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Academic Integrity

Students have a responsibility to maintain the highest level of academic integrity. They are expected to perform educational tasks with the highest moral and ethical conduct. Academic dishonesty, intentional or unintentional, is grounds for failure on any assignment or failure in the course, at the instructor’s discretion. Academic dishonesty is also grounds for suspension from the university at the discretion of the Provost and may be subject to appropriate legal investigation and prosecution.

Helping another student in an act of academic dishonesty constitutes an act of academic dishonesty.

Academic dishonesty may take the following forms:

Plagiarism: The act of taking or passing off another’s ideas, or writing, as one’s own; copying or paraphrasing another’s words without credit; buying or accepting work and presenting it as one’s own. Students bear the responsibility for demonstrating the evolution of original work.

Technologically produced work: All work submitted by a student for credit should represent the student’s original work and not the work of any program, service, or content generator without the expressed permission of the instructor to use such tools. Students should consult with individual instructors before using any generation, translation, or revision software that may introduce content that is not their own. Students are expected to follow standard citation practices for content produced in this manner.

Copyright violations: The Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S. Code) protects electronic, print and other copyrighted materials. Any infringement of copyright is a violation of academic integrity. Electronic copyright infringement involves video, audio and computer materials and any other materials made electronically. Copying videos, cassettes or software, selling or disseminating programs without the owner’s permission, putting pirated software on the College computers or your computer is not permitted. As long as appropriate credit is given, making a copy of a small portion of a book or a portion of an article for use in your assignments is acceptable. The correct citation method for sources of ideas and information obtained electronically or in print is available in the library. The library has a copy of the complete Copyright Law for further reference.

Cheating: Dishonesty or deception in order to obtain some advantage or gain; e.g., stealing or receiving stolen examinations. Additional examples of cheating include, but are not limited to, submitting work produced for one course to fulfill the requirements in another, as well as submitting work that is or has been submitted by another student in the same or different course, unless approved by the current instructor.

Theft/Vandalism: Taking or defacing library materials or educational equipment such as a DVD, computer or software. Cutting pages out of a book or magazine or taking material out of the library and not checking it out is stealing.

Forgery: Signing another’s name to exams, forms, or other institutional documents.

Disciplinary Action 

Students who violate the Academic Integrity policy will be subject to one or more of the following disciplinary actions.

  • Warning

  • Temporary or permanent suspension of computer, network and/or library privileges

  • Academic suspension

  • Investigation and action taken in accordance with the appropriate student, faculty, or staff handbook

  • Investigation and/or prosecution by state or federal law enforcement agencies. Incidents of academic dishonesty are reported by the instructor in writing to Provost. The Notice of Academic Dishonesty that is filed by the instructor will remain in the Provost’s Office and will be destroyed when the student leaves the University. A student who wishes to appeal a charge must follow the process for ACADEMIC GRIEVANCE as described in the Lasell Student Handbook. A student who violates standards of University policy by taking or vandalizing library materials or educational equipment may be referred to the University judicial system as described in the Lasell Student Handbook.

Procedures to be followed in cases of suspected violations of the Academic Integrity Policy:

  1. When an instructor has acquired evidence of an act of academic dishonesty, he or she should then make a concerted effort to contact and meet with the student to discuss the evidence and the consequences for course assessment. Ordinarily, evidence of academic dishonesty will result in failure on the assignment and sometimes in the course. The instructor makes a final determination after meeting with the student.

  2. In the event of a documented act of academic dishonesty, following the meeting with the student the instructor should fill out the Notice of Academic Dishonesty form (available on MyLasell>Offices & Services>Academic Affairs>Academic Dishonesty), completing/modifying the underlined portions where relevant. It is then submitted with the supporting evidence to the Provost. The Provost will forward the Notice of Academic Dishonesty to the student's advisor.

  3. If the instructor was unable to meet with as well as inform the student of the final decision, this should be indicated on the form (along with a brief explanation).

  4. If the Provost receives a form that indicates the instructor was unable to meet with as well as inform the student of the final decision, it is the Provost’s responsibility to send written notice to the student of the charge, the instructor’s action, and the student’s options to contest the decision.

  5. The student may initiate an appeal by following the Undergraduate Academic Grievance Process as described in the Lasell University Student Handbook.  This requires a student to write a letter of appeal and request a meeting with the Provost within seven calendar days of the initial meeting.  If the student fails to respond to the initial notice of policy violation within the deadline, the sanction may be imposed and the student will forfeit their right to appeal.