see attached

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University Policy 3.01.01 Academic Integrity and Honesty Policy Revision Approval Date: March 23, 2014 Policy Revision Effective Date: April 1, 2014 Procedure Approval Date: November 30, 2020 Procedure Effective Date: December 1, 2020

POLICY STATEMENT Capella University is committed to providing learners with the competencies and skills associated with academic integrity and honesty. Capella learners are expected to act with integrity and honesty in all their interactions as associated with their academic endeavors pursuant to this policy. Academic dishonesty occurs when learners take unauthorized actions in the completion of their academic work and may include but is not limited to plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, deceit, and interference with another learner. Learners are expected to be the sole authors of their work and to acknowledge the authorship of others’ work through proper citation and reference. Use of another person’s ideas, including another learner’s, without proper reference or citation constitutes plagiarism and academic dishonesty and is prohibited conduct. Capella extends the concept of plagiarism to include issues of copyright and trademark infringement. Collaboration in the completion of coursework is prohibited unless explicitly permitted by the course instructor. Where such collaboration is permitted by the course instructor, learners must acknowledge any collaboration and its extent in all submitted coursework. The consequences of academic dishonesty are determined on a case-by-case basis may include but are not limited to non-acceptance of submitted coursework, failing grade on an assignment, lower grade in a course, failing grade in a course, written warning, suspension from the university, removal from the program, administrative withdrawal or dismissal from the university, or cancellation of previously awarded course credits or degrees. Cancellation of previously awarded degrees require the review and determination by the Capella University Board of Trustees. Capella University learners, faculty, and staff share the responsibility for promptly reporting any alleged violation of this policy. RATIONALE In support of Capella University’s core values, this policy establishes the standards for academic integrity and enforces the university’s commitment to teaching and learning while maintaining academic integrity, authenticity, ethics, and scholarship in one’s work as a learner at the university. This policy also establishes the due process procedures for the internal resolution of acts of academic dishonesty.

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DEFINITIONS Plagiarism Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s ideas or work as one’s own. Plagiarism also includes copying verbatim or rephrasing ideas without properly acknowledging the source by author, date, and publication medium. Learners must take great care, whether in a draft or final version of a paper or project, to distinguish their own ideas and language from information acquired from other sources. Sources include published primary and secondary materials, electronic media, unpublished materials, and information and ideas gained through other people. Sanction A sanction is a disciplinary consequence that may be issued by faculty or the university due to a learner committing an act of academic dishonesty. PROCEDURES I. Academic Resources

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) is a required tool to help learners identify work that must be referenced, including their own published works, and determine how it must be cited. To avoid any instances that may be construed as plagiarism, learners should consult the APA style guide to apply the proper citation format. However, where this policy and the APA style guide diverge, this policy will take precedence.

II. Application to Doctoral Learners A. This policy and procedure applies to all allegations of plagiarism involving doctoral

learners and dissertation or doctoral capstones prior to receipt of IRB approval or “not human subjects research” designation letter from the Capella University IRB.

B. All allegations of plagiarism involving a dissertation or doctoral capstone after receipt of IRB approval or “not human subjects research” designation letter will be processed according to the provisions in university policy 3.03.06 Research Misconduct.

III. Reporting Allegations of Academic Dishonesty

A. Anyone may report an allegation of academic dishonesty. B. The allegation should be reported verbally or in writing to the faculty member or

university official responsible for supervising the course or activity during which the allegation occurred.

C. The individual receiving the report of the allegation will bring it to the attention of the faculty member or university official directly associated with the course or activity during which the alleged academic dishonesty occurred, should the report be made to someone other than this faculty member or university official.

IV. Resolution of Allegations of Academic Dishonesty

The faculty member or university official directly associated with the course or activity during which the alleged academic dishonesty occurred will contact the learner to notify him or her of the alleged academic dishonesty. The learner will be given the opportunity to

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explain or refute the allegation. Documentation of the alleged academic dishonesty and any issued sanctions will become part of the learner’s official academic record. A. If the faculty member or university official determines that the allegation was

accurately identified as academic dishonesty, the faculty member or university official may offer the learner an opportunity to demonstrate academic integrity, conduct teaching/learning experiences to improve academic integrity competencies and skills, and/or issue another sanction appropriate to the course or activity.

B. A record of the reporting individual’s or university official’s sanction will become part of the learner’s official academic record.

V. Academic Dishonesty Sanctions

A. A single instance of academic dishonesty may result in severe sanctions, depending on the offense. Multiple instances of academic dishonesty may result in more severe sanctions.

B. A failing course grade sanction can be issued during or after a learner’s participation in a course. A learner who receives a failing grade as a sanction for a course is prohibited from dropping or withdrawing from that course.

