ACADEMIC HONESTY GUIDELINES

Purpose

Pitt Meadows Secondary School expects integrity, ethical conduct and intellectual and academic honesty of its students. This guideline outlines the procedure for addressing academic dishonesty, defines relevant terms, and identifies consequences of such dishonesty for the student.

Guideline Statement

Academic dishonesty is not tolerated of students at Pitt Meadows Secondary School and will be treated as a serious offense. Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, giving or receiving aid in an examination or where otherwise prohibited, or any other deceptive act in connection with work submitted to meet course or graduation requirements.

Definition of Terms

Plagiarism: The formal presentation or submission of others’ work, research, words, ideas, illustrations, or diagrams as one’s own without explicit citation or credit.

Cheating: The use or provision of unauthorized aids, assistance, or materials during examinations, in the preparation of assignments, or in the completion of work. This includes, but is not limited to:

copying others’ work in an examination;
communicating work to others during an examination;
submitting one’s own work for more than one course without instructor permission;
resubmitting work, in whole or in part, for which credit has already been granted;
use of electronic devices during exams; or
talking or communicating with others during exams, unless authorized by a teacher.

Encouraging Academic Honesty

The teacher will clearly define expectations associated with academic honesty. The expectation of academic honesty does not imply that students must work, study and learn in isolation. Students are encouraged, both in and out of class, to work, study and learn together and to incorporate into their own exploration and analysis the work of others as found in books, journal articles, electronic media, interviews, private conversation and the like. Seeking out knowledge and integrating it will one’s own work is integral to learning. Quotations, references and citations to the work of others, as well as acknowledgement of collaboration and citing of collaborators, ensure that all research is appropriately credited.

Each teacher will evaluate each piece of work in the context of the course and the instructions given to students. Letter Grades are used to indicate a student’s level of performance in relation to the expected learning outcomes. As such, teachers expect to assess the student’s own work.

Evidence of academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:

student admission of plagiarism;
instructor discovery of plagiarism;
student admission of cheating; or
instructor, invigilator or student observation of cheating

Procedure for Responding to an Act of Academic Dishonesty

Instructor will approach the student, hear the student’s account, and discuss the incidence in relation to the Academic Dishonesty guideline. A resolution may be achieved at this point.
If, after the assessment of the incident with the student, the instructor remains concerned about or confirms a deliberate act of dishonesty, or believes the breach of academic honesty warrants further action, she or he will document and report the incident to the Principal or Vice Principal.
The Principal or Vice Principal will review the written documentation and meet with the student. Communication with home will occur at this time, if not sooner.

Consequences of an Act of Academic Dishonesty

The consequences of a confirmed act of academic dishonesty may include, but are not limited to, the following:

rewriting of the assignment or test;
completion of another assignment or test;
a zero percent grade assigned to the relevant evaluation component;
suspension from school;
referral to School District 42 Suspension Review Committee.

Academic Honesty