2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

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Academic Integrity Policy

Academic Integrity Policy
 
The University of Jamestown is committed to fostering a community that values self-discipline, responsibility, and the continuing growth of the individual. These values are the foundation of the pursuit of knowledge and the integrity of our academic environment. To achieve these values, we strive tomaintain an atmosphere of mutual trust between and among instructors and students. Through accident or intent, violations of academic integrity can be detrimental to our community and an individual’s growth.

Expectations of Integrity

At its heart, academic integrity is the understanding that any work submitted is the original effort of the student or group, crediting others properly where appropriate and following the guidelines provided by instructors. If there is a question about how to do this best, asking the instructor is always the first place to start. Generative AI tools have made this more challenging for students and instructors. However, by committing to the core principles of the University of Jamestown's academic integrity policy, we can strengthen the foundation of trust and respect. All University of Jamestown Community members are encouraged to hold each other accountable for these shared values.

Violations of Academic Integrity

There are three main types of violations: cheating, inappropriate collaboration, and plagiarism.

  • Cheating involves misrepresenting knowledge or experience. It reduces one’s opportunity to learn, develop, and improve one’s skills.

  • Inappropriate collaboration occurs when unauthorized assistance is provided to others, requested, or received while completing an assessment. Unauthorized use of generative AI can constitute inappropriate collaboration.

  • Plagiarism is the use of words, ideas, or data from another source than yourself without providing clear acknowledgment. Plagiarism can occur both accidentally and intentionally. 

These violations may be determined based on a variety of tools and professional judgment. 

See the Generative Artificial Intelligence Guiding Principles for additional clarification on how educational aids can influence academic integrity. The core approach should be to seek clarification from the syllabi statement on educational aids and course instructors when unsure how to approach utilizing, or not, educational aids such as generative artificial intelligence in a particular situation.

Disciplinary Process & Reporting Violations

The University of Jamestown values fairness, transparency, and accountability while doing its best to maintain academic integrity. We acknowledge that different viewpoints can be presented when addressing student work, which may lead to disputes. The following process describes the typical reporting and appeals process to resolve academic integrity disputes. All members of the university community are expected to uphold these standards. 

Reporting Violations

All University of Jamestown community members share responsibility for maintaining academic integrity. Suspected violations should be reported to an instructor or the Dean of Academic Affairs. Instructors must report all cases of academic dishonesty to the appropriate Dean of Academic Affairs, who will maintain records of individual student AIP allegations until after graduation or departure from the university as required to maintain compliance with accreditation requirements.

Instructor Responsibilities

A course instructor who suspects a violation must:

  1. Inform the student(s) of the suspicion and present the evidence.

  1. Allow the student(s) an opportunity to respond to the allegations. This can be done after a report is filed and any responses are to be amended to the report.

  1. Determine the penalty if a violation is confirmed, which may range from requiring the assignment to be redone to a failing grade for the assignment or the course.

  1. The formal report submission may be deferred if the student accepts the determination. A consolidated report of violations should be submitted to the Dean of Academic Affairs to record if individual reports are not submitted.

  • This is intended to allow for flexibility of course instructors to “batch” report periodically throughout a semester or to submit multiple students on the same report.

  • If a dispute arises, the form for reporting alleged academic integrity violations ( https://my.uj.edu/ICS/Academics/Academic_Affairs_Forms.jnz ) should be utilized immediately. The dispute process will be followed upon submission, indicating that the student is disputing the allegation of violation.

Disputes

If a student disputes the allegation:

  1. The reporting form is submitted to the relevant Dean of Academic Affairs for review. Where appropriate, the Dean may refer the issue to the department chair or program director as the designated academic representative for the report.  That representative contacts both the student and the instructor to gather any additional required information. The academic representative will submit a final recommendation on the report to the Dean of Academic Affairs.

  1. The appeal process ends if the Dean of Academic Affairs determines the appeal is without merit. If the appeal has merit, based on a review or a recommendation from a designated academic representative, the Dean of Academic Affairs will work with the instructor and department chair or program director to find a method for addressing specific allegation concerns.

  1. If no solution can be agreed upon, the Dean of Academic Affairs may refer the matter to the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) for review. The VPAA's decision shall be final.

Generative Artificial Intelligence Guiding Principles

The University of Jamestown recognizes the presence of generative artificial intelligence tools, both in an academic setting and in our broader society. These guidelines aim to allow, where supported, the purposeful use of generative artificial intelligence in your academic experience while supporting learning, preserving fairness, and respecting the diverse perspectives of our community. These guidelines provide a foundation for students and instructors when considering or utilizing educational aids responsibly while maintaining academic integrity. 

It is important to review any individual program guidelines that also cover artificial intelligence as they may have their specific policies. Each course syllabus has an “AI Statement” that outlines the individual course’s expectations when it comes to what is expected when it comes to considering utilizing generative artificial intelligence tools. This tiered approach guides down to the individual course level while providing flexibility to adjust to rapidly evolving tools and discipline-specific needs.

Students who are alleged to have violated academic integrity attributed to unauthorized educational aid usage must follow the Academic Integrity Policy reporting process. Students should first work with their instructor, and only when they fail to resolve the concern, should they follow the Academic Integrity Policy dispute process. 

Guidelines

 

  1. Instructor Guidelines

  • The instructor should provide clear direction regarding generative artificial intelligence within the course syllabus as to what is, and is not, acceptable.

  • Individual schools or department guidelines, if they exist, should be referenced and linked within course syllabi.

  1. Student Guidelines

  1. Cite sources and be transparent

  • Students must acknowledge the use of generative artificial intelligence tools in their work when it is allowed within a course. This includes citing the specific tool utilized and clearly explaining how it was used to support their work (e.g., brainstorming, drafting, revisions, etc.). Seek instructor clarification if unclear when and how to cite usage.

  1. Purposeful Use

  • Generative artificial intelligence can be utilized to support individual intellectual efforts but should not be used as a replacement. Wise usage of these tools can support holistic development and career preparation; however, poor usage and a misunderstanding of how generative artificial intelligence tool usage can impact one’s academic journey could inadvertently cause academic integrity violations - to the detriment of yourself and the academic community.

 

The generative AI policy developed by Boston University inspired these guiding principles.

“Policy on the Use of AI Text Generation,” Boston University, https://www.bu.edu/files/2023/02/GAIA-Final-2023.pdf. Accessed September 2024.

Other Student Notes

Individual assignment or assessment grade disputes on anything other than academic integrity violations will not be reviewed, and students are directed to follow the Grade Appeal Process once they are awarded a final grade in the course.

The Dean of Academic Affairs will determine appropriate disciplinary action for cases of inappropriate collaboration or other violations involving students not enrolled in the reporting instructor’s course.

In cases of multiple violations, the Dean of Academic Affairs, in consultation with relevant parties, may impose additional sanctions.