AP 5501 (Clean Proposed Edits)
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AP 5501 Academic Dishonesty 1
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References: Education Code Sections 66300 and 66301; Accreditation Standard IIA.7.b; BP and AP 3
5500 4
I. Academic Integrity Statement 5
Students at Ohlone College are expected to conduct themselves honestly and ethically. This includes 6
doing one’s own academic work and adhering to the guidelines for completing coursework and 7
assignments set by instructors. Academic work to be graded that uses unauthorized collaboration or 8
assistance is not permitted. Collaboration or assistance can include using other people’s writing, ideas, 9
images or other materials, as well as artificially generated content, without acknowledgement or 10
permission. 11
II. Standards of Conduct 12
This procedure outlines a process in the case of an instance of academic dishonesty in an instructor 13
led learning environment. Student conduct procedures are outlined in AP 5520 Student Discipline 14
Procedures. According to AP 5500 Standards of Conduct, cases of academic dishonesty are subject 15
to both academic and administrative sanctions.
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III. Student’s Rights and Responsibilities 17
A. Students have a responsibility to communicate with their instructors. 18
B. The student has the right to not respond to the allegation of Academic Dishonesty. 19
C. The student has a right to see the academic dishonesty report and evidence. 20
D. The student who is determined by a faculty member to have committed academic dishonesty 21
has the right to appeal the charge of academic dishonesty
, but they cannot appeal the 22
academic or administrative sanctions. 23
E. The student has the responsibility to initiate the appeal process within the time described in 24
this policy. Failure to respond at any level after the faculty member or dean’s office has 25
informed the student of the right to appeal
is interpreted as a waiver of the right to appeal. 26
IV. Definitions used in this policy. 27
• Academic Sanction - Academic sanctions pertain to the student's grade pertaining to the 28
assignment, exam, paper, project, or coursework involved 29
• Administrative Sanction - Administrative sanctions pertain to the student's status at the College. 30
• Day – A day during which the College is in session and regular classes are held, excluding 31
Saturdays and Sundays. 32
• Dean – an administrator who oversees assigned disciplines and/or departments. 33
• Faculty Member – Any full-time or part-time instructor, counselor, or librarian employed by the 34
College. 35
• Meeting – a scheduled time to discuss the allegation 36
• Student – A person either enrolled in or auditing credit or non-credit courses at the College, on 37
either a full-time or part-time basis. 38
V. Definitions of Academic Dishonesty 39
Academic Dishonesty comprises at least one of these actions listed below. 40
A. Cheating 41
Cheating is the act of obtaining, or attempting to obtain, credit for academic work through the 42
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use of any dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means. Cheating at Ohlone includes, but is not 43
limited to the following: 44
1. Copying, in part or in whole, from another’s test or other evaluation instrument or 45
obtaining answers from another person during a test; 46
2. Using or consulting during an examination sources or materials not authorized by the 47
instructor, or sitting for an examination in a setting not approved by the instructor; 48
3. Collaborating with another person on an assignment without instructor permission, or 49
allowing another student to copy from one’s work; 50
4. Submitting work previously presented in another course without first receiving permission 51
from the current instructor to reuse the work; 52
5. Altering or interfering with grading or grading instructions; 53
6. Unauthorized preprogramming of and/or having access to electronic devices; 54
7. Any other act committed by a student in the course of his or her academic work which 55
defrauds or misrepresents, including aiding or abetting any of the actions defined above. 56
B. Plagiarism 57
Plagiarism is the act of incorporating the ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs, data, or the 58
specific substance of another’s work in one’s own without properly acknowledging the source of 59
such material through complete and accurate citations and reference lists. Both the intentional 60
and unintentional use of another’s work constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism at Ohlone includes, 61
but is not limited to the following: 62
1. Directly quoting another person’s words without the use of quotation marks and 63
acknowledging the source; 64
2. Acknowledging the source of another person’s directly quoted words but without the use 65
of quotation marks; 66
3. Paraphrasing, or restating, another person’s ideas, opinions, or theories without 67
acknowledging the source; 68
4. Using facts, statistics, or other material taken from a source without acknowledging the 69
source; 70
