As a member of the student body of St. George’s University, which is an institution of education dedicated to a high standard of ethics and academic achievement, and recognizing that it is the duty of all of the University community members to nurture honesty and social responsibility, students agree:
- to adhere to the University policy of maintaining a high standard of honor and academic integrity;
- to refrain from violations of these ideals by breach of this Code of Conduct, for example, cheating, plagiarizing, lying, or stealing;
- to accept the responsibility for reporting such wrongdoing upon witness; and
- to adhere to all University safety and security rules and regulations as stated in the Student Manual. This includes wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle, a motor scooter, or any two-wheeled vehicle in Grenada.
It is understood that any breach of this Honor Code will necessitate disciplinary action, subject to the discretion of University Officials. Once enrolled in the University, acquiescence to this Code is in effect for the duration of the student’s matriculation at the University.
Students must be above suspicion in all testing situations. When cheating is suspected, it is not the obligation of the University to prove violation of this Code beyond a reasonable doubt, but rather by a preponderance of the credible evidence submitted.
Students are strongly advised to consider the following guidelines:
- Students must not expose themselves to any situation that lends itself to a suspicion of cheating, such as talking during an examination, looking at another student’s examination paper, or the unauthorized possession of notes and other materials.
- Students found cheating are subject to dismissal from the University, pursuant to applicable disciplinary procedures.
- Students found helping, abetting, or acquiescing to an act of cheating by another student are presumed to be equally in violation of this Code.
Plagiarism Policy
St. George’s University (SGU) is committed to promoting a culture of scholarship. In doing so, SGU places a high value on adherence to the principles of academic integrity, honesty, and respect for and acknowledgment of the work of others. The submission of work by students is considered an important part of a continuous process of learning and assessment. It allows for a determination of a student’s achievement of the necessary knowledge and skills related to their respective academic qualifications, which are to be achieved in accordance with the principles of academic integrity and honesty. To this end, students shall not submit or claim the work of others as their own or engage in any academic activity that provides an academic advantage over their peers by cheating. Plagiarism is regarded as a dishonest and cardinal offense in academia. As a form of academic misconduct, plagiarism is considered a breach of the student honor code; therefore, it is not tolerated. Plagiarism brings into disrepute the credibility of the University, its faculty, and students.
Definition
The Oxford Concise Dictionary, 9 ed., (1995: 1043) defines plagiarism as ‘the act or instance of plagiarizing, something plagiarized.’ The dictionary then defines plagiarize as ‘take and use (the thoughts, writings, inventions, and so forth of another person) as one’s own; pass off the thoughts and so forth of (another person) as one’s own.’
Plagiarism can be either intentional or unintentional. (See: https://www.turnitin.com for the spectrum of plagiarism practices).
The presentation of work, written or oral, as one’s own can be done from a plurality of sources.
Such sources include, but are not exclusive of, published or unpublished material, the work and ideas of faculty, students, internet sources, print and digital publications, written and oral opinions and/or presentations, artwork software, websites, or other electronic resources such as artificial intelligence (AI) e.g. ChatGPT.
The following list, while not exclusive, is indicative of the practices that qualify as plagiarism (See https://www.turnitin.com):
- Copying verbatim, entire or substantial portions of paragraphs and sentences, written or oral, without the use of quotation marks and indicating the source.
- Paraphrasing entire or substantial portions of paragraphs or sentences of the works of others, without referencing the source of such words/ideas.
- Utilizing AI (e.g. ChatGPT) technology to produce entire or substantial portions of work.
- Cutting and pasting paragraphs and/or sentences from various sources and presenting as one’s own work, either in a written or oral format.
- Copying the works of others, using peripheral or minor changes, while at the same time retaining the original idea, without referencing.
- Copying or adapting part, or all, of the work of another student as one’s own, for the purpose of any form of course requirements, including presentations or other scholarly forms of assessment.
- Cooperating or being complicit with other students in the sharing and copying of answers, including during examinations.
- Contract cheating, involving the payment for, or ordering of, essays, software, and other material for submission as one’s own work or ideas.
- Self-plagiarism, involving the re-submission of work previously submitted for assessment.
Procedures
Unless otherwise authorized by their respective course instructors, students are expected to produce works/ideas that are the product of their own original research/investigations.
Students are provided with protocols/guidelines which inform the styles of referencing for coursework requirements and must familiarize themselves with those acceptable to their respective School/Department. This ensures that every statement that is NOT an original thought is appropriately and accurately cited and referenced. Students must therefore seek clarification from their instructors, if necessary, regarding the University’s Plagiarism Policy. The University offers means by which a faculty member might seek confirmation of a suspicion that student work is plagiarized.
The University offers services, including software tools such as Turnitin to allow a student to review their submission for an evaluation of plagiarism. Students may also seek guidance from the Department of Educational Services (DES) for technical assistance on citing, referencing, and writing to avoid plagiarism.
Penalties
Penalties are transparent procedures to be followed where plagiarism is confirmed by the faculty member and verified by colleagues. Penalties are intended to protect the integrity of the work of students and faculty of St. George’s University and the reputation of the University. Faculty members reserve the right to take appropriate action, including the award of a ‘penalty grade’ such as an “F”, for confirmed plagiarism, in addition to referring the matter to the Office of Student Affairs for disciplinary action.