Academic Honor Code
Based upon truths that human beings are gifted with reason and other intellectual abilities above all creatures, and that the moral law of God applies equally to all people, Bethany Lutheran College encourages personal academic integrity and respect for the intellectual work and influence of others.
Therefore, members of the Bethany Lutheran College community are committed to academic honesty. They will not intentionally violate the requirements of an assignment nor intentionally fail to credit sources. They will complete all assignments and examinations according to the requirements set forth by the professors and submit work that is theirs alone.
This code is applicable to all academic work completed by students at Bethany Lutheran College. It is to be regarded as an indication that the student understands and has complied with the requirements of the assignment as set forth by the professor and pledges in good conscience that the work is his/her own.
What is Bethany Lutheran College asking from the student?
This policy on academic honor places upon the students the following responsibilities:
- The students will do their best to ensure that they, as well as others, will uphold the spirit and letter of the policy.
- The students will not, for example, give or receive aid in examinations; they will not give or receive unpermitted aid in any work that is to be used by the instructor as a basis for grading; they will not copy or paraphrase without proper acknowledgement; and they will not forge an instructor’s or an administrator’s signature; and
- That students will familiarize him or herself with, and adhere to, the standards for proper acknowledgement of sources set forth by the instructor.
What is plagiarism and academic dishonor?
Plagiarism and academic dishonor is the use of ideas, words, or data (including lab work) belonging to another person without adequate acknowledgement of that person’s contribution. To use as one’s own the ideas or words of another is academic dishonesty, since with most academic writing the greater part of the thought and expression is the property of the author. Some ideas have such wide use that all may use them freely; some words – such as proverbs and cliches – are public property. But, when a writer borrows what belongs to any other person, whether from a published or an unpublished work, the writer must indicate the source by way of footnote or internal reference, and the writer must enclose any and all distinctive words, computation, or programming of the source within quotation marks. Neglect of these indications shall be considered an act of academic dishonesty.
In addition to use of someone else’s work or answers, plagiarism can include, but is not limited to, the multiple submissions, the use of false citations, and the reporting of false data.
Institutional Procedures
This institution supports communication between professors and students. In the event that a professor identifies an incident of academic dishonesty, he/she will communicate directly with the student. In addition, the student is likewise expected to discuss the issue with the professor only. If upon the conclusion of conversations between the professor and the student, the student feels that the decision is incorrect, he/she may appeal the decision to the Academic Honor Board.
The Academic Honor Board’s responsibilities will include hearing appeals from students and making decisions regarding institutional sanctions that are to be imposed by the institution in the event that a student is found in violation of academic honor on more than one occasion.
The Board is made up of seven members, including three faculty members chosen by the Chair of the Faculty Assembly on a case-by-case basis; three students (serving one-year terms), selected from a list of ten student names, supplied by the Student Senate; and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, who shall serve as chair and may vote only to break ties.
Academic Honor System
A detailed description of Bethany Lutheran College’s Academic Honor System policy and procedure is on file in the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs or online here: Academic Honor System (.pdf).