accessibility standard described above. Because scheduling classes, coordinating accommodations, and
arranging housing in accessible facilities may require reasonable advance planning, students with
disabilities accepted for admission should identify themselves and their disability within five days of the
start of the semester of enrollment and indicate the nature of accommodation needed for their disability. For
more information, see the Disability Support Services page or contact Disability Support Services, room
302, University Center, One University Plaza ms1300, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701; (573)651-2273.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Policy. Academic honesty is one of the most important qualities influencing the character and vitality of an
educational institution. Academic misconduct or dishonesty is inconsistent with membership in an
academic community and cannot be accepted. Violations of academic honesty represent a serious
breach of discipline and may be considered grounds for disciplinary action, including dismissal from
the University.
Academic dishonesty is defined to include those acts which would deceive, cheat, or defraud so as to
promote or enhance one’s scholastic record. Knowingly or actively assisting any person in the
commission of an above-mentioned act is also academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for
upholding the principles of academic honesty in accordance with the “University Statement of Student
Rights” found in the Undergraduate or Graduate Bulletin. The University requires that all assignments
submitted to faculty members by students be the work of the individual student submitting the work.
An exception would be group projects assigned by the instructor. In this situation, the work must be
that of the group. Academic dishonesty includes:
Plagiarism. In speaking or writing, plagiarism is the act of passing someone else’s work off as one’s own.
In addition, plagiarism is defined as using the essential style and manner of expression of a source as if
it were one’s own. If there is any doubt, the student should consult his/her instructor or any manual of
term paper or report writing. Violations of academic honesty include:
1. Presenting the exact words of a source without quotation marks;
2. Using another student’s computer source code or algorithm or copying a laboratory report; or
3. Presenting information, judgments, ideas, or facts summarized from a source without giving credit.
Cheating. Cheating includes using or relying on the work of someone else in an inappropriate manner. It
includes, but is not limited to, those activities where a student:
1. Obtains or attempts to obtain unauthorized knowledge of an examination’s contents prior to the
time of that examination;
2. Copies another student’s work or intentionally allows others to copy assignments, examinations,
source codes or designs;
3. Works in a group when she/he has been told to work individually;
4. Uses unauthorized reference material during an examination; or
5. Have someone else take an examination or takes the examination for another.
General Responsibilities for Academic Honesty. It is the University’s responsibility to inform both
students and faculty of their rights and responsibilities regarding such important matters as cheating and
plagiarism. Most of what is considered unethical or dishonest behavior can be avoided if faculty and
students clearly understand what constitutes such practices and their consequences. The University
community should also be aware of the procedures to be followed should a breach of academic honesty
occur.
The faculty member is responsible for clarification to his/her class of those standards of honesty for
class assignments or functions where such standards may be unclear or when such standards vary from
the accepted norm. Further, some faculty may choose to utilize preventive measures (multiple exams,
alternate seating, etc.) to help insure the maintenance of academic honesty. However, the use of such
measures is the prerogative of the individual faculty member and is not a responsibility or requirement
of faculty in general. The fundamental responsibility for the maintenance of honesty standards rests
