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COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF PHILADELPHIA
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
POLICY CONCERNING ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
American higher
education and science have an old and strong tradition of honesty. There is
no room in academia or in science for cheating or any other type of academic
dishonesty. Many of the nation's universities and colleges rely on an honor
system concerning examinations; to be found cheating during an examination is
the basis for immediate expulsion. The Department of Chemistry at Community College of Philadelphia subscribes to this treatment of those
who cheat.
Cheating may be
defined as (a) looking at another student's examination paper, (b) asking another
student for any type of help during an examination, (c) bringing notes of any
type to an examination, (d) plagiarizing work done by another without giving
full credit, (e) falsification of
information including laboratory data, (f)
lying, (g) making notes during an examination on scrap paper to give
to another student, (h) stealing an examination, (i)
asking another person for help on take-home examinations, (j) writing notes
on desk tops, (k) passing calculators that contain information to another student,
(l) changing answers on an examination after it has been returned, and (m)
having another student take an examination for you. Any of these violations
constitutes a highly serious offense, which will ultimately result in some
type of disciplinary action.
Persons properly
trained in science, perhaps more so than the general public, find scientific
and academic cheating highly offensive. How can one trust the laboratory data
or scientific findings of a person known to cheat? Will this person make an
honest physician or dentist? Will this person make an honest pharmacist? Does
this person or this person's work have any integrity? One single instance of cheating can cast
doubt on everything that person does, and it can follow one for a lifetime.
Students caught
cheating will find that it may result in (a) refusal to accept you back into
the course, (b) your name will be reported to the Dean of Students, and to
the Vice President for Academic Affairs, with the recommendation that you be
expelled from the college. If you are not expelled, all of your present and
subsequent professors will be notified of your academic dishonesty. Last, you
will never receive any letter of recommendation from any Community College of Philadelphia chemistry faculty member.
Now think it
over, is cheating worth the risk of having the above happen to you? If you
think these things won't happen, you are sadly mistaken. You will find out
the hard way.
The great
majority of students are honest, and cheating is not usually a problem. We
apologize to those of you who work honestly, that we have found it necessary
to write this statement because of a few who are dishonest.
Kathleen
A. Harter
Professor
and Chair,
Department
of Chemistry
Unanimously adopted
at a meeting of the Department, March 1992
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