5. Failing to properly cite an original source when using a secondary source 71
6. Representing another’s artistic/scholarly works such as musical compositions, 72
computer programs, photographs, paintings, drawings, sculptures, or similar works as 73
one’s own. 74
C. Falsification, Theft or the Sale of Protected Materials 75
Falsification, Theft or the Sale of Protected Materials includes, but is not limited to the following: 76
1. Any instance of fabrication or falsification. Examples of fabrication and falsification 77
include, but are not limited to the following: 78
a. Citing information not taken from the source indicated; 79
b. Citing a source that does not exist; 80
c. Listing sources in a bibliography or reference list that were not used in the project; 81
d. Intentionally distorting the meaning or applicability of data; 82
e. Inventing or falsifying data or source information in experiments, research 83
projects, or other academic assignments; 84
f. Listing hours worked or activities performed during a clinical, laboratory, or 85
service learning experience that did not occur; 86
g. Completing an assignment or sitting for an examination by a surrogate, or as a 87
surrogate; 88
h. Fabricating or falsifying documentation to try to change a course grade; 89
2. Theft of a copy of an exam or other assessment tool; 90
3. Selling or purchasing an exam, software program, paper, or other materials to be 91
submitted for an assignment. 92
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4. Posting an exam or graded content to third-party websites such as Course Hero. 93
D. Unauthorized use of Artificial Intelligence or Generative AI Tools 94
Unauthorized use of Artificial Intelligence or Generative AI Tools, which includes but is not limited 95
to the following: 96
1. Use of Artificial Intelligence to produce writing, visuals, code, or any other work to fulfill 97
an assignment without authorization from the instructor; 98
2. Partial use of Artificial Intelligence in an assignment without proper citation given to the 99
parts of the assignment that include AI generated material or without prior authorization 100
from the instructor; 101
3. Use of Artificial Intelligence to begin or draft work without acknowledgement of how AI 102
was used or that it was used; 103
4. Use of Artificial Intelligence to revise or improve work without acknowledgement of how 104
AI was used or that it was used; 105
VI. Faculty Procedure for Addressing Academic Dishonesty 106
A. Initial Charge – Discovery and Documentation 107
When a faculty member, responsible for a course, suspects that a student has committed an act 108
of academic dishonesty
the following protocol is followed within five (5) days after discovery of 109
the act: 110
1. The faculty member gathers evidence of the academic dishonesty: 111
a. Copy of the work in question. 112
b. Original source sample 113
c. In cases of Cheating: statement describing how cheating occurred 114
d. Supporting documentation 115
i. Emails 116
ii. Reports 117
iii. Screenshots 118
iv. Syllabus 119
2. The faculty member contacts the student to arrange a meeting to discuss the allegations; 120
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B. Initial Meeting with the Student. 122
Within ten (10) days after discovery of the act, a meeting is held between the faculty member 123
and the student being charged.
Meetings can be held in the same format as the course mode of 124
delivery. If the course is a fully online course or an in-person meeting is not an option, the faculty 125
member will schedule a video or phone conference or use email to discuss the allegation of 126
academic dishonesty. The meeting will cover the following topics: 127
1. Name the specific Academic Dishonesty violation. 128
2. Review of the supporting evidence. 129
3. The student will be given the opportunity to respond to the allegation. 130
4. The faculty member will explain: 131
a. The academic sanctions being considered. 132
b. The student’s right to appeal. 133
C. Filing the Academic Dishonesty Report 134
If, as a result of the initial meeting with the student, within five (5) days, the faculty member 135
concludes academic dishonesty occurred, they take the following steps: 136
1. Informs the student of the academic sanction(s) and consequences to be assessed, 137
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2. Completes the Academic Dishonesty Reporting Form including: 138
a. Documentation presented in the Initial Meeting with the Student. 139
b. Summary of the initial meeting. 140
c. Obtains the student’s response 141
3. Submits the Academic Dishonesty Reporting Form to the academic dean and the Vice 142
President, Student Services (VPSS) for possible administrative sanctions. 143
a. The student is informed of the report being filed and the administrative 144
sanctions imposed by the VPSS. 145
b. The instructor is informed that the report was received and processed. 146
D. When a Student Refuses to Meet 147
If a student fails to respond to the faculty member’s request for a meeting or attend a scheduled 148
meeting the following protocol should be taken: 149
1. Document the failure to respond or to attend the meeting. 150
