Student Academic Conduct Code

The University admits students with the expectation that they have previously developed acceptable personal standards of conduct and ethics. Admission to Cumberland University carries with it special privileges as well as special responsibilities different from those enjoyed by and/or imposed on non-students. All students, residents, guests, staff, and faculty are expected to abide by the rules and regulations of the University. A disciplinary situation occurs when substantive violations of rules, regulations, policies, and guidelines or violations of local, state, and/or federal laws, rules, or regulations are reported to or discovered by appropriate University officials. Disciplinary procedures will be enforced for all substantiated violations. Student violations of Cumberland University policies, regulations, rules, and guidelines or a violation of local, state, and/or federal laws, rules, or regulations may lead to a non-renewal of or cancellation of current and future financial aid awards and to disciplinary sanctions as deemed necessary by appropriate Cumberland University officials.

University regulations go into effect when an individual matriculates and continues until the time of graduation or withdrawal. By the act of registration, the student agrees to accept standards and regulations reflected in this document and other publications of the University.

Academic Integrity - Cumberland University expects its students to pursue their academic work with honesty and integrity. The following are serious academic offenses that may result in sanctions up to and including expulsion:

Cheating in any form including facilitating another’s efforts to cheat.
Fabrication or falsifying documents, records, or credentials.
Unauthorized multiple submission includes simultaneous submission of the same piece of work in two courses without the prior approval of both instructors, as well as turning in any assignment for which one has already received credit.
Abuse of academic materials which includes stealing, infringing upon, destroying, losing, defacing, or damaging intellectual resources that belong to someone else.
Electronic dishonesty includes inappropriate access to network files, accounts, or resources, knowingly spreading viruses, disabling computer hardware or software, software piracy, and/or other forms of copyright infringement.
Receiving or giving assistance not authorized by the instructor in the preparation of any essay, laboratory report, examination, or other assignments included in an academic course.
Taking or attempting to take, steal, or otherwise procure in an unauthorized manner any material pertaining to the conduct of a class including, but not limited to, tests, examinations, laboratory equipment, and roll books.
Selling, lending, or otherwise furnishing to any unauthorized person material which can be shown to contain the answers to any examinations scheduled to be given at any subsequent date in any course of study offered by the University or any paper required as part of the academic requirements for any class taught at the University without authorization from the instructor.
Plagiarism or the representation of someone else's writing, computer program, or other creation as one's own.

It is the responsibility of all members of the community – students, faculty, staff, and administration – to familiarize themselves with the violations defined above. Students should help ensure that breaches of academic integrity do not remain undiscovered. Faculty must take responsibility for clearly defining, in course syllabi and assignments, the parameters of legitimate collaboration and any other areas in which boundaries of academic integrity may be unclear. The administration has a responsibility to assist in the fair and timely implementation of standards and sanctions.

Plagiarism - Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s words or ideas as one’s own. (See APA Manual, located in the reference section of the Vise Library). One of the most common forms of plagiarism is the paraphrasing of several phrases, sentences, or ideas in a paragraph with only one citation at the end of the paragraph resulting in confusion between the cited content and the researcher’s own words or ideas. Another common form is the practice of substituting words or phrases while retaining the original author’s form and structure.

Plagiarism in any form is one of the most egregious violations of professional ethics an author can commit. Submission of plagiarized material, even by accident or through ignorance, is a severe infraction of the professional ethical code and can result in expulsion from the program. To avoid plagiarism:

Cite sources within the text for all phrases or ideas that are quoted or paraphrased.
Cite sources within the text in the format delineated in the APA Manual.