CSUB's RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS
Academic Integrity
The principles of truth and integrity are recognized as fundamental to a community of teachers and scholars.~ The University expects that both faculty and students will honor these principles and in so doing will protect the integrity of all academic work and student grades.~ Students are expected to do all work assigned to them without unauthorized assistance and without giving unauthorized assistance. Faculty have the responsibility of exercising care in the planning and supervision of academic work so that honest effort will be encouraged and positively reinforced.
There are certain forms of conduct that violate the university's policy of academic integrity. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY (CHEATING) is a broad category of actions that use fraud and deception to improve a grade or obtain course credit. Academic dishonesty (cheating) is not limited to examination situations alone, but arises whenever students attempt to gain an unearned academic advantage. PLAGIARISM is a specific form of academic dishonesty (cheating) which consists of the misuse of published or unpublished works of another by claiming them as one's own. Plagiarism may consist of handing in someone else's work, copying or purchasing a composition, using ideas, paragraphs, sentences, phrases or words written by another, or using data and/or statistics compiled by another without giving appropriate citation. Another example of academic dishonesty (cheating) is the SUBMISSION OF THE SAME, or essentially the same, PAPER or other assignment for credit in two different courses without receiving prior approval.
When a faculty member discovers a violation of the university's policy of academic integrity, the faculty member is required to notify the university's Coordinator of Student Discipline and Judicial Affairs of the alleged violation, including the name(s) of the student(s) suspected, the class in which the alleged violation occurred, the circumstances of the alleged violation, and the evidence (including witnesses) supporting the allegation. The faculty member shall also formally notify the student(s) suspected of violating the university's policy of academic integrity, the department chair, and the school dean. The Coordinator for Student Discipline and Judicial Affairs shall conduct an investigation, confer with the faculty member, student(s), and any witnesses identified, and review all evidence submitted by the faculty member and student(s). Normally, the Coordinator for Student Discipline and Judicial Affairs shall make a settlement agreement with the student for his/her first violation of academic integrity with the following sanctions:
-- final course grade of F
-- one-year academic probation requiring a meeting with the Coordinator of Student Discipline and Judicial Affairs prior to registration for each subsequent academic term of the probationary year.
The settlement agreement for the first offense shall not be placed in the student's permanent file.
If a second violation of academic integrity occurs, the student shall be suspended from CSUB for a minimum of one year. A third violation shall result in expulsion from the CSU for life. All suspensions and expulsions shall become a part of the student's permanent record.
Under the Student Discipline Procedures, a student may appeal any sanction employed by the University regarding an allegation of violating the university's policy of academic integrity. The initiation of the grievance must occur within fifteen (15) school days after notification by the Coordinator of Student Discipline and Judicial Affairs. Copies of these procedures are available in the offices of the school deans. The Dean of Undergraduate Studies serves as Coordinator of Student Discipline and Judicial Affairs, and his/her office coordinates all arrangements for the appeals (CSUB 2003-2005 Catalog, 57).
Academic Freedom
Freedom to pursue truth and to achieve personal and intellectual development is essential to CSUB's community of scholars. The University is firmly committed to such freedom for both students and faculty.
For the achievement of academic freedom, a necessary condition for such pursuit is an acceptance of the spirit of inquiry and appreciation for diverse ideas, viewpoints, cultures, and life-styles. Acceptance must be present both in the classroom and in other areas of the campus. The achievement of academic freedom, however, must occur within a respect for law and the protection of the opinions and dignity of others (CSUB 2003-2005 Catalog, 57).
Classroom Conduct
The classroom is essential for the achievement of academic freedom, the pursuit of truth, and the development of students. Because of its importance, students as they enter the classroom must exhibit respect for the views of others, the professionalism of the instructor, and the goals of academic freedom.
Faculty are obligated to recognize and respect student diversity and opinion. Yet they have a fundamental responsibility to uphold the integrity of the learning environment. When confronted by unreasonable disruption of the classroom, faculty are expected to initiate actions to correct such conditions. Such actions can result in disciplinary action ranging from removal from the classroom to suspension from the campus (CSUB 2003-2005 Catalog, 57).
Lectures and discussions are most effective when there are minimal distractions and interruption. As such students should be sensitive to the following issues. Students should arrive to class prior to the scheduled start of class. Students should refrain from leaving class during lecture. Cellular telephone and pages should be turned off during lecture and examinations unless approved by the instructor.
Here are examples of the do's and don'ts of plagiarism, as outlined by Mindy McAdams
Academic style:
Gender is not always unknown, as Poster (1995) noted: "Some aspects of the Internet, such as electronic mail between individuals who know each other, may introduce no strong disruption of the gender system. In this case, the cyborg individual does not overtake or displace the embodied individual, though even here studies have shown some differences in self-presentation (more spontaneity and less guardedness)."
Citation (academic style): Poster, Mark (1995). CyberDemocracy: Internet and the Public Sphere. Retrieved May 25, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www.hnet.uci.edu/mposter/writings/democ.html
The typical mistake made by students is to rewrite the text in this manner:
Not all aspects of the Internet interfere with the gender system. In the case of e-mail between individuals who know each other, the cyborg individual does not displace the embodied individual. However, some studies have shown differences in self-presentation in e-mail, such as more spontaneity and less guardedness.
That is plagiarism, pure and simple -- unless you include a citation (Poster, 1995) and put the paper on your reference list. However, you should not even BOTHER to rewrite in this piecemeal way. It does not make the text your own. It is still essentially what Mark Poster wrote -- and you are stealing it.