Cheating and Plagiarism Policy
Students at Surry Community College are expected to complete their coursework without resorting to any form of cheating or plagiarism. SCC is a learning college committed to enhancing and improving student learning; when students cheat on assignments and tests, they rob themselves of the very learning opportunities they are paying for.
Cheating involves giving unauthorized help of any kind to another student on written assignments or tests. It also includes receiving such help from another student. Examples of cheating include possessing unauthorized notes during a test; assisting others to cheat; altering grade reports; giving test questions to students who have not taken the test; taking a test or writing an assignment for another person; and entering an instructor’s office without authorization.
Plagiarism is offering the work of another person as one’s own without proper acknowledgment. Examples of plagiarism include copying a source (whether it be phrases, sentences, or paragraphs) verbatim without using quotation marks; quoting or paraphrasing a source without including a citation; failing to give credit for a source’s ideas; inaccurately citing and listing bibliographic information; and purchasing papers on the Internet to submit (in part or in whole) under one’s own name.
Any student who engages in these activities will be subject to disciplinary action. Each faculty member at SCC outlines his/her policies on cheating and plagiarism in course syllabi. Students should be aware that there is no college-wide system of penalties for plagiarism and cheating and that individual instructor’s policies are respected and followed. Students do have the right to due process through the review and appeal council. Any appeal or grievance should be filed with the department chairperson, appropriate dean, or supervisor within 30 days after the incident or problem developed.
Student Responsibilities
It is the students’ responsibility to provide proof that all written work is indeed their work. Students should copy all drafts, notes, revisions, and source material (e.g., note cards) to offer as proof of ownership if such proof is requested. Students should acknowledge any assistance they have received, including proofreading, and should decline any unauthorized assistance on assignments. Students should not submit the same assignment in more than one course unless they have received prior permission from both instructors. Students should avoid the appearance of cheating during tests by covering their answers, sitting away from friends, keeping their eyes on their own work, speaking only to the instructor, and clearing their work space of all unauthorized material.