New Jersey City University (NJCU) is committed to nurturing the growth of intellectual reasoning, academic and professional values, individual ethics and social responsibility in its students.

Academic integrity is central to this growth and is defined as a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values: Honesty, Trust, Fairness, Respect and Responsibility. From these values flow principles of behavior that enable academic communities to translate ideals into action.

All students are expected to embrace the highest standards of academic integrity in their work. Any violation of such may be subject to a penalty based on the infraction, examples, definitions and suggested penalties are outlined below. 

This policy applies to all colleges, schools and academic departments as well as undergraduate and graduate programs.

Violations of Academic Integrity Policy

Level I violations apply in circumstances involving ignorance or inexperience on the part of the person(s) committing the violation and ordinarily include a minor portion of the course work. Example: Improper documentation of sources or unauthorized collaboration on an academic exercise.

• Any violation that involves repeat offenses at Level I is considered a Level II violation.

Level II violations involve incidents, based on ignorance or inexperience, of a more serious nature and affect a significant aspect or portion of the course, or violations involving incidents of willful misconduct and that affect a small or significant aspect or portion of the course.

• Any violation that involves repeat offenses at Level II is considered a Level III violation.

Level III violations apply to offenses that are even more serious in nature and involve pervasive dishonesty on a significant portion of course work, such as a major paper, mid-term, final exam, or other examination.

Definitions and Examples of Violations

Cheating: Cheating is an act of deception by which a student misrepresents his or her mastery of material on a test or other academic exercise. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to the following:

Fabrication: Fabrication refers to the deliberate use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings with the intent to deceive. Examples of fabrication include, but are not limited to the following: Violation_Fabrication.pdf

Plagiarism: Plagiarism occurs when a person represents someone else’s words, ideas, phrases, sentences or data as one’s own work. When a student submits work that includes such material, the source of that information must be acknowledged through complete and accurate references. All verbatim statements must be acknowledged by means of quotation marks. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to the following: Violation_013_Plagiarism.pdf

Academic Misconduct:

Academic Misconduct is a serious offense that is also considered a crime.  

• NJSA 18A: 2-3 (c) prohibits the preparation for sale of any term paper, thesis, dissertation, essay, report or other written, recorded, pictorial, artistic or other assignment knowing that it is intended to fulfill requirements for a degree, diploma, certificate or course at any educational institution. The law specifies up to a $1,000 fine for violations of its provisions.

Examples of Misconduct include, but are not limited, to the following: Violation_-_Misconduct.pdf

Procedures

Faculty, students, and administrators must report all violations of academic integrity, other than Level I; such violations represent serious infractions and undermine the University’s mission.

Level I penalties the imposition of these penalties is considered an academic issue and not disciplinary. These penalties are subject to the discretion of the faculty member. Faculty will meet with the student to discuss the allegation and possible penalties.

Level II penalties involve incidents of a more serious nature and affect a significant aspect or portion of the course. Violations at this level will be reported to the department chair and the Academic Dean for the specific course for undergraduate students.

Graduate students a notation of plagiarism shall be placed in the student’s record following this offense, and the student will not be allowed to expunge the grade of F from his/her GPA should he or she re-take the course. Confidential copies of the report will also be sent to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Dean of Students or the Dean of Graduate Education. Should the Vice President for Academic Affairs upon receipt of a report of plagiarism, find that a student has a prior record of plagiarism, the offense will be upgraded to Level III, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs will notify the instructor, the chair and the academic dean so that appropriate action can be taken.

Level III penalties apply to offenses that are even more serious in nature and involve pervasive dishonesty on a significant portion of course work, such as a major paper, mid-term, final exam or other examination.

In the case of an undergraduate student, violations at this level will be reported to the department chair and the academic dean for the specific course. A notation of plagiarism shall be placed in the student’s record following this offense, and the student will not be allowed to expunge the grade of F from his/her GPA should he or she re-take the course. Confidential copies of the report will also be sent to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Dean of Students or the Dean of Graduate Education. Should the Vice President for Academic Affairs or the Dean of Graduate Education discover, upon receipt of a report of plagiarism, that a student has a prior record of plagiarism, the Vice President for Academic Affairs or the Dean of Graduate Education will notify the faculty member, the chair and the academic dean so that appropriate action can be taken.

In the event the faculty member determines that the violation is severe, she/he may recommend to the department chair/ academic dean that the student be placed on probation, suspension, or expulsion for one or more semesters with a notation of “disciplinary suspension” indicated on the student’s record, or that the student be permanently dismissed from the University in case of repeat offenses. The Academic Dean, in consultation with the faculty member, will be responsible for deciding the additional penalty.

Graduate Students face dismissal from the University for level III violations. 

Academic Integrity Violation Form for Faculty.

Academic Grievance/Appeal Procedure  

Outlined below are the steps for an academic grievance. The full Academic Grievance/Appeal Procedure is listed in the Undergraduate and Graduate catalogs. 

Step 1.  Faculty Member: The student must submit in writing, (NJCU email or certified mail) a request for a meeting with the faculty member involved to resolve the situation in question, this meeting must take place within (10) university calendar days of the subsequent semester of the involved grievance (fall or spring). At the conclusion of the meeting the faculty member will inform the student of a decision in writing within 10 days.

Step 2.  Department Chairperson:  The student must submit in writing (NJCU email or certified mail) a written appeal to the appropriate department chairperson within ten (10) university calendar days of notification of a decision pursuant to the previous step (Faculty Member) or upon failure of the faculty member to respond within the prescribed ten (10) university calendar days. The department chairperson will inform the student of a decision in writing within 10 days.

Step 3.  Academic Dean: The student must submit in writing (NJCU email or certified mail) a written appeal to the appropriate academic dean within ten (10) university calendar days of notification of a decision pursuant to the previous step (Chairperson). The appropriate dean shall provide the student with a written decision within ten (10) university calendar days of receipt of the appeal from Step 2.

Step 4. University Senate Student Affairs Committee: The student must submit in writing, (NJCU email or certified mail) a written appeal to the University Senate Student Affairs Committee within ten (10) university calendar days of notification of a decision pursuant to the previous step 3, (Academic Dean.)

Grievances that are not resolved at the dean’s level may be referred to the Student Affairs Committee of the University Senate for review and decision, which will be forwarded to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for final decision. 

The Student Affairs Committee decision is then forwarded to the Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs who will make a final decision. The student will be notified in writing within ten (10) university calendar days. 

The Academic Grievance Form

Examples and Potential Penalties are examples only and determination is based on the severity of the situation. Any violation may be subject to a penalty based on the infraction that may include a reprimand, reduction in grade, failing grade, suspension or dismissal from the University.