Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity
Johnson & Wales University is a member of the Center for Academic Integrity (CAI), a consortium of more than 200 colleges and universities that seeks to encourage the deepening of academic integrity on campuses nationwide. Research* by this organization has revealed some disturbing trends.

• According to the CAI, 75 percent of students nationwide admit to some cheating.
• In a 1999 survey, 1/3 of participating students admitted to serious test cheating; 50 percent admitted to one or more instances of serious cheating on written assignments.

Internet plagiarism is a growing concern.

• Most students have concluded that "cut & paste" plagiarism (using a sentence or two without proper attribution) is not a serious issue. In 1999, 10 percent admitted doing it. By 2000, that number had climbed to 41 percent.
  
  *Research conducted by Donald L McCabe, Rutgers University, founder and first president of the Center for Academic Integrity.

Five Core Values of Academic Integrity
These core values are aimed at supporting the mission and vision of an academic institution.

• Honesty is a critical component of the learning experience. Students must be honest with themselves and their faculty advisors.
• Trust Students need to know that their work is going to be evaluated on its own merits. Faculty members also need assurance that their students are preparing original works. Trust is crucial to maintaining this balance.
• Fairness builds academic integrity; it’s also crucial to helping students develop to their greatest potential. It begins with the administration and filters its way through to faculty and students.
• Respect must exist between students and faculty, as well as between student peers. Listening to, and respecting, others’ points of view creates an atmosphere where students can learn from their mistakes in a supportive, non-threatening environment.
• Responsibility is the foundation of academic integrity. Everyone associated with an institution is responsible for ensuring that honesty, trust, fairness and respect are prevalent on campus.

The university thanks the Center for Academic Integrity (CAI) for permission to use The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity (October 1999).

Student Code of Conduct
Academic dishonesty such as cheating or plagiarism is a violation of Johnson & Wales University’s Student Code of Conduct.

If a student is found responsible for cheating, plagiarizing or in any way compromising his or her academic integrity, he or she may be withdrawn from class or, if circumstances warrant, dismissed from the university.

University policies regarding academic integrity appear in the Providence Student Handbook.