results, or facilitating cheating by others.

Academic integrity is important for each individual who is a member of the University community and its research, education, and scholarship. The principles of academic integrity apply to all community members including visiting and full-time faculty members, teaching and research assistants, and students. Upholding the principles of academic integrity protects the integrity of the University and the academic community as a whole. It also maintains the validity of one’s own learning and development as a student or scholar. 

The abilities to analyze evidence, practice critical judgement, and write clearly and persuasively, are necessary skills that provide the foundation for successful academic performance. These skills serve as a foundation for any career, whether in academia or beyond. In that sense, the principles that guide academically responsible behaviors are the same principles that guide responsible conduct in any field or area of life. Learning how to live by these principles during one’s years at university can be one of the greatest gifts a university has to offer to its students.

Any breach of academic integrity will result in grade sanctions and disciplinary sanctions. Even a single plagiarized sentence or clause is enough to warrant sanctions.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a breach of academic integrity that is strictly forbidden at the University. Plagiarism is any case of presenting someone else’s words, ideas, assertions, data, or figures as one’s own by incorporating them into one’s own work without full acknowledgement. The obligation to acknowledge others’ work applies to published and unpublished text and data. Published text and data usually stems from books and journals, in printed or electronic form. Unpublished text and data can come from lectures, theses, or student essays. Other media such as graphs, illustrations, computer codes et cetera also require acknowledgement.

Plagiarism can happen unintentionally because one is not fully aware of appropriate conventions for referencing. Even though there might not have been a deliberate intention to cheat, it is still plagiarism. One of the principles of academically responsible behaviors is to take the responsibility to find out what the rules for referencing within the discipline are, to take adequate notes, and to adhere to the highest standards of honesty and professionalism.

Intentional or unintentional plagiarism both jeopardize the integrity of the University and the community, and it directly undermines the goal of the learning process itself. At the University students are expected to become independent thinkers and leaders with critical thinking skills who developed their own views and found their own voice during their studies at the University. Plagiarism hurts the community just as it damages one’s own learning path or professional development.

Forms of plagiarism

The basic rule is to always acknowledge sources by citing them. Specific examples of not adhering to this rule, intentionally or unintentionally, are:

1. Cloning and Mashup: Copying material verbatim (word for word) without clear acknowledgement. Literal use of words of others must have quotation marks around it and the source must be cited so that it is evident which parts are independent work and where the author has drawn on someone else’s work. Mashup is copying and pasting materials from multiple sources without clear acknowledgement. The difference with cloning is that multiple sources are combined. All sources should be quoted and referenced appropriately.

2. Paraphrasing and Remix: Work of others is used by changing a few words and/or the order of words. While putting things in one’s own words is encouraged, when paraphrasing, the source should be properly cited. Remix is paraphrasing in one’s own word from multiple sources without appropriate referencing. The key is to let the principle of honesty guide the writing: at all times it should be avoided to create the impression the paraphrased words or ideas are one’s own.

3. Inaccurate Citation: All citations must be correct, according to the conventions of the discipline. This applies to in-text references and reference list/bibliography. If sources are not actually consulted, they should not be cited. In principle, primary texts should be studied and cited; however, if a secondary text is consulted, this should become clear and the citation should follow the conventions of the discipline. The frivolous usage of citations that do not reflect the content of the source is considered academic dishonesty. The falsification of any quotations, even a single quotation, is considered to be a violation of the academic integrity policy.

4. Self-plagiarism: This is recycling or reusing one's own words, figures, data, analysis, or compositional structure, from work that has either been submitted previously as course assignments and assessments, or previously published. If the earlier work, or components of that work, is published it should be cited as a normal reference. If the work or components were not published but were used in a previously submitted assignment, the student must notify the professor, fully disclose the ways in which the work or components thereof may be reduplicated, and seek permission from the professor to repurpose some or all of those components. If a student plans to submit work that shares a topical or methodological component with previously submitted work, they must disclose and seek permission from the professor prior to submission. 

5. Group Work and Collaboration: In line with the principles of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility, responsible academic behavior with group work means to engage in authorized collaboration only, to credit assistance if received, and to follow exact regulations of the group project. Responsibility also refers to the obligation to ensure which part of the group work should be one’s own. Adapting and submitting work from other students as one’s own is plagiarism.

6. Improper usage of artificial intelligence: The use of artificial intelligence when not explicitly permitted by the instructor is considered plagiarism, as described in the Artificial Intelligence Use Policy. Such usage can therefore result in penalties under the Academic Integrity Policy.

Since currently learning at the University takes place online, students may think that it will be easier to plagiarize and avoid detection. However, the faculty will have education technological tools at their disposal to ensure that academic honesty is honored throughout the University.

Avoiding plagiarism

Avoiding plagiarism does NOT mean one should not use and build on the work of others. On the contrary, intellectual inquiry depends on collaboration and the exchange of ideas to create new knowledge. The use and discussion of work of others is expected and needed to continually assess and contribute to the human project of knowledge building; however, credit needs to be given to the authors of the work that is cited. With acknowledgement and proper referencing, their work should be clearly distinguishable from the author’s work and there should not be any issues.

All academic texts are filled with references to other sources, so that the reader can tell apart the different “voices” in the text. Facts that are not generally known and ideas that are interpretations of facts should be cited, however it is not necessary to give references for facts that are common knowledge. In case it is not clear if something is common knowledge, it is safer to seek clarification from the instructor.

