Student Integrity and Academic Honesty Policy

This policy applies to all:

• Assessments, assignments, projects, and examinations.

• Students, faculty, and staff involved in the academic process at NWU.

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Definitions

 

Plagiarism: the use of someone else's ideas, words, or work without proper attribution.

• Students are not allowed to copy text from a source without quotation marks or a citation; summarize or paraphrase someone else's work without giving credit; submit someone else's work as your own.

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Cheating: the act of using unauthorized materials, information, or assistance intentionally during any examinations.

• Students must not engage in any form of cheating when taking proctor exams, cheating including using the external assistance (e.g. notes, textbooks, or electronic devices) unless specifically authorized by the instructor; giving answers to another student or receiving help from others during the exams.

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Fabrication: the act of falsifying or inventing information or data in academic assignments or research papers.

• Students must not falsify or fabricate data, research, or sources. (i.e. making up sources, data, or evidence to support a claim, or misrepresenting the extent of one's research or knowledge on a particular topic.)

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Procedure/Process

1. Student Identity Verification

   • Upon enrollment, each student is issued a unique ID and password.

   • Students must use these credentials for accessing the Learning Management System (Populi).

   • Sharing login credentials is prohibited and considered a breach of academic integrity.

2. Plagiarism Prevention and Detection

   • NWU maintains a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism.

   • Students must submit original work for all assignments, projects, and assessments.

   • Proper citation and referencing are mandatory for external sources.

   • Faculty use plagiarism detection tools such as Turnitin to verify originality.

3. Assignment Submission Guidelines

   • Assignments must be submitted through NWU’s designated LMS (Populi).

   • Late submissions require prior instructor approval and are subject to outlined penalties.

4. Reporting and Investigating Violations

   • Faculty must report suspected dishonesty to the Academic Dean or designated personnel.

   • Students can report observed integrity violations to their instructor or the Academic Dean.

   • Reports are confidential and investigated thoroughly.

5. Consequences for Violations

   Violations of this policy will not be tolerated and will be subject to disciplinary action. If a student is found to have cheated on an exam, the instructor is required to notify the Academic Dean to determine what action is appropriate to take, the following consequences may be imposed:

   • Retaking the exam under appropriate supervision.

     • the student retakes the exam in a proctored setting, with a supervisor present to monitor their behavior and ensure that they are not cheating.

     • the student retakes the exam in a different format or using different questions, to ensure that they are not able to simply memorize the answers from their previous attempt.

   • Receiving a course grade of “F” or another grade penalty at the discretion of the course instructor.

   • Other Additional disciplinary sanctions determined by the Academic Dean may include disciplinary probation, suspension, or permanent expulsion from the university, administrative hold on the release of records, and withholding of a certificate. Disciplinary probation shall be noted on the student’s formal academic record only for the duration of the probationary period.

6. Appeals Process

   • Students may appeal decisions by submitting a formal written request to the Academic Dean within five business days.

   • Appeals are reviewed by a panel, and decisions are communicated within ten business days.