Official transcripts will not be issued to students having outstanding debts to any of the Maricopa Community
Colleges. The release of transcripts is governed by the guidance of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of
1974 (see Records Policy in the Student Rights and Responsibilities section of this manual). There is no charge for
unofficial transcripts, or for official transcripts sent between Maricopa Community Colleges. See the Tuition and
Fee Schedule for charges for other official transcripts.
2.3.11 Academic Misconduct
1.
Definitions
A.
Academic Misconduct - includes any conduct associated with the classroom, laboratory, or clinical
learning process that is inconsistent with the published course competencies/objectives and/or
academic standards for the course, program, department, or institution. Examples of academic
misconduct include, but are not limited to: (a) cheating and plagiarism (including any assistance or
collusion in such activities, or requests or offers to do so); (b) excessive absences; (c) use of
abusive or profane language; and (d) disruptive behavior.
B.
Cheating is any form of dishonesty in an academic exercise. It includes, but is not limited to, (a)
use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, examinations, or any other form of
assessment whether or not the items are graded; (b) dependence upon the aid of sources beyond
those authorized by the faculty member in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or
carrying out other assignments; (c) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic
material belonging to or administered by the college or a member of the college faculty or staff;
and (d) fabrication of data, facts, or information.
C.
Plagiarism is a form of cheating in which a student falsely represents another person’s work as his
or her own – it includes, but is not limited to: (a) the use of paraphrase or direct quotation of the
published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment; (b)
unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of
term papers or other academic materials; and (c) information gathered from the internet and not
properly identified.
2.
Academic Consequences
Any student found by a faculty member to have committed academic misconduct may be subject to the
following academic consequences, based on the faculty member’s judgment of the student’s academic
performance
Warning - A notice in writing to the student that the student has violated the academic standards as
defined in 1.A.
Grade Adjustment - Lowering of a grade on a test, assignment, or course.
Discretionary assignments - Additional academic assignments determined by the faculty member. Course
Failure - Failure of a student from a course where academic misconduct occurs.
3.
Disciplinary Sanctions
If the misconduct is sufficiently serious to warrant course failure, and if either (a) the failure results in a
student being removed from an instructional program or (b) the student refuses to accept responsibility
for the misconduct and its academic consequences, the faculty member will, in addition to awarding the
course grade, consult the department chair and the vice president of academic affairs as to whether
institutional sanctions set forth below should be sought under AR 2.5. Regardless whether the student has
accepted responsibility for academic consequences, in all cases of academic misconduct the faculty member
may make recommendations for sanctions and may file a written complaint of misconduct. The vice
president of academic affairs will serve as the student conduct administrator in all academic misconduct
cases, and will follow the procedure established in AR 2.5.2 to evaluate whether disciplinary sanctions are
warranted. College probation, suspension, or expulsion will be imposed only by the vice president of
academic affairs or designee, and only after the student has received the procedural rights provided in AR
2.5.2.
A.
Disciplinary Probation - Disciplinary probation is for a designated period of time and includes the
probability of more severe sanctions if the student commits additional acts of academic
misconduct.
B.
College Suspension - Separation of the student from the college for a definite period of time,
after which the student is eligible to return. Conditions for readmission may be specified. (A
suspension from one Maricopa Community College will apply to all other colleges/centers in the
District.)
C.
College Expulsion - Permanent separation of the student from the college. (Expulsion from one
Maricopa Community College will apply to all colleges/centers in the District.)
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