To enforce the policy of plagiarism, the University will employ several strategies and activities. The University

1. Delivers a mandatory orientation on how to succeed in college, with an overview on this Academic Integrity policy;

2. Provides a mandatory tutors-facilitated course in the Canvas learning management system (LMS) on research skills and academic integrity for all students;

3. Integrates Copyleaks plagiarism software into the Canvas LMS so that faculty can check students’ submissions; and

4. Ensures tutors provide personalized support to students so that students do not violate academic integrity.

Categories of misconduct and penalties 

Cases of academic misconduct will be assigned by the instructor to one of three categories, Category 1, 2, or 3, with 3 being the most serious. Each case of misconduct will be evaluated individually, considering the seriousness of the misconduct and the student’s history of misconduct. For example, a case that involves a few sentences that are not central to the assignment, will be treated differently than a case where the central part or most of the work is plagiarized. Also, a subsequent case of academic misconduct will be treated as more serious because it suggests a pattern of misconduct.

There are no restrictions on what kinds of penalties may be given except that, as a general rule, the penalty should fit the misconduct. The penalty for any particular case will be left to the judgment of the instructor, though the Chair and Dean may be involved if the student has had a previous misconduct case.

Category 1 misconduct. A Category 1 misconduct represents the least serious level of misconduct. Cases falling into this category might be the result of inexperience, lack of understanding, or inattention. They are often characterized by the lack of evidence of intent to deceive.

Category 1 penalties. Some examples of penalties may include requiring the student to complete a more difficult make-up assignment or test, a loss of marks, failure for the assessment, or some combination of these.

Category 2 misconduct. A Category 2 misconduct represents a serious level of misconduct. Cases falling into this category would involve a significant amount of cheating or plagiarism, and/or evidence of intent to cheat or deceive. A second case of misconduct will usually be considered as falling into this category.

Category 2 penalties. Some examples of penalties would be failure for the assessment or the class.

Category 3 misconduct. A Category 3 misconduct represents the most serious level of misconduct. Cases falling into this category would include those that are a third instance of misconduct, involve planning and coordination, or seriously undermine the operation or integrity of the University.

Category 3 penalties. Some examples of penalties would be failure for the class or expulsion from the University.

Processing Misconduct Cases

Category 1 & 2 cases – If an instructor discovers a case of academic misconduct, they will complete the relevant part of the Academic Misconduct Report form, assigning both a Category of misconduct and a penalty, and send the report to both the student and the Dean’s Office. If the academic misconduct does not occur in a class, the Dean will assign a faculty member to investigate and make a decision within five (5) working days, on whether to submit an Academic Misconduct Report form. The student has the right to appeal. If the student chooses to appeal, they have five (5) working days to notify the Dean’s Office. Upon receiving the appeal from the student, the Dean’s Office will arrange a meeting within ten (10) working days, that will include the Dean or their designee, student, instructor or faculty member, two members from the Academic Standing and Student Rights Committee (ASSR Committee) and a representative from the Dean’s Office to keep minutes. The student’s advisor and others may be invited depending on the circumstances. Only the Dean or their designee, and the members of the Academic Standing and Student Rights Committee will have a vote. The members of the committee will have the options of dismissing the case, reducing the Category of misconduct and/or penalty, confirming the Category of misconduct and penalty, or increasing the Category of misconduct and/or penalty. The disposition of the appeal will be communicated to the student, instructor or faculty member, and advisor, and recorded on the Academic Misconduct Report form, by the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will maintain a record of all misconduct cases and appeals.

Category 3 cases - If a case of academic misconduct is reported and could be considered a Category 3 misconduct, the Dean will assign a faculty member to investigate and submit a report within five (5) working days, on whether the misconduct rises to the level of Category 3. If a Category 3 misconduct is reported to the Dean’s Office, the Dean’s Office will arrange a meeting, within ten (10) working days, that will include the Dean or their designee, the student, the instructor or faculty member, two members from the Academic Standing and Student Rights Committee (ASSR Committee), and a representative from the Dean’s Office to keep minutes. The student’s advisor and others could be invited depending on the circumstances. Only the Dean or their designee, and the members of the Academic Standing and Student Rights Committee will have a vote. The members of the committee will have the options of dismissing the case, reducing the Category of misconduct and/or penalty, confirming the Category of misconduct and/or penalty, or increasing the penalty. The decision of the committee will take the form of a recommendation that will be sent to the President of the University. The President will have five (5) working days* to make a decision based on this recommendation and communicate this decision to the Dean’s Office. The decision of the President is final and cannot be appealed. The disposition of the case will be communicated to the student, instructor or faculty member, relevant members of the ASSR Committee, and advisor, and recorded on the Academic Misconduct Report form, by the Dean’s Office. If the decision is expulsion, then the Dean’s Office will notify the Registrar’s Office to take the necessary actions. The Dean’s Office will maintain a record of all misconduct cases and appeals.

The above policies and procedures exist to ensure that Parami faculty and students adhere at all times to the highest standards of academic good practice, as responsible collaborators with the shared goal of contributing to human understanding of the world we live in.

Review

The Academic Department is responsible for ensuring compliance with this policy in various offices of the University. 

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