2. Follow Procedure VI.C “Filing the Academic Dishonesty Report.” 151
3. The academic dean’s office sends written notification to the student informing 152
them of the academic sanctions, the student’s right to appeal, and that the 153
academic dishonesty has been reported to the Vice President, Student Services 154
Office for potential administrative sanctions. 155
E. When It is Near the End of the Semester 156
When the apparent academic dishonesty is detected near the end of the semester and the 157
faculty member makes a good-faith effort to contact the student but is unable to do so, the 158
following process takes place. 159
1. Within ten (10) days, the faculty member issues the appropriate academic sanctions. 160
2. The faculty member completes the Academic Dishonesty Reporting Form (without 161
student’s signature) and sends the form to the academic dean and the Vice 162
President, Student Services. 163
3. The academic dean’s office sends written notification to the student informing 164
them of the academic sanctions, the student’s right to appeal, and that the 165
academic dishonesty has been reported to the Vice President, Student Services 166
Office for potential administrative sanctions. 167
VII. Student Procedure for Responding to Academic Dishonesty 168
Reports 169
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A student has a responsibility to respond to their instructor’s request to meet. A student can refuse to 171
meet. 172
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A. When a Student Agrees to Meet 174
If a student chooses to meet with the faculty member, this meeting must be scheduled and take 175
place within five (5) days of the original request. The following protocol will occur. 176
1. The faculty member will cover the topics described in VI.B “Initial Charge Meeting.” 177
2. The student will select a student response. 178
B. When a Student Refuses to Meet: 179
If a student fails to respond to the faculty member’s request for a meeting or to attend a 180
scheduled meeting the following protocol should be taken: 181
1. Faculty initiate Procedure VI.C “Filing the Academic Dishonesty Report.” 182
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2. The student may select a student response by the deadline in the written notice. 183
Refusing to select a response will be considered a waiver of the right to appeal. 184
C. When It is Near the End of the Semester. 185
1. Faculty initiate Procedure VI.C “Filing the Academic Dishonesty Report.” 186
2. The student may select a student response by the deadline in the written notice. 187
3. Refusal to select a response will not be considered until the next academic term begins. 188
VIII. Procedure for Appealing Charges of Academic Dishonesty 189
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A. Student Appeal of Academic Dishonesty Protocol 191
If the student disagrees with the charge of Academic Dishonesty, they have the right to appeal 192
to the Academic Appeals Committee through
the Office of Academic Affairs (VPAA) within ten 193
(10) days of the initial meeting (VI.B) or the written notification from the dean (VI.D.3). 194
1. The student files the appeal by completing the Student Appeal of a Charge of Academic 195
Dishonesty form. 196
2. The student may submit evidence supporting their appeal. 197
3. A student not knowing what constitutes academic dishonesty at Ohlone College is not 198
grounds for appeal. 199
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B. Initial Appeal Process – Academic Appeals Committee 201
1. The Office of Student Services (VPSS) forwards all evidence to the Academic Affairs 202
Office. 203
2. Within five (5) days, the Office of Academic Affairs informs the Academic Appeals 204
Committee (AAC) of the appeal and forwards all the evidence and appeal 205
documentation to the committee. 206
3. The Academic Appeals Committee schedules and holds a meeting to hear the 207
appeal within ten (10) days of receiving the notification of the appeal from the 208
Vice President of Academic Affairs Office. 209
a. The Academic Appeals Committee (consisting of an academic 210
administrator, academic and counseling faculty, and students) only 211
convenes during the regular school term. 212
b. The Academic Appeals Committee holds the meeting and makes a 213
decision. even if the student chooses to not make a statement and/or to 214
not to appear at the hearing. 215
4. Within five (5) days of hearing the appeal, the Academic Appeals Committee sends 216
notification of its decision to the student and
the Office of Academic Affairs. 217
5. The Office of Academic Affairs Office sends written notification of the committee’s 218
decision to
the Office of Student Services for appropriate administrative sanctions 219
(if warranted) and to be kept on file. 220
a. If the Faculty Member’s decision is sustained by the AAC, the Office of 221
Academic Affairs will notify the Office of Student Services whether a final 222
appeal was filed. 223
b. If the Faculty Member’s decision is overturned by the AAC, all documentation 224
will be
moved to note-to-file, and any actions/sanctions against the student will 225
be reversed.
