Academic Integrity Policy & Honor Code

Academic Integrity is core to the mission of Hondros College of Nursing and sets the foundation for academic excellence. It is with utmost importance that students understand how to be responsible learners and conduct themselves with the highest standards of honor and integrity. As such, the Academic Integrity Policy defines the College’s expectations for student academic behavior and outlines procedures for handling allegations of academic misconduct. Academic misconduct, whether intentional or unintentional, may be a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy. Violations of the Academic Integrity Policy may lead to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the College. Students are expected to commit to the following Honor Code when completing academic requirements and related activities.

Honor Code

Hondros College of Nursing expects students to commit themselves to adhering to the highest standards of ethical behavior and academic integrity when completing all coursework, participating in internship and clinical experiences, and fulfilling exam requirements. To reinforce this commitment, the College has adopted an Honor Code that outlines the College’s expectations of honorable conduct. All students enrolled in a course or program at Hondros College of Nursing are expected to adhere to this Honor Code and pledge to avoid any action that violates the Academic Integrity Policy. Students are expected to approach their academic obligations with honor and uphold the five tenants of the Honor Code which are: Honesty, Ownership, Nobility, Observance, and Respect. As a student, you may be required to attest to this Honor Code throughout your academic experiences. Failure to pledge or attest to the Honor Code is neither an offense against the Honor Code, nor a defense of an alleged academic integrity violation.

Honesty: I am committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. I understand that integrity and honesty are important values for my success in school and within my chosen career field.

Ownership: I will conduct myself ethically with honor and integrity in all the coursework I produce. Under the guidance of my instructors and through using College-approved learning resources, it is my responsibility to understand the course content and show what I have learned on course work (including exams and quizzes), using my independent ability free of cheating, collusion, interference, plagiarism, forgery, submitting acquired work as my own, and the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) that does not adhere to the expectations as outlined in the Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Learning Assessment and Research Policy.

Nobility: I hold myself and others accountable to the academic integrity policy. I will not engage in behavior that undermines the learning environment or reputation of the College. Concerns regarding my actions or actions of others will be reported to College officials.

Observance: I will observe and revere this Honor Code, and I acknowledge that a violation of the Honor Code or the Academic Integrity Policy may result in disciplinary action that may impact the outcome of my education.

Respect: I will treat faculty, staff, and students with respect and promote an environment of fairness, trust, and professionalism.

Academic Integrity Policy: Definitions

1. Academic Misconduct is the violation of the Academic Integrity Policy, including all forms of academic cheating including, but not limited to, acts listed below and any other act that results in unfair advantage to the student.
2. Cheating is defined as fraud, deceit, or dishonesty on an assignment, quiz, exam, assessment, discussion posts, or any other academic work, collectively referred to for the purposes of this policy as “Academic Activity.” Examples include, but are not limited to:
   • Copying answers, data, or information for any Academic Activity from another student in which the student is not permitted to work jointly with others.
   • Utilizing an unauthorized 3rd party for help with Academic Activities.
   • Misusing Artificial Intelligence sites in violation of the Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Learning Assessment and Research Policy.
   • Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, texts, notes, information, or study aids to gain unfair advantage in any Academic Activity.
   • Using prohibited electronic devices during exams or assignments, such as using a hidden earpiece to receive answers or accessing unauthorized information on a device.
3. Collusion is collaborating with another person or entity to create an unfair advantage, assisting, attempting to assist, or receiving assistance from another person to create an unfair advantage; or conspiring with another person or entity in or outside the College to create an unfair advantage. Examples include, but are not limited to:
   • Allowing others to use your Academic Activities or providing unauthorized access to your Academic Activities, College technological resources, or College-issued academic accounts to any other individual.
   • Gaining unauthorized access to another student’s Academic Activities, College technological resources, or College-issued academic accounts.
   • Sharing and disclosing any Academic Activities.
   • Submitting College or student content to unauthorized 3rd-party sites.
   • Using content from unauthorized 3rd-party sites without appropriate citations and without permission from the College.
4. Fabrication is the act of creating something that does not exist. Falsification is the act of changing something to deceive. Forgery is the act of imitating or counterfeiting documents, signatures and the like. Examples include, but are not limited to:
   • Deliberately falsifying, altering, or inventing student academic records.
   • Deliberately falsifying, altering, or inventing information for an Academic Activity.
   • Deliberately falsifying, altering, or inventing citations used in an Academic Activity.
5. Impersonation is defined as assuming another person’s identity or allowing another person or entity to impersonate you or assume your identity to complete an Academic or Enrollment Activity.
6. Plagiarism is the act of representing an individual’s or organization’s words, thoughts, or ideas as one’s own.
7. Sabotage seeks to gain unfair academic advantage by destroying, damaging, or stealing another person’s work and or property, or obstructing or interfering with an instructor’s materials or another student’s academic work.

Academic Integrity Policy Violations

Students who violate the Academic Integrity Policy are subject to corrective action to deter future misconduct and to hold students accountable for their actions.

Consequence of Academic Integrity Policy Violation(s):

Level One Violations: Level One violations are less severe and may be intentional or unintentional in nature. These violations may occur due to gaps and/or misunderstandings in the learning process of what constitutes academic misconduct, or a disregard for the Honor Code. It is not the responsibility of the College to identify the intentionality of academic misconduct violations. Examples of Level One violations may include but are not limited to the following: minor citation errors, using information without giving credit to the author of that source, assisting others to violate academic integrity, and the use or sharing of unapproved resources.

Faculty-Implemented Consequences: Level One Violations

• Redo Academic Activity for partial or full credit; Late Assignment Submission Policy deduction may apply.
• No resubmission – Partial credit on Academic Activity
• No resubmission – Zero credit on Academic Activity

Level Two Violations: Level Two violations are more severe and egregious and may be intentional or unintentional in nature. It is not the responsibility of the College to identify the intentionality of academic misconduct. The egregiousness and/or the accumulation of multiple Level One violations is what differentiates the implementation of a Level One Consequence vs. Level Two Consequence. Examples of Level Two violations may include but are not limited to the following: full-text plagiarism, collusion, contract cheating, falsification of data or results, forgery, and impersonation.

Academic Leadership or Academic Integrity Committee-Implemented Consequences: Level Two Violations

• Withdrawal from the course and receive a Fail (F) grade.
• Dismissal from the College

Academic Integrity Appeal Process

When there is a finding of academic misconduct, the student will have the opportunity to provide any additional and pertinent information they would like considered, so long as the basis for the appeal is to claim that the act of academic misconduct was not committed or that the consequence was too severe for the type of violation. Attempting to justify the act of misconduct is not an acceptable basis for an appeal. Refer to the Academic Appeal policy for the process to appeal an academic misconduct decision.

• Faculty-Implemented Consequences must be appealed first to the faculty within 5 business days of the violation determination. If not resolved at the faculty level, the student may appeal within 5 business days of the faculty’s response to the academic program leader. Decisions made by the academic program leader are final.
• Academic Leadership or Academic Integrity Committee-Implemented Consequences must be appealed within 5 business days of the decision to an Academic Appeals Committee. Decisions made by the Academic Appeals Committee are final.