Academic Honesty

Student Integrity and Academic Honesty Policy

Da Vinci University emphasizes the ethical responsibility of all its students to seek knowledge in an honest manner. Students are responsible for submitting all forms with correct information and class assignments of their own work. Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated.

Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to misrepresentation of information in oral or written form to anyone in, Da Vinci University cheating, and plagiarism. Such violations will be dealt with in accordance with Da Vinci University guidelines.

Misrepresentation of information in oral or written form to anyone from Da Vinci University means that information was submitted under false pretense to gain acceptance into any of ’ Da Vinci University s Programs.

Cheating means receiving reward for finding an easy way to get out an unpleasant situation by dishonest means. It is breaking the rules of how one gains an unfair advantage to succeed an activity.

Plagiarism means utilizing someone else’s idea or writing as if it were your own. If someone else’s idea or writing is used, the source should be clearly documented to comply with the APA Manual 6th Edition.

Procedures

Any violation of the “Student Integrity and Academic Honesty Policy” will be handled through the following steps:

1. Student will be notified about the violation of “Student Integrity and Academic Honesty Policy” by an IDVU instructor who recognizes the discrepancies in the information or assignment by email to their email on file at the time of application.
2. Student will be given five working daysto respond to the instructor to either confirm the violation or refute the by email.
3. IDVU instructor will evaluate the student’s explanation and respond to student’s statements within five working daysof the actions to be taken to rectify the situation. If the IDVU instructor accepts the student’s response to rectifying the situation, the continuance of the process will stop and a written notice of the outcome will be by email to their email on file at the time of application.
4. If the IDVU instructor does not accept the student’s response to rectify the situation, discussion will continue between the IDVU instructor and the student to find solution to rectify the situation. The conclusion must be in agreed upon by both parties within five working daysby email. If there is no agreement, the situation will be advanced to the Academic Committee for action from either party.
5. The Academic Committee will review the case for resolution to the situation. The results will be reported by email within thirty daysto both parties involved in the process. The resolution could be:

a.) acceptance of the students response to the situation
b.) acceptance of the IDVU Instructor’s resolution
c.) Termination of enrollment, probation, suspension, dismissal of the student from Da Vinci University

Plagiarism Policy

The Da Vinci University Plagiarism Policy sets forth the following policy in an effort to maintain and uphold high standards of ethical academic conduct.

1. What plagiarism is:Plagiarism is the offering of someone else’s words, ideas, or conceptions as if they were their own. Students are indeed encouraged to draw upon the information and wisdom of others, but are always expected to state such sources so that a) their own creativity can be justly appreciated and b) their use of sources (like a scientist’s experiment) can be verified by others.
   II. How plagiarism is identified: To establish the occurrence of plagiarism, it is not necessary to prove intent. All students are responsible for knowing or learning what academic honesty is. At, Da Vinci University plagiarism will be deemed to have occurred when one or more of the following external evidences are present:
   1. The writing of a student includes word for word passages taken without explicit and accurate acknowledgment from a source written by another, provided that the cumulative borrowing includes at least ten words. “Explicit and accurate acknowledgment” means the use of quotation marks and a verifiable citation of source, either in parentheses or by footnote, at the point of indebtedness.
2. The writing of a student closely resembles another source in thought, order, or diction (including synonyms) for a cumulative resemblance of three or more sentences, without explicit and accurate acknowledgment as defined in #1 above.
3. Two or more papers or exams, submitted at the same time, contain resemblances in factual or stylistic detail which are decidedly outside normal probabilities of coincidence.
4. A paper or exam contains terminology or information which the student, on questioning, cannot explain.
5. A paper or exam contains unusually detailed data for which the student does not produce a verifiable source.
6. These same principles hold for the inclusion of borrowed diagrams, mathematical statements, tables, and pictures.

***If the student is unsure about whether their writing has sufficiently acknowledged outside sources, he/she should consult with either their course instructor or before submitting final copy.
III. Plagiarism Offense: Any instructor who has assembled evidence of plagiarism will first offer the student a chance to provide an alternate explanation of the evidence or to admit fault. If the inference of plagiarism remains, the instructor may choose one of these options (listed in order of increased severity according to the extent and evident deliberateness of the deceit).

The first two options suppose that the plagiarism is not extensive, or that it would not have given the student substantial academic advantage such as full course credit or high course grade, or that the instructor has clear reasons to believe that the plagiarism can be accounted for by ignorance which though subject to discipline is genuine.

1. Offer the student a chance to provide an alternate explanation of the evidence or to admit fault.
2. Reprimanding the student and requiring a revision of the work to eliminate plagiarism or an additional paper, or exam.
3. Lowering the grade for the paper or exam (even as far as F) without opportunity to regain the lost credit.
   The remaining options would come into play if the plagiarism is extensive; or if it would have given the student substantial academic advantage, or if the student had previously been warned against it.
   4. Directed withdrawal of the student from the course with opportunity to retake the course.
4. Failure of the student from the course.
5. Referral of evidence to the Da Vinci University Academic department for appropriate disciplinary action (which may go so far as suspension or dismissal) following the Student Integrity and Academic Honesty Policy.
6. Records: Any action beyond 1) will be reported to the Da Vinci University Academic department for notation in the student’s file. The Da Vinci University Academic department reserves the right to review each instance of plagiarism as a case by case basis and respond accordingly.