C. The university may refer allegations of academic dishonesty to a university designee to review the evidence associated with the allegation in conjunction with the learner’s complete academic integrity history. 1. If the university designee confirms or issues a sanction, the sanctioned learner

will be notified in writing of the decision. 2. The university designee may refer allegations of academic dishonesty to an

independent review panel. D. Learners have the right to appeal faculty-, university official-, or university designee-

issued sanctions to an independent review panel. VI. Review by Independent Review Panel

A. An independent review panel may be convened at the university’s discretion or due to a learner appeal of a faculty-, university official-, or university designee-issued sanction.

B. An independent review panel is sponsored by the provost. C. A learner must submit their appeal within 30 calendar days after notification of the

decision for which the learner is making the appeal has been sent. The appeal request must include a request for review of the allegation and must provide evidence that a violation of this policy did not occur or that administered sanctions were inappropriate.

VII. Independent Review Panel Review Process A. Upon being convened, the university will acknowledge the request and inform all

involved parties that a review has been initiated. B. All involved parties will be given the opportunity to submit written statements and

other evidence supporting their respective positions. C. All involved parties will be given the opportunity to present their respective positions to

the panel. D. The panel will review the evidence associated with the academic dishonesty allegation;

any sanction already issued by faculty, a university official, or a university designee;

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and any statements made by an involved party. The panel will issue a decision as soon as practicable.

E. The panel may conduct a full review of the learner, including their complete history of academic integrity. In the event the panel identifies additional alleged instances of academic dishonesty, the panel will notify the learner and provide an opportunity to respond.

F. The panel maintains the right to issue an appropriate sanction. The panel’s sanction may be more or less severe than any prior sanction issued to the learner.

G. If the panel recommends the cancellation of previously awarded credits or degrees, the matter will be referred to the provost or president’s designee for determination.

H. In the event that the provost or president’s designee believes that a degree conferred by Capella should be revoked as a result of an academic dishonesty finding, the Capella University Board of Directors must review the case and vote whether to revoke the degree. The respondent will receive written notification of the final determination and any corrective/disciplinary action to be taken.

I. Both parties have the right to appeal the panel’s decision pursuant to procedure VII. VIII. Appeal Process

A. A written appeal request must be submitted to the president’s designee via certified mail or email within 10 calendar days of notification of the panel’s decision being sent.

B. Upon receipt of the appeal request, the president’s designee will acknowledge the request and inform all involved parties that an appeal has been initiated.

C. The president’s designee will review all prior evidence, records, and faculty and panel decisions associated with the academic dishonesty allegation. The president’s designee may direct the panel to provide additional information.

D. Following review, the president’s designee will issue a decision and report it to all involved individuals as soon as practicable. The decision may uphold the panel’s decision, reverse the panel’s decision, or alter the panel’s decision.

E. The decision of the president’s designee is final. Matters that have been reviewed and have received a final decision under this policy are not eligible for further review under another policy.

IX. Recording a Final Decision A record of any final decision and all related materials will become part of the learner’s official academic record and upon request will be made available to all Capella boards and any appropriate regulatory bodies.

X. Copyright

A. Faculty, staff, and learners must comply with federal copyright and trademark laws, such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

B. No one may use Capella information resources and other information technology tools for unauthorized file sharing, posting of copyrighted materials as one’s own, or other copyright violations.

C. In addition to Capella University sanctions, under The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, copyright infringement can result in civil and criminal liabilities for unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials including but not limited to the following:

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1. Payment of money to the copyright holder in a lawsuit—between $750 and $30,000 for each file, and up to $150,000 for each file if the infringement was willful.

2. Payment of copyright holder’s costs and attorney fees to bring the lawsuit. 3. Payment of criminal fines up to $250,000, and up to 10 years jail time. 4. Seizure and destruction of infringing files.

XI. All procedures in this policy apply to learners in GuidedPath and FlexPath programs.

POLICY OWNERS Academic Owner: Provost Operations Owner: Office of Academic Community Standards RELATED DOCUMENTS University policy 1.01.05 Policy Exceptions University policy 2.02.10 Separation from the University University policy 3.03.02 Publication of Dissertations and Doctoral Capstones University policy 3.03.06 Research Misconduct University policy 4.02.02 Learner Code of Conduct University policy 4.02.03 Learner Grievance REVISION HISTORY Original Policy Approval Date: July 27, 2002 Revision Dates: 1-1-05; 8-28-07; 7-29-09; 8-12-11; 8-20-12; 3-23-14; 7-28-14; 8-11-16; 3-30- 17; 10-31-17; 3-31-20; 11-30-20 Administrative edits as result of ongoing review: 12-20-07; 2-19-10; 4-17-12; 4-24-13; 11-1-16; 12-14-16; 4-1-18; 10-15-18; 5-23-19; 7-1-20; 3-26-21