Academic honesty, integrity, and ethics are expected of every member of the Career College of the Pacific community. The Career College of the Pacific expects all students to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the Career College of the Pacific’s philosophy, values, and educational objectives. A professional attitude is necessary far beyond graduation in addition to being academically honest and honorable.
Individuals in the health care industry are held to a high standard by the general public, professional organizations, and accrediting bodies, who demand that we monitor their professional behavior. Those at the Career College of the Pacific who will become future health care professionals have an obligation to follow this model and to maintain the highest degree of integrity in serving the interests of their fellow students, faculty, and potential patients. A student represents their profession both inside and outside of the classroom. Consequently, the Career College of the Pacific takes very seriously any allegations of misconduct by its students.
Any work for which a student receives credit must be their own. It takes more than simple honesty to act honorably within an academic setting. A student is engaging in academic dishonesty when they attempt to gain an unfair advantage over their classmates or undermine the academic integrity of the Career College of the Pacific. These violations of the honor code include, but are not limited to:
Cheating
- Answering examination questions with unauthorized materials such as books, notes, cell phones, PDA accessories, or “cheat” sheets.
- Taking advantage of examination information that has been deemed unauthorized by an instructor.
- Plagiarizing another student’s homework, written assignments, examination answers, electronic media, or other data.
- Helping or allowing another person to cheat.
- Failure to notify an academic official of the cheating.
Plagiarism
- Giving credit to another’s ideas, expressions, or materials without referencing them.
- An individual who paraphrases or condenses ideas from the written work of another without proper citation.
- Direct quotations and paraphrases are not properly documented with citations.
Other forms of academic dishonesty
- An attempt to alter a student’s grades, attendance, or official records by fraud, deception, or deceit.
- Falsifying or altering laboratory data or results, inventing or changing examination solutions after the fact.
- Purchasing homework assignments, essays, or assignments and submitting them.
- Duplicating or reproducing images, designs, or Web pages without attribution.
- Introducing non-approved material from another module or course.
- Fraudulently representing one’s circumstances or self in order to gain an unfair advantage.
- Collaboration without instructor approval.
- Selling or distributing term papers, course work, or assignments to other students.
Violations of the Honor Code may result in the following consequences:
- Assignment failure.
- Module or course failure.
- Dismissal from the Career College of the Pacific.
- A degree or diploma is revoked.
Violations of the Honor Code will be reported to the Career College of the Pacific’s administration for investigation. Dishonesty patterns will also be considered when evaluating individual reports. Faculty and administration together will determine the consequences of substantiated reports of honor code violations on student status and/or course grades.
Academic dishonesty undermines the quality of education provided and minimizes the genuine achievements of others. Everyone has a responsibility to actively combat it. The presence of academic dishonesty cannot be ignored.
Acts of apparent academic dishonesty should be challenged and reported by everyone in the Career College of the Pacific community. Each student, faculty member, and staff member have a responsibility to understand and abide by the Career College of the Pacific’s policy.
