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Academic Dishonesty: Statement on Cheating and Plagiarism

Transparency is key to all academic work; cheating and plagiarism – claiming ideas and works that are not your own – violate this principle, and thus represent serious academic offenses; this includes poor citation practices, over-paraphrasing, and inappropriate use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Such actions are not only unfair to other students and the Franklin community at large, but detract from effective learning. A student whose actions are deemed to be out of sympathy with the academic ideals of the University, may face penalty according to the gravity of the case, to the point of suspension or dismissal from the University. Consequently, Franklin has adopted the following principles and policies:

  • During in-class tests and examinations:

    • All unauthorized books, notes, papers and phones must be left outside the classroom, or unopened under the student’s seat.

    • Students may be asked to distribute themselves around the room with wide spaces in between desks.

    • If an instructor finds written crib notes or sees a student consult a smartphone or other unauthorized device, the presumption will be that the student has cheated.

    • If a student needs to leave the room due to physical duress, the student must turn in the exam and will not be allowed to return. Any accommodations will be determined solely by the instructor.

    • It is the prerogative of the instructor to take a student’s paper and to ask that student to take an oral exam, or another exam.

    • A student found cheating will be given an “F” for that examination. The instructor may further decide to give an “F” for the course.

  • For papers, take-home exams or other outside-class assignments:

    • Students need to disclose all usage of generative AI (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc.), specifying the extent and how it is used.

    • Outright plagiarism is understood as submitting an assignment, authored as a whole or in significant parts, by any source other than the student, without proper acknowledgement.

  • Consequences:

    • A student who is strongly suspected of submitting an assignment that is plagiarized or prepared by someone else may be asked to prove authorship. The instructor will decide on a suitable means of assessment, e.g. by an oral discussion of the assignment’s topic, by providing evidence of a meaningful research and drafting process, or by other appropriate mechanisms.

    • Students who cannot reasonably prove authorship will receive an “F” for the assignment and, at the instructor’s discretion, may receive an “F” for the course.

    • A student who is suspected of preparing an assignment for another student may also be referred to the Vice President of Academic Affairs and/or the Committee on Academic Standards. In these cases, sanctions can range from academic warning and reduced registration privileges to suspension. After a first warning, students should avoid any suspicion of academic dishonesty.

       

Faculty are expected to report incidents of possible cheating or plagiarism to the Vice President of Academic Affairs as well as to the Chair of the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standards, who will contact the student to discuss and evaluate the issue. Repeated offences will result in suspension or dismissal from the University. In complex cases the Vice President may request the advice or judgment of the Committee on Academic Standards. The student and/or the professor may choose to appeal the Vice President’s decision, in which case the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standards acts as appeal board, whose decision is final.