2.0 Rights and Responsibilities Policy

2.1  Academic Freedom
2.2  Copyright
2.3  Student Rights and Responsibilities
2.4  Student Code of Conduct
2.5  Title IX
2.6  Reporting an Incident
2.7  Academic Honesty
2.8  Academic Complaint Policy

2.1  Academic Freedom

The College supports freedom of inquiry, teaching, and research, within the limits of the laws pertinent to such activities. In the exercise of this freedom, faculty members may, without limitation, discuss their disciplines in the classroom; however, they may not discuss in their classrooms controversial subject matter which has no relation to the subject matter being taught in the class. Unauthorized faculty members may not present themselves at any time, explicitly or implicitly, as College spokespersons.

2.2  Copyright

According to the U.S. Copyright Office, copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.

2.3  Student Rights and Responsibilities

Visit here for Student Rights and Responsibilities.

2.4  Student Code of Conduct

Visit here for Student Code of Conduct.

2.5  Title IX

Visit here for Title IX.

2.6  Reporting an Incident

Visit here for Reporting an Incident.

2.7  Academic Honesty

2.7.1  Policy

Westchester Community College looks to students to engage in activities that promote individual growth, demonstrate civility toward others, and builds community through the safe, respectful exchange of diverse thought, opinion, and action while on campus and in everyday events.  To maintain the trust extended by the College, students are expected to exhibit personal accountability and remember that the decisions they make have an impact on the overall health of our community, and, ultimately, on the quality of their experience.

Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, cheating, and collusion undermines the college’s educational mission and students’ personal and intellectual growth. Students are expected to bear individual responsibility for their work and to uphold the ideal of academic integrity. Any student who attempts to compromise or devalue the academic process will be held accountable for their actions.

Acts of Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research, or writing as one’s own. Examples include:

  1. Copying another person’s actual words without both the use of quotations and documentation.
  2. Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in one’s own words without documentation.
  3. Using information that is not considered common knowledge without acknowledging the source.
  4. Using a paper writing “service” or having a friend write the paper.

Note: The guidelines that define plagiarism also apply to information secured on web sites. Internet references must specify precisely where the information was obtained and where it can be found.

Students may think that citing another author’s work will lower their grade. In some unusual cases this may be true, if the instructor has indicated that a student must write a paper without reading additional material. But in fact, as students progress in their studies, students will be expected to show that they are familiar with important work in their field and can use this work to further their thinking. The key to avoiding plagiarism is for students to clearly show where their own thinking ends and someone else’s begins.

Cheating

Cheating is the attempted or unauthorized use of materials, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise. Examples include (but are not limited to):

1. Tests and Exams:

  • Copying from another student during an examination or allowing another to copy your work.
  • Using unauthorized notes during a closed book examination.
  • Using unauthorized devices, software, websites or apps during an examination.
  • Asking or allowing another student, or anyone else, to take an examination for you.
  • Changing a corrected exam and returning it for more credit.
  • Preparing answers or writing notes in a blue book (exam booklet) before an examination.
  • Taking an examination for another student.
  • Taking an examination or any examination material out of an examination room at any time without the expressed permission of the instructor who created that examination.

2. Take Home Tests and Individual Assignments:

  • If tutors or others aid the student in the preparation of an assignment, the submitted assignment should represent the student’s current level of ability.
  • Unauthorized collaborating on a take home assignment or examination.
  • Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to two classes without consulting the second instructor.
  • Using a paper writing “service” or having someone else write the paper for you.
  • Preparing an essay or assignment, or allowing one’s essay or assignment to be copied by someone else.
  • Borrowing all or part of another student’s paper or using someone else’s outline to write your own paper.
  • Intentionally citing inaccurate or nonexistent source materials.

3. Collaborative (Group) Assignments:

  • Failure to acknowledge group members on homework and lab assignment.
  • Turning in another group member’s work as an example of your individual work.

Note: Group projects require careful division of responsibility and careful coordination to control the quality of the final product. Group work calls for a different kind of effort, not less of it. When group projects are assigned, the instructor is usually interested in the mastery of group process as well as the subject. Ask the instructor to clarify individual responsibilities and suggest a method of proceeding.

4. Labs:

  • In computer programming classes, borrowing computer code from another student and presenting it as your own.
  • Copying a lab report, or allowing someone else to copy one’s report.
  • Using another student’s data unless specifically allowed by the instructor.
  • Allowing someone else to do the lab report.
  • Faking laboratory data.

5. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI):

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate and/or complete any coursework is forbidden unless explicitly permitted by the course’s instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm with the instructor whether AI is permitted and in what capacity. When AI is permitted, the student must clearly attribute which sections of their work were generated with AI, and the student must include citation(s) in the format required by the instructor.

Examples of Generative AI include, but are not limited to ChatGPT, GPT-4, DALL-E, Bard, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, GitHub Copilot.

6. Abuse of Library Privileges:

Any attempt to deprive others of equal access to library resources constitutes a violation of academic integrity. This includes the hiding or deliberately mis-shelving of library books for the use of an individual or group, a repeated failure to respond to recall notices and the removal or attempt to remove library materials from the college library without authorization. Defacing, stealing or destroying books, articles or other library materials meant to serve the entire college community also constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

2.7.2  Procedures for Addressing Academic Dishonesty

Step 1: Faculty Determination & Student Meeting

When a faculty member determines that a student has engaged in an act of academic dishonesty, the faculty member has the right to impose one of the following decisions, selected at the faculty member’s discretion:

  1. Issue a warning without further penalty.
  2. Require that the student repeat the assignment or test.
  3. Lower a grade for the assignment/test.
  4. Fail the student for the assignment/test.
  5. Lower a course grade.
  6. Fail the student for the course. The failing course grade supersedes the student’s right to withdraw from the course.

