Academic Integrity
In keeping with Biblical principles and the desire to exemplify excellence in scholarship, Richmont students are held to the highest standards of academic integrity. Truthfulness is of the very nature of God, who is Truth itself. Truth is a prominent theme in Scripture, and God’s faithfulness and dependability rest in truthfulness. The Biblical admonitions against false witness, lying, and dishonesty are also prominent.
Richmont is committed to intellectual, spiritual, and moral growth. Upholding the standard of academic integrity with its reliance on honesty is the responsibility of both faculty and students. In addition to maintaining integrity in their own academic pursuits, the faculty has the right and obligation to set and clarify academic requirements for the work of students. Academic integrity is the personal and collective responsibility of all students and faculty.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Providing or receiving unauthorized assistance
- Inappropriate or Unauthorized Use of Artificial Intelligence
- Plagiarism
- Self-Plagiarism
- Misrepresentation and Other Forms of Dishonesty
- Digital Impropriety
Any infraction of these standards, intentional or unintentional, is taken very seriously. Consequences may include completing an additional assignment, receiving a zero grade for the assignment(s), and in some cases, failing the class. Infractions may also impact a student’s ability to participate in Commencement. Infractions of the academic integrity policy may be grounds for dismissal at any point in a student’s enrollment, up to the time of graduation. All infractions of the academic integrity policy, intentional or unintentional, are reported to the Dean of the School in which the student is enrolled. For the School of Counseling, this information is presented at the Student Performance and Dispositions Review.
Disposition of cases involving alleged academic dishonesty is the initial responsibility of the faculty member involved. During the Student Performance and Dispositions Review, instances of academic dishonesty will be discussed by the faculty. Students may appeal the decision of the faculty member to the Academic Affairs Committee. If this resolution is unsatisfactory to one of the parties involved, further appeal may be made to the President.
Allegations that any member of the Richmont faculty or staff has failed to abide by the Statement of Academic Integrity may result in Richmont’s invoking the published Procedures for Processing Grievances as outlined in the Student Handbook and Faculty Handbook.
Providing or Receiving Unauthorized Assistance
Collaboration is valued and encouraged in the Richmont student community. Students are expected to be mindful of when this is appropriate, and to check with professors when unsure about collaborating with others in academic endeavors. No student at Richmont is to provide or receive any form of unauthorized assistance on any assignment, paper, examination, project, etc. This includes, but is not limited to, copying from the assignment or examination of another, allowing one’s own assignment or examination to be copied, viewing an examination prior to the date it is to be administered, giving or receiving unpermitted aid on any take-home or online examination, or the use of any unpermitted sources (texts, notes, online sources), etc. The use of any form of generative artificial intelligence in the production of any assignment is prohibited. Also, students who wish to create examples of assignments to aid other students must receive permission from the professor prior to doing so.
Inappropriate or Unauthorized Use of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a powerful and valuable tool in education and, as such, must be used with caution and discernment. Students may use any artificial intelligence tool which is provided by the university for their benefit. Artificial intelligence may not be used to generate content that is presented as original work assigned to the student, nor may it be used to substantially modify existing work to the extent that it no longer reflects the student’s own words or voice. Additionally, students may not use AI to circumvent assigned readings.
Students are required to cite any use of artificial intelligence in any coursework. Further, students may be required to submit any prompts and responses created using artificial intelligence for assigned coursework. For appropriate use of artificial intelligence, students are to refer to and abide by the most recent version of Richmont Graduate University’s Best Practices for Use of Artificial Intelligence at Richmont Graduate University. When in doubt about the appropriate use of AI, students should consult with their professors. Of particular importance, students must exercise extreme caution and wisdom when considering the use of AI in relation to any clinical cases, ensuring that no personal, identifying, or confidential client information is ever shared with AI tools. Professors may choose to disallow or restrict the use of artificial intelligence at their discretion.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presentation of the words or ideas of others as one’s own. Plagiarism involves failure to acknowledge material which is copied from others, or the failure to acknowledge one’s indebtedness to the work of another for important thoughts presented, whether they are written or spoken. Plagiarism also includes submitting material obtained online or from another source, without properly citing the source. Ideas that are paraphrased from the work of another must be cited. Although anything cited in three sources is considered public domain, Richmont requires that all sources be cited. Citing sources appropriately is required for all assignments at Richmont, including online discussion posts, reflection papers, and classroom presentations.
Self-Plagiarism
Self-plagiarism is the presentation of one’s own prior work as if it is new, without appropriate acknowledgement of prior use. No assignment, in whole or in part, that has been completed for another class at Richmont or at any other institution is to be submitted in a course without prior approval of the professor. Students who have a particular research interest are strongly encouraged to build upon that interest in subsequent courses but are to ask professors to what degree previous work may be used in a class. When use of prior work is approved, it must be appropriately cited.
Misrepresentation and Other Forms of Dishonesty
Students are expected to be truthful in all facets of their communication. Misrepresentation and dishonesty may include, but are not limited to, such acts as signing an attendance roster for another student or asking another student to sign, or dishonesty with regard to any aspects of coursework, such as reading reports, etc. Students are expected to communicate truthfully at all times, which includes not omitting important, relevant information. During internship, students must accurately represent their status and qualifications at internship sites and to clients, supervisors, etc. Further, any falsification of clinical documents or internship documentation is a serious infraction of the academic integrity policy. Any misrepresentation or form of dishonesty related to clinical training is reported to the Director of Clinical Training as well as the Dean of the School of Counseling. (See Clinical Training Manual for more information.)
Digital Impropriety
The use of electronics in education necessitates specific considerations regarding digital integrity. Students, faculty, and staff use computers daily. To ensure electronic security, Richmont prohibits the sharing of passwords for any accounts governed and maintained by the University. Additionally, all students and faculty must take precautions against others obtaining access to their university computer accounts.
Digital impropriety also includes, but is not limited to, the unauthorized copying, uploading, posting, or otherwise sharing of materials related to a course in any online platform or through any digital means. Additionally, students who take courses online must accurately represent themselves in the online classroom. Students in live sessions may not have another person sign in for them during a session, and must remain present the entire time they are signed in to the session.