Academic and Creative Integrity Policy

Academic and creative integrity is essential to personal and educational growth of students, which all members of the ArtCenter community are expected to uphold. This value maintains the standards of excellence of the College and creates a meaningful learning environment. Academic misconduct is a violation of the Policy that creates an unfair or unearned academic advantage to a student. This Policy is intended to assist students in understanding the academic and creative expectations of the ArtCenter community and what would constitute a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.

A. Matters Constituting Academic Misconduct

The following constitutes academic misconduct:

Plagiarism

Using another person’s language or idea without proper acknowledgment. When using the exact words of another in the presentation of written material, those words must be placed in quotation marks, with attribution to the original source, including proper citation of the source. Referencing or appropriating ideas may be part of an assignment, but it is always the student’s responsibility to properly acknowledge the source of the original material.

Creative dishonesty

Using another person’s words, ideas, or images, borrowed or stolen, in whole or in part, without appropriate permission and acknowledgment. Artists and designers commonly draw on others’ works, such as for reference or inspiration or a conceptual use of an appropriated image. This type of exploration is encouraged and expected; however there is an important distinction between drawing inspiration from a piece and copying it, which may vary by discipline. Within individual departments and classes, while students are ultimately responsible for the creative integrity of their work, chairs and faculty should make efforts to clarify what practices do and do not constitute creative dishonesty.

Submission of the same work

Submission of the same work in two courses without explicit permission. Presenting all or part of work done from one course or independent study to another ArtCenter course requires permission of the instructor in the current course.

Unauthorized collaboration

In many course activities collaboration is permitted and encouraged. Course syllabi and in-class instructions will usually identify situations where collaboration on assignments is allowed. The student shares responsibility for ascertaining whether collaboration is approved by seeking clarification from the instructor.

Cheating

This is a very broad category encompassing a variety of forms of misrepresentation and fraud. Cheating includes accepting or giving aid to another during a written exam or for a written report unless authorized by the instructor, or accepting or giving aid to another for an individual studio project unless authorized by the instructor.

Misrepresentation of experience or ability

This includes providing false information concerning academic and creative achievement or background. For example: falsely reporting the substance of an internship or omitting transcripts or other academic information on the application for admission.

Falsification of records

This includes any attempt to change grades or written records pertaining to assessment of a student’s academic and creative achievement; influencing, or attempting to influence, any College official, faculty member or employee responsible for processing grades, evaluating students or maintaining academic records through the use of bribery, threats, or any other means of coercion in order to affect a student’s grade or evaluation; and alteration or misuse of College documents pertaining to academic records by means of computer resources or other equipment.

Sabotage

Destruction or deliberate inhibition of progress of another student’s work related to a course is prohibited. This includes the destruction of shared resources such as library materials, lab materials, and computer software or hardware.

Complicity

Complicity concerning any of the above. Any act that assists academic or creative dishonesty is itself a violation of the Academic and Creative Integrity Policy.

B. Statement of Academic and Creative Integrity Policy

A statement on academic and creative integrity is outlined in each course syllabus. This statement identifies the responsibility of students to demonstrate integrity in all academic endeavors used in the work submitted for grading in each course. This statement is a contract that the student enters into by enrolling in the course.

C. Academic and Creative Integrity Review Committee

The Academic and Creative Integrity Review Committee (“Committee”) should be notified of all suspected violations of the Policy. The Committee will consist of the College designated conduct officer, faculty representatives from Humanities and Sciences and the studio departments, and a student representative. The Committee will appoint a member to chair the Committee each year. The Committee will review all cases to make recommendations of the academic sanctions to the reporting faculty member and department chair, determine disciplinary sanctions and provide guidance for consistent policy implementation.

D. Procedures for Processing a Policy Violation

The procedures for processing a violation of the Policy shall be as follows:

The faculty member should notify the student of the alleged violation of the Policy and determine if the student is responsible. The faculty member will provide the student with documentation of the alleged dishonesty and when applicable, the faculty should provide the source of the original work to the student.

1. In the case that a faculty member is uncertain if a violation has occurred, the faculty member can consult with their Department Chair, the Committee, the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs or the Associate Provost for Student Affairs/Dean of Students prior to bringing the suspected violation forward to the student. The Committee will periodically review the cases that were consulted on to ensure consistency of policy communication.
2. Following notification of the student, the faculty should report the incident by submitting an Academic and Creative Violation Form (“Report”), which can be found at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform within 10 days of the identified violation. Any supporting materials should be submitted to the Committee along with the Report. Faculty should provide the recommended academic sanction on the Report for the Committee’s review (e.g. no credit in the course, no credit on assignment, resubmit assignment or exam, reduced credit on final grade).

3. The Committee will review all materials and request in writing that the student appear before the Committee to represent their case and answer questions of the Committee. The student is permitted to bring an advisor to the committee hearing as outlined in the Student Conduct Hearing Board Procedures. The faculty member may also be asked to appear before the Committee to supply additional information if needed. Should the violation occur in a studio course, the Committee will request the corresponding department chair address the standards of appropriation in the discipline.
4. Initiating a recommendation for an academic sanction is the responsibility of the faculty member. However, the Committee may support and/or make additional recommendations to ensure consistent interpretation of the policy and appropriate sanctions. The Committee will decide upon any disciplinary sanctions (such as probation or suspension from the college) based on the severity of violation and any past academic misconduct violations.
5. Students awaiting action on a case of academic or creative integrity violation are not permitted to drop the course in question.
6. The Committee’s recommendations for academic sanctions and disciplinary action will be communicated to the reporting faculty and the chair of the department in which the student is enrolled in. The student will receive written notification of the outcome of the Committee’s review. The academic and disciplinary sanctions will be recorded in the student’s conduct record. The student is allowed 5 business days following the notification of sanctions to appeal the decision.

Forms for reporting violations of the Academic and Creative Integrity Policy as well as resources for faculty, including a rubric for faculty use, can be found on Inside ArtCenter.

Questions about this policy should be directed to CSE (students) or the Provost’s office (faculty).