Academic Conduct
The Graduate School strives to maintain and enforce the highest standards of academic integrity. Accordingly, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are unacceptable and will result in disciplinary action. By accepting admission to the Graduate School, a student has also accepted to be governed by the stated regulations of academic conduct, and indicates a willingness to accept disciplinary action, if behavior is deemed to be in violation of those rules or in some way unacceptable or detrimental to Hood College. Professed ignorance of what constitutes academic dishonesty does not excuse violations of these regulations.
All Hood College graduate students are expected to comply with the following rules of academic conduct.
Examinations, Tests and Quizzes
During examinations, tests, quizzes, comprehensive examinations or other classroom work, no student shall give or receive aid in any way or form not authorized by the instructor.
All actions prohibited in the Hood College Honor Code apply. Cheating entails: copying another’s work or allowing your work to be copied, bringing unauthorized materials into an exam, using electronic devices in an unauthorized manner to give or receive aid, using unauthorized materials to complete an exam or assignment, communicating (via any means) during an exam without approval, failing to turn in exam materials at the conclusion of an exam, taking an exam in an unauthorized location, leaving the exam environment (except in an emergency or with the approval of the proctor), giving or receiving unauthorized peer aid on assignments and/or completing individual assignments in a group setting, without the approval of the instructor, such that each student is not solely responsible for his or her own work.
Papers, Essays, Oral Presentations and Theses
Presenting oral or written work that is not the student’s own (except as the instructor specifically approves) is dishonest. Any direct statement taken from other sources must be documented. Sources of information and of ideas or opinions not the student’s own must be clearly indicated. Instructors may prescribe limitations on the sources to be used.
The Hood College Honor Code and its prohibitions on plagiarism apply. Plagiarism entails: any unacknowledged use of another person’s language or ideas, whether intentional or unintentional. Students wishing advice on the proper use and acknowledgement of scholarly materials should consult with their individual instructors, the library staff and any of the several reliable guides to scholarly writing that these sources recommend.
Projects and Reports
Unless otherwise directed, each student must do her or his own work, experiments, drawings and so forth, from her or his own observations. Students may work together provided that each member of the group understands the work being done, and provided that the instructor does not prohibit group work.
Similarly, the Hood College Honor Code prohibitions on re-submission apply. Re-submission entails: submission and/or duplication of work completed for one course in another course, without the approval of all instructors involved. Note that this prohibition on re-submission applies to all coursework (e.g. examinations, tests, quizzes, homework, projects, reports, thesis, notes, journals, and all creative work produced during any courses at Hood.)
Violations of academic standards and policy at Hood in the graduate program are taken very seriously, and infractions (whether explicitly listed in this document or not) may be grounds for dismissal from the college. Student are expected to familiarize themselves with the academic standards of the College, and lack of knowledge of these provisions will not be construed as extenuating circumstances. Hood expects all students, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity in their work and scholarship.
The Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The Graduate School recognizes the evolving landscape of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and their increasing use in higher education. Certain uses of such tools may be suitable to support and enhance scholarly activities in certain disciplines or in specific courses, assignments and projects. At the same time, there are significant unresolved legal and ethical considerations about the use of these tools with respect to privacy, copyright, authorship, and intellectual property that have direct academic integrity implications. Faculty and students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and transparency in all scholarly activities, whether generative AI tools are used or not. Decisions, attribution and any guidance regarding the use of such AI tools rest with the course instructor and may vary according to the course activity within the context of a given discipline. Failure to comply with course AI policies/allowances, which includes improper citation, will result in consequences outlined in the
Violations of Academic Conduct policy.
Internships and Capstones
For courses or credits that require an official partnership or agreement with an external entity or employer, students are required to provide offer letters on company/agency letterhead to the program director and/or the staff in the Career Center as outlined in the course requirements. Fraudulent or manipulated documentation can be grounds for denial of the experiential opportunity and/or immediate dismissal on the egregiousness of the submission.
