Salish Kootenai College places a high value on academic honesty within its campus community. It is expected that students, faculty, staff, and administration work to uphold academic integrity by avoiding acts of plagiarism, as defined within the SKC Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures. Plagiarism is defined as presenting the work of others, whether it be direct quotes, phrases, ideas, or a body of work, such as visual or audio media, as one’s own work, without proper acknowledgement of the original source. This includes presenting one’s own previous work, whether submitted for academic purposes or other informal or formal publication, without proper citation.
Students must strive to meet the expectations of honesty in their academic work. SKC employees, faculty in particular, must strive to create an educational atmosphere that fosters academic integrity through the communication of clear expectations, maintaining the values of honesty in the classroom, and reporting violations of the Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures.
The SKC Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures defines levels of plagiarism, possible consequences, and procedures used by the College in cases of alleged plagiarism. Students and SKC employees are encouraged to utilize the SKC Writing Center in regard to questions, support, and further education to avoid plagiarism.

Course-Level Review, Decision, and Action

Incidents of alleged violations of Salish Kootenai College’s Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures will be initially reviewed and adjudicated at the course level or the equivalent academic level for projects that involve research or creative inquiry. Investigations may be managed by the course instructor(s) or departmental designee. In all cases involving alleged violations of the Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures, the following procedures apply:

Gathering Information

1. Suspected violations should be investigated within a reasonable timeframe, ideally within one week of discovering the alleged violation.
2. Instructors should notify the involved student(s) of the alleged violation(s) and provide the student(s) the opportunity to respond in an in person meeting or videoconference as circumstances warrant.
3. Course instructors may receive information from other individuals (e.g., students, staff, faculty) who possess direct information related to the alleged violation(s) under review. For example, someone may have observed the suspected incident or interacted directly with the involved student(s) before, during, or after the incident in question.
   1. When discussing alleged violations with the involved student(s) or witnesses, instructors should avoid revealing the identity of other involved parties unless it is necessary in order to determine responsibility.
4. If a student does not respond within one week of notification of an alleged violation(s) of the Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures, the matter may be reviewed in their absence by the course instructor. In these circumstances, the course instructor may proceed with determination of responsibility and outcome.

Determining Responsibility and Course-Level Action

1. The course instructor will decide whether the suspected violation(s) occurred based on available evidence. At this stage, instructors are encouraged to consult with the department’s Chair and/or Dean regarding the nature of the suspected violation(s), the nature of the evidence related to the alleged violation(s), and the range of outcomes under consideration. See the Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures Severity Scale.
2. When assessing responsibility for an academic integrity violation, the course instructor should apply a preponderance of evidence. A preponderance of the evidence means that the course instructor has determined that it is more likely than not that the student has violated the Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures.
3. If the course instructor concludes that the student is responsible for the alleged violation(s), the course instructor should determine an outcome based on the consequence options listed on the SKC Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures document. The most severe outcome that can be assessed at this level of review and action is course failure although the instructors and/or department heads may recommend additional outcomes for consideration during second-level review, decision, and action. Further discipline would be determined by the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
4. If a student who has a pending or documented academic disciplinary action withdraws from the course in question, and if the student is found to have a violation of the SKC Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures, the write up will be processed and the student will be required to complete all designated consequences established by the instructor/department administrator.

Documenting and Reporting the Course-Level Decision

1. After determining responsibility and outcomes for a violation(s), the instructor should immediately and in writing via email notify the involved student(s) of the decision. If found responsible, the rationale for the determination of responsibility should be included in that notification. The outcome(s) that the course instructor has assessed should be noted as well. Students should also be informed of the opportunity to request an appeal and the procedures for doing so.
2. All documented violations of the Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures will be reported to the Vice President of Academic Affairs upon completion of the investigation and student notification. Reports will  be submitted using the Plagiarism Guidelines and Procedures Reporting Form.
3. A copy of the email communication to the student should be included with the report. Course instructors are also encouraged to submit all evidence and supporting documentation.
4. Upon receipt of the violation report, the Vice President of Academic Affairs will notify the following individuals of the course-level decision and action:
   • Vice President Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
   • Chair and Dean of the student’s department
   • Academic advisor for the student
   • Chair of department in which the course is registered (if different from the student’s department)
   • Student
5. The notification to the student will include an option to discuss the case, review the appeal process, and prepare for second-level review (if needed).
6. In addition to the above notifications, the Vice President of Academic Affairs will be responsible for coordinating all #5 steps and the second-level review decision, and documenting the violation in the student’s college conduct record. 

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Mild Level

Moderate Level

Severe Level