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C. Final Appeal Process – Vice President, Academic Affairs 228
If the student disagrees with the decision of the Academic Appeals Committee, they have the 229
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right to appeal the decision to the Vice President of Academic Affairs within five (5) days of 230
receiving the Academic Appeals Committee’s written notification (VIII.B.4). 231
1. The student files the appeal with the Office of Academic Affairs by completing a Student 232
Appeal of a Charge of Academic Dishonesty form. 233
a. New evidence may only be submitted if it can be shown that it was not 234
reasonably available to be submitted at the time of the Initial Meeting (VI.B) or 235
the Academic Appeals Committee hearing (VIII.B). 236
2. Upon notification, the Vice President of Academic Affairs will review the evidence and 237
the appeal documentation. Within ten (10) days, the Vice President of Academic Affairs 238
will send written notification of
the decision to the student, the academic dean, and the 239
faculty member. 240
3. The Vice President of Academic Affairs’ decision is final, with no other appeal options. 241
a. If the Academic Appeal Committee’s decision is sustained by the VPAA, the 242
Office of Academic Affairs will send notification of the decision to
the Office of 243
Student Services of assigning administrative sanctions (IX) (if warranted) and to be 244
kept on file. 245
b. If the Academic Appeal Committee’s decision is overturned by the VPAA, the 246
Office of Academic Affairs will notify the Office of Student Services. All 247
documentation will be
moved to note-to-file, and any actions/sanctions against the 248
student will be reversed. 249
IX. Guidelines for Sanctions Involving Academic Dishonesty 250
A. Academic Sanctions 251
When a student is determined by a faculty member to have committed an act of academic 252
dishonesty, the decision on academic sanctions shall reside with the instructor. 253
1. Academic sanctions may include one or more of the following: 254
a. Oral reprimand; 255
b. Lowered grade on assignment, exam, paper, project, or course work involved; 256
c. Failed grade on assignment, exam, paper, project, or course work involved; 257
d. Opportunity to retake or resubmit assignment, exam, paper, project, or course 258
work involved; 259
e. Opportunity to complete additional assignment, exam, paper, project, or course 260
work. 261
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2. A student’s overall grade cannot be reduced as a sanction, but it can be reduced based 263
on the academic sanction assigned to the specific assignment. 264
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3. If a student’s grade is amended as an academic sanction, the faculty must document it 266
by filing an academic dishonesty report. 267
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B. Administrative Sanctions 269
Administrative Sanctions for students found to have engaged in the Cheating, Plagiarism, 270
Falsification, Theft or the Sale of Protected Materials,
Unauthorized Use of A.I. and/or multiple 271
incidents of Academic Dishonesty are outlined in the Student Code of Conduct and include 272
disciplinary probation, suspension, restitution, and expulsion. 273
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1. Administrative Sanctions for acts of Academic Dishonesty will include, at a minimum, 275
the following sanctions: 276
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a. Students found to have engaged in the Falsification, Theft or the Sale of 277
Protected Materials
may be placed on disciplinary probation. 278
b. Students found to have engaged in academic dishonesty behavior in two 279
reported incidents
may be placed on disciplinary probation and may be 280
recommended for either long term (1 semester or more) suspension or 281
expulsion proceedings. 282
c. Students found to have engaged in academic dishonesty behavior in three 283
reported incidents
may be recommended for either long term (1 semester or 284
more) suspension or expulsion proceedings. 285
d. Students found to have engaged in academic dishonesty behavior in four or 286
more reported incidents
may be recommended for expulsion. 287
e. Suspension and expulsion recommendations will follow the procedures outlined 288
in the Student Code of Conduct. 289
f. A record of disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion is part of a 290
student’s disciplinary record and will be made available to transfer 291
institutions.
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X. Annual Report 293
A report of sanctions will be produced and shared with the Faculty Senate annually in the spring term. 294
The review will include the number and categories of academic dishonesty, the number of appeals 295
and their outcomes, and the number and type of academic and administrative sanctions. Results will 296
be disaggregated by discipline, gender, ethnicity, and disability status. 297
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Recommended by Academic Senate on April 17, 2019 299
Adopted: April 24, 2019 300
Updated:
AP 5501 Workgroup – March 26, 2024; 8:00 PM
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ASOC Feedback – 3/29/2024
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Faculty Senate 1
st
Reading – 4/3/2024
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Faculty Senate 2nd Reading – 4/17/2024
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College Council 1st Reading - 5/13/2024
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College Council 2
nd
Reading – 6/12/2024
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