Violations of Academic Conduct
When an instructor has evidence that a graduate student is not in compliance with these expectations, it is the obligation of the instructor to bring it to the attention of the student and to evaluate the specific work as a zero. That zero is to be calculated into the final course grade. Instructors also reserve the right to assign a final course grade of “F” to a student for cases of academic dishonesty.
Additionally, when a graduate student is found to have violated the academic standards and policies set forth in the catalog, the instructor will file a report with the office of the dean of the Graduate School and with the director of the program in which the student is enrolled. This report should detail the nature of the violation and what penalty was assessed. The program director may suggest what action be taken for any future incidents. Any major violation of academic standards of conduct will trigger a review of the student’s enrollment in graduate study at Hood.
Students may appeal the action of the instructor by written petition to the Graduate Council through the registrar's office at hoodgrad@hood.edu. The Graduate Council will investigate the appeal and render a decision, though the student may appeal this decision to the dean of the Graduate School.
In perceived cases of extreme academic dishonesty, an instructor or program director may request a review by the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council will hear statements from the instructor and/or program director, and then from the student under review. If, after hearing both sides of the case, the Graduate Council finds the student to be in extreme violation of the Academic Conduct code, they will recommend dismissal from the program. The student may appeal the resulting dismissal through the dean of the Graduate School.
Academic Standing and Warning
A student whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) is 3.0 or higher is in good academic standing, which is required for graduation. In accordance with the Degree Requirements policy, a 3.0 GPA is required for all courses applied to each degree or certificate program. If a student’s GPA drops below 3.0, he or she will be placed on academic warning. The GPA must be restored to 3.0 within 9 credits completed from the term in which the GPA fell below 3.0. The 3.0 average may be restored by repeating courses or by taking additional courses. There are no limitations to the number of times a student can fall below 3.0 and restore their GPA. However, no more than 3 courses or 9 credits beyond those required for the degree can be used to raise the GPA, unless an extended academic warning is granted. Any additional coursework taken outside of the degree requirements and outside of the academic department, for the purpose of raising the GPA, must be approved by the program director prior to enrollment. Students who receive veterans' (VA) benefits or federal student loans should consult with the Office of Financial Aid prior to enrolling in any coursework outside of their program to ensure it is permissible. All coursework taken towards degree/program completion must be completed within the time limit policy.
If a student is at risk of being academically dismissed, they can request to transfer to another degree program more suitable to their academic background and needs (see Changing from One Degree Program to Another section). Any credits earned in the original program that will apply to the new program will be calculated in the cumulative GPA. As part of Hood's Fresh Start policy, grades from the original program that are not applied to the new program, will not be calculated in the cumulative GPA, though they will remain on the transcript for historical purposes.
Academic Dismissal
Dismissal due to Inferior Academic Performance and Fresh Start Policy
A student on academic warning who does not restore the GPA to 3.0 as required will be dismissed from the College. A student may appeal academic dismissal as outlined in Exceptions to Academic Policies, Regulations or Requirements. Students who are dismissed from the College for poor academic performance in a particular program may apply to a different program for possible reinstatement to the College. In such cases, students will be required to submit a new application via the online software at www.hood.edu/gradapply. Original transcripts will have to be re-submitted as these documents are shredded after admission into a previous program. However, if accepted, only 6 credits of relevant, previous graduate coursework within the last five years (with grades of B or better) can be transferred into the new program with approval from the new program director. In addition, the seven-year time limit for degree completion starts anew with enrollment in the new program. As part of Hood's Fresh Start policy, grades from the program in which the student was dismissed will not be calculated in the cumulative GPA, unless they are part of the 6 credits transferred in as described above. However, all courses from the previous program will remain on the transcript for historical purposes. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation.
Dismissal due to Academic Integrity and Student Conduct Violations
A student who has been found to be in violation of the Graduate School's regulations of academic and/or student conduct will be dismissed from the program and from the College (see Graduate Student Conduct and Violations of Academic Conduct sections). A student may appeal academic dismissal as outlined in Exceptions to Academic Policies, Regulations or Requirements. Students who are dismissed from the College for academic and/or student conduct violations may not enroll in another graduate program or as a non-degree seeking student.