Academic Honesty Policy

Iowa Lakes Community College believes that personal integrity and academic honesty are fundamental to scholarship. Iowa Lakes strives to create an environment where the dignity of each person is recognized, and an atmosphere of mutual trust exists between instructors and students. The faculty have confidence in the integrity of the students and encourage students to exercise good judgment in fulfilling this responsibility.

Actions contrary to academic integrity will not be tolerated. Activities that have the effect or intention of interfering with learning or fair evaluation of a student’s work or performance are considered a breach of academic integrity.

Examples of such unacceptable activities include, but are not limited to:

  • Cheating (intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized material, assistance, or study aids in any academic work). For example, using a cheat sheet for a test, looking at another student’s paper during an exam, stealing or buying all or parts of an exam or paper, altering and resubmitting work for a better grade without prior approval to do so, etc.
  • Plagiarism (representing another’s ideas, words, expressions or data in writing or presentation without giving proper credit, failing to cite a reference or failing to use proper documentation, using works of another gained over the Internet and submitted as one’s own work).
  • Falsification and/or misrepresentation of data (submitting contrived or made-up information in and academic exercise). For example, making up data, citing non-existent sources, etc.
  • Facilitating Academic Dishonesty (knowingly helping or attempting to help another violate any provision of the academic dishonesty policy). For example, working together on a take-home exam or other assignment when the option has not been made available, giving a paper/assignment to another student for his/her use, etc.
  • Multiple Submission (submitting, without prior approval from the instructor involved, any work submitted to fulfill academic requirements in another class). For example, submitting the same paper for two different classes, etc.
  • Unfair Advantage (trying to gain an unauthorized advantage over fellow students). For example, gaining or facilitating unauthorized access to exam materials (past or present); interfering with another student’s efforts in an academic exercise; lying about the need for an extension on a paper or assignment; destroying, hiding, removing or keeping library materials, etc.

Disciplinary Action

Any violation of this policy will be treated as a serious matter. The instructor has primary responsibility for classroom behavior and maintaining academic integrity. Students who earn an “F” based on any violation of the Student Academic Honesty Policy may not withdraw from the class (and receive a grade of W).

Depending on the nature and severity of the offense, Iowa Lakes Community College reserves the right to exercise disciplinary action as outlined in the Disciplinary Action section of the Student Handbook.

Classroom Performance

In the classroom, student performance should be evaluated on an academic basis, not on opinions or conduct matters unrelated to academic standards.

  • Students should be able to express their views in any course but are responsible for learning course content.
  • Student protection from the prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation will be enforced through a due process procedure.
  • Students should be protected from unprofessional disclosure of their views, beliefs, and political associations. The information which staff members acquire is to be considered confidential in the course of their work as instructors, advisors, and counselors.
  • Instructors shall inform students, at the beginning of each course, the course content, objectives, how students will be evaluated, on what criteria, and when the evaluation will be done.

Individual Responsibilities

Iowa Lakes Community College expects all students to conduct themselves under all circumstances in a responsible manner.

  • Students are expected to observe the policies of the college and the laws of the city, state, and federal governments.
  • Students are subject to disciplinary action for violation of college policies or regulations which have been published and are readily available to the student.
  • No pets are allowed in the college buildings.
  • Because of the potential distraction to other students, students are not allowed to bring children to classes or into any other academic learning environment.