Student Conduct

Academic and Creative Integrity Policy

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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 and Creative Dishonesty

Using another person’s language, image, or idea without proper acknowledgement and appropriate permission. When using the exact words of another in the presentation of written materials, those words must be placed in quotation marks with attribution to the original source, including proper citation of the source.

Artists and designers commonly draw on other’s works, such as for reference, inspiration, or as 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 be 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 help clarify what practices do and not constitute plagiarism or 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 course requires permission of the instructor in the current course.

Unauthorized collaboration

A student works with others on assignments, examinations, or projects that will be submitted for a grade without specific permission from the instructor. In many course activities, collaboration is permitted and encouraged. Course syllabi and in-class instructions may 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

Involves unauthorized use of information, materials, devices, sources, or practices in completing academic activities.

Complicity

Involvement in a wrongful act concerning any of the above. Any act that assists academic or creative dishonest 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. Procedures for Addressing a Policy Violation

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

  1. Faculty member will 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 violation, and when applicable, the faculty should provide the source of the original work to the student.
    1. Students awaiting action on a case of academic or creative integrity violation are not permitted to drop the course in question.
    2. If the faculty member is uncertain if a violation has occurred, the faculty member can consult their academic chair, Dean, Associate Director of Student Conduct, or Associate Dean of Students/Director of the CSE prior to bringing the suspected violation forward to the student.
  2. Following notification to the student, the faculty should report the incident by submitting an Academic and Creative Integrity Violation Form (“Report”) within 10 business days of the identified violation. Any supporting materials should also be submitted. Faculty should provide the recommended academic sanction.
    1. If someone other than a faculty member suspects a violation (such as a staff member or student), the violation should be brought to the attention of either the faculty of the course in which the violation took place or the chair of the department the student in question is enrolled.
  3. If the recommended sanction is anything other than suspension or expulsion the Center for Student Experience will document the violation and email the student with the faculty’s decision as well as the instructions to appeal the decision.
  4. When the recommended sanction is suspension or expulsion the Student Conduct Hearing Board will convene. Prior to meeting the Hearing Board will be given all submitted materials to review (see Procedures for Cases Brought Before the Hearing Board in the Student Code of Conduct).
  5. The Hearing Board’s decision 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. The student will receive written notification of the outcome of the Hearing Board’s review. The academic and disciplinary sanctions will be recorded in the student’s conduct record.

D. Appeals

A student may appeal a determination by the Hearing Board or a faculty member based upon any of the following:

  1. The sanction is grossly disproportionate to the offense.
  2. The Code procedures were not followed, resulting in significant prejudice to the student.
  3. In the exercise of reasonable diligence, new relevant evidence that could not have been produced at the hearing is available.
  4. The decision is not supported by evidence.

Appeals of Decisions Made by Faculty

All requests for appeals must be in writing, setting forth the basis for the appeal with specificity. Appeals must be delivered to the faculty member’s Dean within five business days of the date that the student received the written determination of the sanction.

The faculty member’s Dean will review the summary of the testimony, findings of fact, decision, the recommended sanction, the student’s disciplinary history, and the student’s written statement.

The faculty member’s Dean may request the student submit, in writing additional information.

The faculty member’s Dean may affirm, reduce, or increase the sanctions and will notify the student in writing.

Appeals of Decisions Made by the Hearing Board

All requests for appeals must be in writing, setting forth the basis for the appeal with specificity. Appeals must be delivered to the Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students and the Provost within 5 business days of the date that the student received the written determination of the sanction.

The Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students and Provost will review the summary of the testimony, findings of fact, decision, the recommended sanction, the student’s disciplinary history, and the student’s written statement. 

The Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students and Provost may request the student submit, in writing, additional information.

The Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students and Provost may affirm, reduce, or increase the sanctions and will notify the student in writing.

E. Academic Sanctions

An instructor may impose one or more of the following sanctions. When determining appropriate sanctions, the severity of the violation; the present demeanor and past disciplinary record of the offender; the nature of the offense are considered.

  1. Resubmit assignment
  2. Resubmit assignment with a lowered grade
  3. Fail assignment
  4. Fail course
  5. Additional educational activities such as completing a relevant training
  6. The faculty member retains the right to impose other sanctions than those listed with consultation from the Associate Director of Student Conduct, Associate Dean of Students/Director of the CSE, or the Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students

The Hearing Board may impose any of these academic sanctions along with any of the sanctions listed in the Student Code of Conduct.