Policies & Procedures

AA4001 Academic Honesty Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish shared expectations for academic honesty at SUNY Broome Community College. It underscores the College’s commitment to integrity in learning and scholarship, ensures that credit is earned fairly, and provides clarity for both students and faculty about their roles in supporting an honest academic environment.  

Statement of Policy

SUNY Broome Community College affirms its commitment to the highest standards of honesty and integrity in all academic work. Students are expected to uphold these values in their studies, and faculty are responsible for fostering and enforcing them in the classroom.

When a student engages in conduct that violates the standards of academic honesty, as defined in the accompanying procedure, the College may impose academic penalties. Such consequences are designed not to be punitive, but to ensure fairness, maintain the integrity of academic work, and protect the value of a SUNY Broome education.

Student Responsibilities Students are expected to:

• Refrain from acts of academic dishonesty (see Definitions below).
• Avoid aiding or encouraging others in dishonest conduct.
• Report observed incidents of dishonesty.
• Support peers in upholding academic integrity.

Faculty Responsibilities Faculty are expected to:

• Explain academic honesty expectations and refer students to this policy.
• Design courses and assignments in ways that discourage dishonesty.
• Address suspected dishonesty promptly and apply appropriate action.

Students who violate the Academic Honesty Policy, as defined in the procedure, may be subject to academic penalties, including assignment or course failure, and in some cases, dismissal.

To Whom It Applies

This policy applies to all SUNY Broome students and faculty.

Academic Dishonesty Definitions

For the purpose of this policy, academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to:

• Bribery – Offering or receiving any service or item in exchange for unearned academic benefit.
• Cheating – Gaining or giving unfair advantage during an assessment (exam, quiz, presentation, paper, lab, project, etc.). Examples include: o Unauthorized collaboration during an assessment. o Using notes, devices, or generative AI without permission.
  • Copying from or sharing work with others during an assessment.
  • Passing test information to students who have not yet taken it.
• Facilitating Academic Dishonesty – Helping others commit academic dishonesty. Examples include:
• • Providing work to others knowing it may be used dishonestly. o Sharing exam files or papers for the purpose of cheating.
  • Stealing or posting academic work for others’ use.
• Fabrication and Misrepresentation – Falsifying or misrepresenting data, citations, or facts related to academic work or performance.
• Forgery – Altering or imitating signatures, documents, or submissions to gain academic credit.
• Multiple Submissions – Submitting the same work for credit more than once without prior instructor approval.
• Plagiarism – Presenting another’s work, ideas, or generative AI output as one’s own. Examples include:
  • Using words, data, or methods without credit.
  • Submitting another person’s or AI’s work as original.
• Sabotage – Damaging or interfering with another’s work, experiments, materials, or resources.
• Unauthorized Collaboration – Working with others on assignments without explicit instructor permission.

Additional Definitions

For the purpose of this policy, the following definitions apply:

• Academic Penalties – Consequences applied within the academic setting when a student violates the Academic Honesty Policy. These penalties relate directly to grades or course status and may include, but are not limited to, a reduced grade, failure on an assignment or in a course.
• Disciplinary Action – Non-academic sanctions that may be imposed when incidents of academic dishonesty are repeated or severe. In such cases, the matter may be referred to the Division of Student Development for review under the College’s student conduct processes. Disciplinary actions address a student’s standing in the College community and may affect their ability to attend or remain enrolled at SUNY Broome, up to and including suspension or dismissal.