Northcentral Technical College (NTC) is committed to academic integrity and honesty in all its services and programs. Academic honesty is a core principle of learning. When a student violates this principle, they do not earn the confidence that comes from knowing they have mastered the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful.

All members of the NTC learning community share an interest in protecting the value, integrity, and credibility of the outcomes of all learning experiences and will take appropriate action to preserve academic honesty. In order to be successful, students must avoid academic misconduct, defined below.

Academic Misconduct

Academic Misconduct is defined as academically dishonest acts such as tampering with grades, taking part in obtaining or distributing any part of an assessment, or selling or buying products such as papers, research, projects or other artifacts that demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes. These behaviors mislead others to believe a student has mastered competencies or other learning outcomes that they have not. The below actions also fall under the definition of Academic Misconduct:

  • Taking a test or examination for someone else.
  • Stealing an exam or course materials.
  • Using unauthorized materials or fabricated data in any academic exercise, such as using notes for a closed-book online exam.
  • Copying from another student
  • Working on an assignment with others when the assignment was to be completed independently.
  • Forging or falsifying academic documents or records.
  • Intentionally impeding or damaging the academic work of others.
  • Failing to follow the assessment instructions outlined by your instructor.
  • Plagiarism:
    • Turning in the work of another person and not giving them credit.
    • Copying another student’s work.
    • Claiming credit for the work or efforts of another without authorization or citation, including but not limited to written content, video, images, or photography.
    • Claiming credit for information, including but not limited to written content, video, and images, generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT.
    • Assisting other students in any of these acts.

If Academic Misconduct Is Suspected

NTC instructors are responsible for identifying and addressing concerns of academic misconduct. When considering whether or not academic misconduct has occurred, instructors will utilize available materials and make decisions based on the “preponderance of evidence” standard, meaning it is more likely than not that a student engaged in, or did not engage in, academic misconduct.

When an Instructor Believes Academic Misconduct Has Occurred

  1. Within three business days of discovering the alleged academic misconduct, the instructor will raise an Academic Misconduct flag in Starfish. This will notify the student in writing via their NTC e-mail of the instructor’s determination, the basis and rationale for their determination, and the proposed sanction. The student will be asked to respond to the allegation via email to the instructor or via a meeting with the instructor.
  2. The student will have five business days to submit a response to the flag, along with any supportive documentation.
  3. If, after receiving the student’s response (either in writing or via a meeting), the instructor determines that no misconduct occurred, the matter will be considered concluded, and the assignment will be graded per the syllabus.
  4. If a student declines to submit a response, or if the instructor determines that academic misconduct occurred after reviewing the submitted information, the instructor will issue a final decision within three business days, and the appropriate sanction will be recorded in Starfish and communicated via the student’s NTC e-mail account.
  5. Applicable sanctions may include, but are not limited to:
    • Warning
    • Repeat work or alternative assignment as determined by the instructor
    • Lower grade on submitted work
    • Failing grade on submitted work
    • Lower final grade in course
    • Failing final grade in course
    • Removal from course
    • Note that repeated instances of Academic Misconduct will result in progressive discipline up to and including suspension or expulsion from NTC.
  6. If, while an incident of Academic Misconduct is being investigated, there are concurrent behaviors demonstrated by a student that may be a violation of the NTC Student Code of Conduct, a Maxient report will be completed by the instructor and referred for investigation. Visit our Student Code of Conduct page for more information.

If this determination impacts a student’s final grade in the course, the student will have an opportunity to appeal the grade by completing the NTC’s Grade Appeal process.

Avoiding Academic Misconduct

  • Utilize NTC services that help support student success including the Academic Resource Center, Timberwolf Learning Commons, and/or Disability Services. Visit our Student Portal for more information.
  • Be familiar with College policies, procedures, and resources, both on campus and online, that can help the student avoid plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct.
  • Avoid copying and pasting information from sources directly into coursework.
  • Understand the expectations and limitations when working in groups (i.e., is collaboration allowed on the project? Is collaboration allowed on homework?)
  • If a student is unsure, the student should ask their instructor.