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Negligence or Dishonesty?

What is the difference between academic negligence and academic dishonesty?

Academic Negligence consists of a minor unintentional lapse of ethical academic behavior that the student should have known. It may result from misunderstanding expectations, inadequate pre-college preparation, or inattention to differences in cultural or disciplinary citation practices. Regardless of the lack of intent, academic negligence is a serious matter that identifies a need for further education on academic honesty or the use of sources in academic writing in English. A student should not receive more than one report of academic negligence while at Colby. The Academic Integrity Coordinator is notified when a student receives a second negligence report; receiving multiple reports of academic negligence may result in a report of academic dishonesty by the Academic Integrity Coordinator (depends on the nature and number of negligence reports).

Examples of behaviors that may in an isolated instance constitute academic negligence include, but are not limited to:

  • Failure to acknowledge a minor amount of another’s words or research due to misunderstanding or carelessness concerning rules of attribution or citation. In particular:
    • poor paraphrasing of another’s work (with or without a citation)
    • inadequate citation not rising to the level of significant misrepresentation
  • appropriating a classmate’s ideas without credit on an assignment that allows collaboration. The assignment itself should constitute a small portion of the course grade and the extent of the assignment should be minimal.

When reporting a student for academic negligence, you will need to specify whether they should just have a conversation with you or whether “further education is required.” If the latter, the student will be required to complete this tutorial and show you their certificate verifying completion.

Academic Dishonesty is a significant ethical violation rather than an oversight. It may result from an intent to deceive; a willful failure to read, recall or consult course and/or assignment rules; the deliberate failure to learn or apply standard ethical norms for academic work; or intentional carelessness. Although, “standard ethical norms” vary by discipline and culture, one key notion is the “willful failure” or “intent to deceive”. In general, it is fair to expect seniors to have a greater understanding of what constitutes academic honesty than first-semester students.

A report of academic dishonesty may also be filed when a student who is — or should be– aware of ethical academic behavior fails to seek guidance and then engages in that behavior.

Specific examples of behaviors that typically constitute academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to:

  • Violating clearly stated rules for taking an exam, completing homework, or working on any other academic assignment (such rules may be found in the course syllabus or given in the exam or assignment directions, whether orally or in writing);
  • Plagiarism (including material or ideas from sources, including – but not limited to – generative AI, classmates, or online sources, without a citation and/or quotation marks around any borrowed words);
  • Claiming another’s work or a modification of another’s work as one’s own;
  • Relying on external sources or tools such as generative AI when it is not allowed or approved;
  • Having electronic devices during examinations when it is not allowed, regardless of whether the device is used;
  • Buying or attempting to buy papers or projects for a course;
  • Fabricating information or citations or relying on generative AI to do so;
  • Misrepresentations to a faculty member within the context of a course, an academic
    assignment, or an academic record;
  • Submitting the same work (such as an essay) in more than one course without the permission of the respective faculty members;
  • Knowingly assisting others in acts of academic dishonesty, such as providing them with materials or excessive editing/advice.

A finding of Academic Dishonesty is a disciplinary finding of the College.