The faculty member must notify the student, in writing, of their determination and provide an opportunity to discuss the written notification with them. The faculty member should provide a copy or link to this policy in their written notification. A student must request to meet with the faculty member within five (5) business days of receiving notification if they wish to contest the allegation. Upon receipt of the request from the student to meet, the faculty member should schedule the meeting within (5) business days. This meeting may take place in person (face-to-face), by telephone, or virtually (i.e. Zoom, Skype, etc).

Step 2: Appeal to School Review Committee

A student reserves the right to file an appeal to the respective School Review Committee after they have either: (1) had a discussion with the faculty member and the student feels the issue is not resolved to their satisfaction; or (2) the faculty member is unavailable, does not reply, or fails to meet with the student upon the student’s timely request.

A written appeal must be submitted to the School Review Committee within five (5) business days of the conclusion of Step 1. Submissions must be submitted using the Academic Dishonesty Appeal Form .

The School Review Committee will be comprised of the respective School Dean (or designee) and two faculty members at large from the respective school.

In the written appeal, a student must include: (1) a statement detailing why they believe the determination of their faculty member is incorrect; and (2) provide any and all evidence supporting their claim. Upon receipt of the appeal, the School Review Committee will contact the faculty member to notify them of the student’s appeal. The School Review Committee may request a written statement or a meeting with the faculty member. The faculty member should present the School Review Committee with all evidence they have.

In their sole discretion, using the information presented, the School Review Committee will make a determination as to the outcome of the appeal. The School Review Committee may: (1) uphold the original determination of the faculty member; (2) reverse the original determination of the faculty member; and/or (3) modify the penalty(ies) imposed by the faculty member. The School Review Committee will notify the student and faculty member of its decision in writing. The decision of the School Review Committee is final.

Any student who is found in violation of this policy becomes ineligible to grieve their final grade under the Procedures to Appeal a Final Grade policy.

Step 3: Reporting to the Office of Student Life

At the conclusion of the process, an Academic Dishonesty Incident Report form should be submitted to the Office of Student Life. If the student does not appeal, the faculty member should submit the report. If the student does appeal, the School Dean, as Chair of the School Review Committee, should submit the report. The report should include all documentation related or reviewed in the case.

At the sole discretion of the Associate Dean of Student Life or designee, the student can be referred through the college conduct process for possible college sanctions as outlined in the Code of Conduct.

Typically, students will be charged with a Code of Conduct violation when there have been multiple academic integrity issues or an instance of academic integrity so severe that it must be reviewed to determine if the student should continue as a member of the campus community. In such a situation, the student will be held to all processes and procedures as outlined in the Code of Conduct. The faculty member will serve as a witness to the case.

Approved by SUNY WCC Cabinet, January 30, 2024

2.8  Academic Complaint Policy

2.8.1  Policy

Westchester Community College believes that most student concerns/complaints related to course management can be resolved informally between the student and the faculty member. Examples of course management concerns might include 1) a student believing that their instructor has significantly deviated from the course syllabus, or 2) a student believing that their mid-semester average is incorrect. If the academic concern/complaint cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties, students have the right to pursue a formal complaint. Students wishing to appeal a final course grade should follow the procedures outlined in the Grade Appeal Policy. If an Academic Complaint extends beyond the end of the academic term, the process automatically becomes a Grade Appeal where any remaining steps of the process should follow that policy. If at any point during the process it is determined that the nature of the complaint could potentially lead to disciplinary action against the faculty member, then procedures outlined below would terminate and the form will be submitted to the School Dean. The Dean will then notify the faculty member and the Union in writing (email is acceptable).

2.8.2  Procedures

Step 1: Student Communicates with Faculty Member

  1. A student with a concern/complaint about a faculty member’s course management must first bring their concern/complaint directly to the course instructor. The student must communicate their complaint in writing (email is acceptable), and the instructor shall meet (or communicate electronically) with the student within ten (10) business days.
  2. The student and instructor shall earnestly strive to resolve the issue, but if a resolution is not reached and the student wishes to pursue a formal complaint, the student will complete then email the Academic Complaint Form to the chairperson of the department where the course is housed to initiate Step 2. If the faculty member does not respond to the student’s communication within 10 days, the student should complete then email the Academic Complaint Form.

Step 2: Meeting with the Department Chair

  1. The chairperson will communicate and/or meet with the student and with the faculty member within 10 business days of the date the Academic Complaint form was sent.
  2. The chairperson, faculty member, and student will act in a determined manner to resolve the complaint. If the complaint is resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the chairperson will complete the appropriate section of the Academic Complaint Form then email it to the student. .
  3. If the faculty member and student remain at an impasse AND the student indicates an intention to continue to pursue the complaint, the department chair will complete the appropriate section of the Academic Complaint Form then email it to the dean of the school where the course is housed  to initiate Step 3.

Step 3: Meeting with the Dean

  1. Within ten business days, the dean will investigate the matter, meet with the department chairperson, the faculty member, and the student. This meeting(s) may take place in person, by telephone, or electronically/virtually.
  2. If the complaint is resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the dean will complete the appropriate section of the Academic Complaint Form then email it to the student and department chair.
  3. If the faculty member and the student remain at an impasse AND the student indicates an intention to continue to pursue an appeal, the dean will complete the appropriate section of the Academic Complaint Form then  submit it to the Provost to initiate Step 4.

Step 4: Appeal to the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

  1. After the reviewing the student’s submissions, and completing any meetings or communications with the involved parties, the Provost shall render a final decision. This final decision shall be communicated in writing (email is acceptable) to all parties involved in steps 1-3.
  2. Additionally, the provost will complete the appropriate section of the Academic Complaint Form then email it back to the school dean for recording keeping purposes.
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