Honesty Policy

Important information for students about the consequences of cheating and plagiarism

Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Cheating, forgery, plagiarism and collusion in dishonest acts undermine the McAfee Institute’s educational mission and the students’ personal, professional and intellectual growth. McAfee Institute students are expected to bear individual responsibility for their work, to learn the rules and definitions that underlie the practice of academic integrity, and to uphold its ideals. Ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable excuse for disobeying them. Any student who attempts to compromise or devalue the academic process will be sanctioned.

Basic Rules: Do NOT share or Disseminate Course Materials or Examinations with others. Do not use additional resources and materials during examinations.

Definitions of Academic Dishonesty

Cheating is the attempted or unauthorized use of materials, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise. Examples include:

• Copying from another student during an examination or allowing another to copy your work.
• Unauthorized copying of examination materials or utilizing unauthorized copies of past examinations for another course is strictly prohibited.
• Unauthorized collaborating on research assignment or examination.
• Using unauthorized notes during an online examination.
• Taking an examination for another student.
• Asking or allowing another student to take an examination for you.
• Changing a corrected exam and returning it for more credit.
• Submitting substantial portions of the same assignment to two classes without consulting the other instructor.
• Preparing answers, copying prep review quizzes, copying prior examinations, or writing notes, which is to be utilized during an examination.
• Allowing others to research and write assigned papers including the use of commercial term paper services.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writing as your own. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes.
• Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your words without acknowledging them.
• Using information that is not considered common knowledge without acknowledging the source.
• Failure to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.
• Purchase and submission of papers from “paper mills,” internet vendor sites, and other sources.

Obtaining an Unfair Advantage:

• Stealing, reproducing, copying, circulating or otherwise gaining prior access to course materials or examination materials.
• Depriving other students by stealing, destroying, defacing or concealing library materials.
• Copying, Digital Recording / Retaining, using or circulating examination materials that clearly indicate that they should be returned at the end of the exam.
• Intentionally obstructing or interfering with another student’s work.
• Sharing your homework assignments with others to include posting or re-posting your assignments to the public.
• Engaging in activities that intentionally create an unfair advantage over another student’s academic work.

Falsification of Records and Official Documents:

• Forging signatures of authorization
• Falsifying information on an official exam application.

Collusion:

• Lending assistance or failing to report witnessed acts of academic misconduct

Prohibition of AI-assisted Drafting and Use of AI Language Models

The McAfee Institute is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. Our community thrives on original thought, individual research, and personal understanding of course material. As we continually adapt to emerging technologies, it's important to clarify the role these technologies play in our learning environment.

Prohibition of AI-assisted Drafting
As part of our ongoing commitment to academic integrity, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) models, including but not limited to language prediction models such as ChatGPT, to generate academic work is strictly prohibited. These tools, while innovative and potentially useful in various contexts, undermine the fundamental educational objective, which is the acquisition, comprehension, and application of knowledge by the student.

Policy Details

• Original Work: Students are expected to submit only their original work for all assignments, tests, papers, and projects. The use of AI to generate or substantially contribute to an assignment is considered a violation of this policy.
• Plagiarism: Any academic work submitted by a student must be the product of his/her own understanding and efforts. The use of AI, including language models such as ChatGPT, to create or assist in creating academic work is considered a form of plagiarism under this policy.
• Penalties for Violations: Violations of this policy will result in academic penalties. The first identified instance will lead to academic probation. Any subsequent instances may result in further disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the Institute.

We believe in the importance of every student's unique intellectual contribution. Therefore, we ask for your strict adherence to this policy, promoting an academic environment that respects and fosters individual understanding, effort, and integrity.

Due Process and Students Rights

Any charge, accusation or allegation that is to be presented against a student, and, that, if proved, may subject a student to disciplinary action, must be submitted in writing, in complete detail to the ethics board by the individual, organization or department making the charge. Due process begins with student notification and an investigation of the charge. The process ends with either dismissal of the charge or sanctioning.

Penalties for Academic Dishonesty

Engaging in acts of academic dishonesty can end a student’s educational career and jeopardize future career goals. McAfee Institute is committed to maintaining an atmosphere of academic integrity. Students should know that faculty and staff do follow routine practices that readily detect acts of academic dishonesty. Faculty are experts in their field of study and are often familiar with the source of plagiarized material. Techniques for detecting cheating are used during online examinations. All alleged cases of academic dishonesty are subject to due process. When misconduct has been proven, the following sanctions are applied. A disciplinary file becomes a part of the student’s permanent record.

• Admonition: An oral statement to the offender that he or she has violated Institute rules.
• Warning: Notice to the offender, orally or in writing, that continuation or repetition of the wrongful conduct, within a period of time stated in the warning, may cause far more severe disciplinary action.
• Disciplinary Probation: Exclusion from participation in privileges or extracurricular Institute activities as outlined in the notice of disciplinary probation for a specified period of time.
• Suspension: Exclusion from courses, board certifications and other privileges or activities as outlined in the notice of suspension for a definite period of time.
• Expulsion: Termination of the student’s status with the Institute to include any and all credentials (or potential credentials if not issued yet), CPE credits or certificates earned shall be revoked indefinitely.

Academic Dishonesty Occurs

• Because students are ignorant about the school’s policy. Behavior that is considered collaborative in one environment or culture may be considered cheating elsewhere
• Because of societal pressure to “succeed at any cost.” Students focus on grades instead of the learning process.
• Because of desperation. Poor time management and study skills often lead to the lack of preparation for exams and inability to meet deadlines.

Avoiding Academic Dishonesty

• Read and familiarize yourself with McAfee Institute’s academic polices.
• Communicate upfront. Let study partners know where you stand on academic dishonesty. If you work on group projects, be clear that you do not expect your work to be copied. A typist or editor must discuss any changes with you before making them on your papers.
• Learn Time-Management and Study Skills. Allow adequate time for studying and writing papers. Acts of academic dishonesty are often desperate attempts to cover-up lack of preparation.
• Seek Help. If you are overwhelmed by course content, visit the professor during office hours to discuss your concerns.
• Withdraw from the Course. If you are doing poorly in a course or if a crisis has caused you to fall too far behind, consider dropping the course.
• Reexamine Goals. Be sure that the goals you set and follow are your own. Do not be pressured by family and friends into a career that does not make the best use of your abilities.

Witnessing Academic Dishonesty

Protect the value of your McAfee Institute Credentials and Board Certifications. Students who are dishonest in obtaining their grades may not succeed on the job; employers will come to believe that McAfee Institute students do not have the knowledge/skills to perform their work.

You can help to prevent this by reporting acts of academic dishonesty.

If you observe cheating during an exam or know of students who have any unfair advantage, it is your obligation to report these occurrences to the ethics board. You can do so by sending an email to ethics@mcafeeinstitute.com; they will investigate your allegations while maintaining confidentiality. Remember, you are the one being hurt if these injustices are allowed to continue.