Excerpt from Valdosta Technical College Handbook 2002-2003, pp. 38-39:

Academic dishonesty or cheating is no longer simply the obtaining of information during tests from others or from hidden resources such as “cheat sheets.” The use of computers and the increasing widespread availability and use of the Internet has further defined this form of cheating as the dishonest obtaining or copying of information for one’s use without contributing credit to the actual author of that information. Examples of academic dishonesty include:

• Plagiarism
• Collusion
• Bribery
• Falsification of information
• Copying from the work of a fellow student
• "Cut & Paste" of work done by others
  

Academic dishonesty in any form is not tolerated at Valdosta Technical College, and the penalties for cheating are harsh. The Director of Instruction will review each alleged incident of academic dishonesty and will determine the specific penalties for any offense. These may include expulsion from Valdosta Tech for the remainder of the quarter with a grade of WF (Withdrawn Failing) in the course or courses in which the cheating occurred and WP or WF in all other courses, depending on the student’s grades in those classes at the time of expulsion.

Specifics of Academic Dishonesty
Students are expected to uphold the school’s standard of conduct relating to academic honesty. Each student assumes full responsibility for the content and integrity of the academic work he or she submits. The guiding principle of academic integrity shall be that a student's submitted work, examinations, reports, and projects must be the student's own work. A student shall be guilty of academic dishonesty if he/she:

1. Represents the work of others as his/her own.
   Examples:
   1. If someone else completes an assignment and you write your name on the work and turn it in as your own, that’s cheating.
   2. If you and a friend work together on a computerized assignment, and both parties print a copy of the collaborated work and submit the assignment as his/her own, that’s cheating.
   3. If you manually or electronically copy information from a published or non-published source and turn it in as your own, that’s cheating.
2. Uses or obtains unauthorized assistance in any academic work.
   Examples:
   1. If you ask another person for assistance on work you have been asked to complete independently, that’s cheating.
   2. If you take information electronically or manually from another person without his/her permission and/or knowledge, that’s cheating.
3. Gives unauthorized assistance to other students.
   Examples:
   1. If you give someone a copy of the work you have completed so he/she can turn in the work as his/her own, that’s cheating.
   2. If you give another person assistance on work that should be completed independently, that’s cheating.
4. Modifies, without instructor approval, an examination, paper, record, or report for the purpose of obtaining additional credit.
   Examples:
   1. If you change an answer on a graded or non-graded paper to make an incorrect answer appear to be correct, that’s cheating.
   2. If you change a recorded grade, either manually or electronically, that’s cheating.
5. Misrepresents the content of submitted work.
   Examples:
   1. If you in any way lie, deceive, falsify, or omit truths regarding an assignment, that’s cheating.
   2. If you turn in someone else’s work or collaborated work as your own, that’s cheating.

The penalty for violating the honor code is severe. Any student violating the honor code is subject to receive a failing grade for the course and be dismissed from school. If a student is unclear about whether a particular situation may constitute an instance of academic dishonesty, the student should meet with the instructor to discuss the situation.

It is permissible to assist classmates in general discussions of computing techniques or daily assignments. General advice and interaction are encouraged. Each person, however, must develop his or her own solutions to the assigned projects, assignments, and tasks. In other words, students may not "work together" on graded assignments without the express permission of the instructor. Such collaboration constitutes cheating. A student may not use or copy (by any means) another's work (or portions of it) and represent it as his/her own. If you need help on an assignment, contact your instructor—not other classmates.

Please refer to pages 38-39 of the student handbook for all information concerning academic dishonesty.