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Academic Integrity

Code of Academic Responsibility

Honesty and integrity are central human and Jewish values. Cheating and plagiarism are considered extremely serious offenses by Gratz College faculty and administration. It is recognized that the vast majority of students do not participate in such acts but ultimately suffer when cheating and plagiarism and other academic violations occur. Dishonesty diminishes the quality of scholarship and compromises the integrity of the institution and Gratz College faculty and administration. Academic dishonesty includes such things as cheating, inventing false information or citations, plagiarism, inappropriate use of generative AI, and/or helping someone else commit an act of academic dishonesty. 

It is a serious violation of the norms of the academic community to appropriate the ideas of other people without credit or permission, and it is important to learn to discriminate between exploitation and the legitimate use of the ideas of others. The most general rule is that any use of another person’s ideas, whether the source is published or not, should be acknowledged fully and in detail. Students should adhere to a style guide (eg. Chicago, APA) for guidance on how to cite sources.  

When preparing any written work, great care must be taken to fully acknowledge the sources of all ideas, concepts, language and images (including but not limited to drawings, designs, photographs, diagrams and charts). For specific questions, consult with a faculty member, but the following rules must be observed: 

  • Any sequence of words appearing in essay which do not belong to the student must be enclosed in quotation marks and the source identified in a manner designated by the instructor. 

  • A paraphrase should not be enclosed in quotation marks, but should be footnoted and the source given. 

  • An interpretation based on an identifiable source must be so attributed. 

The parameters of appropriate and inappropriate use of generative AI are described in the policy on Artificial Intelligence (see below).

Violations of the Code of Academic Responsibility 

Each of the following constitutes a violation of the Code of Academic Responsibility: 

  1. Plagiarism: if a student appropriates the ideas, concepts, images, or language of another person and presents them without attribution, that student has committed plagiarism. This includes the purchase or acquisition of papers or other material from any source.  

  1. Submitting the same work for credit in more than one course without permission of each instructor involved. Attempting to give or to receive unauthorized assistance on academic work and attempting to hinder others in their academic work 

  2. Furnishing false information to College officials on matters relating to academic work. This is to include, but not be limited to: 

  • False information provided for the purpose of obtaining special consideration (for example, postponement of examinations or of deadlines for written work) 
  • Fraudulent registration for classes 
  • Signing the name of an absent person to an attendance sheet 
  • Reporting the results of studies not performed 

  1. A student may not use a commercial writing service or paid editor without disclosure and instructor permission.  

  1. Use of generative AI in violation of Gratz’s college’s policy of Artificial Intelligence (see below).

Sanctions 

Sanctions for violations of the Code of Academic Responsibility may include, but are not limited to: 

  • Formal written warning 
  • Lowering the letter grade for the work involved 
  • Lowering the letter grade for the course 
  • Resubmission of work or additional assignments 
  • Grade of “F” for the course 
  • Suspension for a semester 
  • Dismissal from the College 

Procedures for Reporting Violations 

  1. If a student has violated an academic regulation, that student may report himself or herself to the faculty member involved within 36 hours of the infraction. 
  2. If a student or Gratz College official discovers that a violation has occurred, they may submit to the instructor of the course a written, dated, and signed report of the suspected violation. A student or Gratz College official also has the option to bring the suspicion to the attention of the Dean of the College. Persons who have knowledge of the violation may be summoned by the faculty member or the Dean to be questioned and to give testimony. 
  3. Charges against students must be resolved within 45 days of the first report of the alleged infraction. 

Procedures for Determining Level of Responsibility for Violations and Penalties 

After a violation has been alleged, or suspected by the faculty member, one of the two following procedures must be followed: 

  1. The student who is accused of the violation and the faculty member involved may choose to have the faculty member decide the case and assess the penalties as he or she determines. There will be no appeal process for cases decided in this fashion. Charges against students must be resolved within 45 days once reported. 

  • A faculty member who suspects a student of violating academic regulations will notify the student of the allegation and the ground for suspicion immediately after the discovery by the faculty member or of its being reported.  
  • The student will have the opportunity to respond.  
  • Should the faculty member find the student to be responsible for the infraction, the faculty member will inform the student of the decision and the penalties. 
  • The faculty member will report the infraction to the Dean of the College. A record of the report will be kept in the student’s file. If there is no repeat offense, the letter will be removed before graduation. If there is a second offense, the letter will stay in the student’s permanent file and further sanctions may be taken. 

  1. The student accused of the violation, or the faculty member involved, may choose to refer the case directly to the Dean of the College. 

  • In this instance, the party so choosing must present to the Dean of the College a written, dated and signed statement of the reasons for the hearing within one week of discovery of the violation. 
  • The Dean of the College will review the case. 
  • The faculty member involved must await the results of the decision before assessing any penalties in the course. 
  • If the student is found responsible for the infraction, the Dean of the College will write a letter describing the violation and the penalties applied. This letter will be kept in the student’s file until graduation. A copy must be sent to the student and to the faculty member involved. If there is no further infraction, the letter will be removed from the student’s file by graduation. 
  • In every case concerning academic integrity, the faculty member has final authority for determining the course grade. 

Many courses utilize TurnItIn, which provides plagiarism and AI detection. TurnItIn flagging an assignment for possible plagiarism or AI is grounds for suspicion of a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity. 

 

Student Use of Generative AI and Artificial Intelligence 

Students are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic honesty. AI tools must not be used in ways that misrepresent authorship or originality. Students must disclose if and how AI tools were used in the preparation of assignments, papers, or research. Different fields may have distinct norms for AI use. Students must follow any additional guidelines provided by their instructors or program directors.  

Material generated by an AI program should be cited like any other reference material (with due consideration for the quality of the reference, which may be poor). 

Permitted Uses of AI in Coursework (Unless Otherwise Prohibited by Instructor) 

  • Grammar and syntax suggestions (e.g., DraftCoach, Grammarly, spellcheck tools) 
  • Brainstorming or outlining assistance 
  • Summarizing sources for initial review (not for final citation) 

Prohibited Uses of AI 

  • Submitting AI-generated text as one’s own original work (e.g., essays, discussion posts, thesis chapters) 
  • Using AI tools to complete assignments intended to assess individual thinking, writing, or problem-solving 
  • Employing AI to bypass learning, research, or assessment objectives 
  • Using unverified citations located or created by AI 
  • Fabricating or falsifying sources, citations, or data 

Disclosure Requirements 

If AI tools were used in the development of an assignment or research project, students must include a brief statement such as: 

“I used ChatGPT to generate a preliminary outline for this paper and Grammarly for final grammar suggestions. All content and analysis reflect my own work.” 

Additional Guidelines for Use in Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects 

  • AI tools may be used to support research, analysis, or writing preparation, but must be disclosed and approved by the student’s advisor or committee. 
  • Any substantive use of AI in data analysis or writing must be documented in the methodology or acknowledgments section of the final submission. For example: 

“I used Zoom to record my interviews and create a transcript of the dialogue”  

“I used Copilot to analyze the data I collected from my participants. The interpretation of that data is my own.” 

Consequences of Misuse 

Unapproved or undisclosed use of AI tools may constitute academic misconduct. Violations will be reviewed under Gratz College’s Code of Academic Responsibility and may result in sanctions including grade penalties, revision requirements, or disciplinary action. 

The full policy and violation reporting procedures are available in the Academic Catalog