Academic Integrity
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY OF COLLEGE ESLG
1. Introduction
Academic integrity determines the trust that society has in the quality of education and the results of scientific research. Academic integrity influences honesty, respect for ethical principles, and the fair behavior of society members. Thus, College ESLG is committed to community of staff, students, and stakeholders that strive for academic excellence achieved through honesty and trust.
Five pillars of academic integrity policy of College ESLG are:
• Access
• Approach
• Responsibility
• Detail
• Support
2. Academic staff and students’ responsibilities
2.1. Academic staff
Staff members are responsible for promotion of academic integrity and are main drivers of academic integrity. They address academic dishonesty at all levels and contribute to the development of ethical behavior. The responsibilities of staff members in promoting the academic integrity at College ESLG are as follows:
• Provide a syllabus, which does not only include course descriptions and expectations but also guidelines and standards of performance with regards to academic integrity;
• Hold students responsible to the observance of such academic integrity guidelines;
• Detect and address the violations of academic integrity;
• Foster an environment in which all students are treated with merit and respect;
• Asses student work based on its merit;
• Provide students with the honest and merit-based feedback;
• Not to be involved in plagiarism of the other author's work;
• strictly recognize the contribution made by others in their research and study, especially the contribution of peers and students;
2.2. Students
Students are responsible to demonstrate ethical behavior in their academic work. Responsibilities of students include:
• Follow academic integrity in all the spheres of academic life;
• Follow the rules and guidelines of academic staff with regards to standards of performance pointed out by professors during the introduction of course syllabus;
• Students treat each other with respect and foster the environment of honesty, ethical behavior, and mutual respect
3. Violations of academic integrity
The general range of various conducts that constitute violations of academic integrity are presented below:
3.1. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a theft of intellectual property. Plagiarism is the failure of professors and students to reference the work of others and acknowledge the ideas and words of others. Plagiarism violations include but are not limited to the following:
• Quotations without proper citation;
• Reformulating without proper citation;
• Insufficient acknowledgment of sources;
• Using the structure and organization of thoughts based on other authors without properly citing their work.
3.2. Cheating
Cheating violations include but are not limited to the following:
• Sharing of exam questions and answers with other students;
• Using unauthorized materials as an aide during close book exams;
• Using another person to take an exam in both In Class Examinations and in Take Home Examinations;
• Presenting work done by others as one’s own especially in course project assignments;
• Collaborating with others in take home assignments in which the professor does not allow collaboration;
3.3. Misrepresentation of effort
Misrepresentation of effort violation includes but is not limited to the following:
• Presenting misleading information for the recognition of practical obligation;
• Presenting the content of other coursework in another subject for grading;
• Presenting false information for attendance absences;
• Presenting misleading information on the intensity of work conducted in the group work;
• Falsifying and altering questionnaire work and interview results in empirical research;
• Submitting the same work in more than one subjects;
3.4. Academic interference
Academic interference violations include but are not limited to the following:
• Unauthorized circulation of previously given examination materials
• Intentionally interference with other students’ work and research;
3.5. Facilitation of academic integrity violations
Facilitation includes but is not limited to the following:
• Providing aid to another person with knowledge that such aid constitutes a breach of academic integrity
4. Misconduct in research
Misconduct in research from academic staff and students involved in research includes, but it not limited to:
a. Fabrication of research data, which includes the fabrication of data, source materials, research methods and research results;
b. Falsification of research data, which includes the manipulation of data, research methods and findings without proper acknowledgment;
c. Plagiarism which includes the presentation of other author’s published and unpublished work as its own, including theories, concepts, data, source materials, research methodologies without references;
d. Lack of recognition of contributions of others, including the use of unpublished material of others without permission;
e. Attribution of authorship to persons other than those that contributed sufficiently in line with the intellectual content, including acceptance to be listed as an author although the listing is highly inappropriate in terms of contribution and discipline;
f. Self-plagiarism and redundant publication whereby own’s previous publication is re-published without adequate acknowledgement of the source or justification.
g. Failure to protect researchers, human subjects, the health and safety of the public, or the welfare of lab animals;
h. Lack of disclosure of conflict of interest with regards to the College ESLG and research sponsors;
i. Misconduct in financial management of research funds and research projects of the College;
j. Including the names of co-applicants, or partners on grants, and co-authors in papers, conference abstracts, and research articles without their written or explicit agreement;
5. Responsibility to file an accusation for academic integrity violation
The course bearer has the primary responsibility to bring forward an accusation for academic dishonesty or any breaches of academic integrity occurring within the scope of the subject he/she teaches.
The mentor and Thesis Evaluation committee members bear the primary responsibility to bring a charge for any academic dishonesty and breach of academic honesty with regards to bachelor and master thesis.
Students have the primary responsibility to bring forward accusation for any dishonesty and academic integrity violation conducted by any professor, student or administrative staff. Safeguarding measures shall be taken place to ensure the anonymity of whistleblowers.
Every staff member has the primary responsibility to bring forward an accusation with regards to misconduct in research and scholarly activity
6. Disciplinary measures for students
The following disciplinary measures are foreseen for students who show behavior of dishonesty and academic integrity violation:
• Warning;
• Ban on taking exams;
• Reprimand
• Temporary suspension from study process;
• Expulsion
7. Disciplinary measures for academic staff
Disciplinary measures foreseen for academic staff engaged in academic dishonesty and violation of academic integrity are as follows:
• Oral Warning;
• Written warning;
• Reprimand
• Temporary suspension from work;
• Termination of tenure;
7. Disciplinary authorities
The Ethics and Disciplinary Commission of the Faculty in which the dishonesty or academic integrity violation occurred conducts the proceedings and issues measures due to breaches of duty and the failure of students to fulfill requirements.
The second level body is the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of the College where the student and professor has the right to appeal. The decision of the Disciplinary Committee of the College is final.
