/Institutions/Trident-University/json/current/2025-Academic-Catalog-local.json

/Institutions/Trident-University/json/current/2025-Academic-Catalog.json

Academic Honesty

AIUS regards academic honesty as vital to the success of its students and to the reputation of the university system and its institutions of higher learning. Students attain their educational goals and enjoy an enriched academic experience only when there is effective learning. Effective learning occurs when students conduct their own research and are the sole authors of their work. The assessment of that learning is undermined when the originality of students’ work is questionable.

AIUS therefore expects students to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty in all their work. Violations of the policy can result in a failing grade and may lead to dismissal from the University. All students are expected to adhere to the standards set forth in the Student Code of Conduct and Academic Honesty Policy.

Examples of Academic Honesty Violations
Examples of Academic Honesty violations include, but are not limited to:

1. Plagiarism: The most common form of academic dishonesty is the presentation of the work of another person as one’s own. Plagiarism is a serious academic infraction that tarnishes everyone associated with it. Civil and criminal penalties may also apply where conduct violates U. S. copyright laws.
• Copy and Paste/Cheating: Copied the work of another person and presented such copied work as their own. May include cheating on quizzes, tests, exams, as well as work from an article, website, book, online repository, and also images, music, and code.
• Contract Cheating: Hired and/or compensated another person or organization to prepare and/or complete academic work on their behalf. This includes hiring individuals or services to perform data collection and/or analyses for doctoral research studies.
• False References: Used false references, for example incorporated references that are not relevant or are fake to misrepresent resources.
• Manipulated Assignment Submission: Manipulated an assignment to avoid detection of content that is non-original and/or similar to other sources by plagiarism software.
• Paraphrasing: Paraphrased without citing the original author; did not give credit to another person's work when the ideas/facts presented were not their own.
• Patchwriting: Pieced together the work of other people, section by section or as-a-whole, and presented such copied work as their own. Per the American Psychological Association, 2022, patchwriting is “when students mistakenly think they have paraphrased an author's words because they added or removed a few words or replaced some of the words with synonyms. This is called patchwriting. If your wording has a similar sentence structure and uses the same words and phrases of the original author, you are patchwriting.”
• Self-Plagiarism: Students are not permitted to submit work previously submitted for assessment in another course. This includes part of a paper or excerpts from a previously graded paper for an assignment from another class.
2. Submission of Prior Work: Students are only permitted to resubmit work if they are retaking the same course and would like to use previously written assignment(s) from that course. For the previous work to be accepted, the student must revise the assignment and apply any feedback from the prior instructor. The student must also notify the current instructor if they are retaking the course and plan to submit prior work.
3. Artificial Intelligence: Students are not authorized to use AI tools to create content for assignment submissions unless specifically instructed to do so in the assignment. The expectation is that submitted work be original and the result of the student’s own efforts and learning. All submitted assignments will be reviewed for use of Artificial Intelligence and violations will be addressed according to the academic honesty policy. Refer to Guidelines for Student Use of AI.
4. Facilitating academic dishonesty: Students who intentionally assist or attempt to assist another student to commit an act of academic dishonesty or students who do not report another learner that is committing an act of academic dishonesty.
5. Other: Any activity, behavior, or representation to alter academic standing that a reasonable person in the discipline of study would consider dishonest or that violates the disciplines’ Professional Code of Ethics.

The University takes all violations seriously. As such, any occurrence that is found and is not covered by the above stated policy will be reviewed by Academic Affairs. AIUS reserves the right to review all current and previous grades in the current program of study of any student found to have engaged in plagiarism.

Reporting Charges of Plagiarism
Charges of plagiarism may be raised by anyone including but not limited to:

• Instructors, Professors, or Mentors
• Administrators
• Peers (other students or co-workers)

Escalation of Academic Honesty Violations
In some cases, students may be coached on proper/appropriate approach to the submission or original work and allowed to resubmit an assignment for minor or first academic honesty violations.

• In cases of continued academic honesty violations, repercussions could include failing grade on assignment or failing grade in class.
• Depending on severity and pattern of academic honesty violation(s), escalation to the Code of Conduct Committee can occur at any point for potential final written warning and/or dismissal from the University.
• Violations do not carry over from the undergraduate level to the graduate level.
• Academic honesty violations are cumulative over a learner’s tenure with the program.

• Where warranted, the institution may recommend removing the option to cancel a failing grade in a course (applies to TUI).
  
  

Right of Appeal
In cases where disciplinary action is applied, the student shall have the right to appeal.

• The student may appeal the academic honesty decision within five business days to the college Dean.
• The student may appeal disciplinary action applied by the college Dean within five business days to the Vice Provost.
• Students may formally appeal Student Conduct Committee decisions with submission of a written grievance to the Office of the Ombudsman (refer to the Student Code of Conduct policy).