Student Code of Conduct

Academic Dishonesty

he following regulations describe offenses for which disciplinary proceedings may be initiated. The College expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid disciplinary action. Students are expected to obey the law, to show respect for properly constituted authority, to perform contractual obligations, to maintain integrity and a high standard of honor in academic work, and to observe a standard of conduct appropriate for the College. The College expects all students to conduct themselves under all circumstances in a responsible manner. This implies thoughtful consideration of college property and members of the college community.

Any student or group of students failing to observe either the general standards of conduct or any specific regulation adopted by the College, or acting in a manner not in the best interest of other students of the College, shall be subject to disciplinary action.

The following shall constitute unacceptable behavior and shall subject the offenders to disciplinary penalties as provided in College policy:

Academic Dishonesty

College deans may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of Academic Dishonesty.  Academic Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in any course at this college. Plagiarism and other forms of cheating are examples of such dishonesty and will result in serious consequences. Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s words as your own, whether in writing or in speaking.

You are plagiarizing if you:

1. Use direct quotes without quotation marks and textual citation of the material;
    
2. Paraphrase without crediting the source;
    
3. Present another’s ideas as your own without citing the source;
    
4. Submit material written by someone else as your own (this includes purchasing or borrowing a paper);
    
5. Submit a paper or assignment for which you have received so much help that the writing style is significantly different from your own.
    
6. Participate in a group project which presents plagiarized material;
    
7. Fail to provide adequate citations for information obtained through electronic research;
    
8. Download or submit work from electronic sources without citation

You are cheating if you:

1. Partially or wholly copy someone else’s exam or homework;
    
2. Allow another student to copy your work or submit work you have written as his/her own;
    
3. Refer to any text, notes, other materials, or any other type of assistance including electronic devices, during an exam without authorization to do so;
    
4. Submit a paper or assignment for which you have received so much help that the writing style is significantly different from your own;
    
5. Pass test answers to another student during or before a test. Cheating and plagiarism, whether intentional or accidental, are serious offenses.

Consequences include:

• Disciplinary Action by the Instructor: An instructor who suspects you of plagiarism or cheating must inform you of the allegation as soon as possible. If the instructor comes to the conclusion that the student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, the instructor will determine what action to take. The instructor may decide to give you a zero for the assignment, may reduce your grade for the course, or even assign an F for the course. The instructor may send a written report of the case to inform the Dean or Authorized College Official, and may request additional disciplinary action; a copy is sent to the student.
   
• Student Appeal: If you believe that the finding of plagiarism or cheating is in error or the penalty unjust, you may appeal to the Dean or Authorized College Official. The appeal will be processed in accordance with Section 2-200 of the Student Code of Conduct. An informal hearing will be held and an Administrative Disposition will be presented to the student. Further appeal information is included in the Student Code of Conduct located in the Student Handbook.

Alternatives: Academic dishonesty is unnecessary, especially since there are alternatives.

1. If you are unsure about the proper use of sources, or the extent to which collaboration on an assignment is allowed, talk with the instructor;
2. Consult a recognized handbook for instruction on citing source materials;
3. Contact the Skills Center (MCC), Writing Center (SCC), or Academic Success Center (CCC).

Note: Material adapted from handouts of the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and University of Delaware.

Rights and Responsibilities

Eastern Iowa Community Colleges students are both citizens and members of the academic community. As citizens, students enjoy the same freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and right of petition that other citizens enjoy. As members of the academic community, students are subject to the obligations which are theirs by virtue of this membership.

The College expects its students to conduct themselves in such a way as to reflect credit upon the institution they represent. There are two basic standards of behavior required of all students: a) They shall not violate any board policy, municipal, state, or federal law; b) nor interfere with or disrupt the orderly educational processes of the College. Students are not entitled to greater immunities or privileges before the law than those enjoyed by other citizens generally.

More information can be found on our website.

Student Complaint Procedure

Eastern Iowa Community Colleges strive to provide the best possible experience to our students, employees and communities. Should a student, employee or community member feel that we have fallen short of that goal, this complaint/grievance procedure has been established to help resolve concerns. Complaints should be submitted in a timely manner, preferably within 10 days of the occurrence.

The following steps should be taken to resolve a complaint.

• Informal Process
• Formal Process
• Final Appeal Process

Student Discipline and Due Process

A student at the College neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship.  Students are expected to obey the laws of the State of Iowa and the United States of America.  They are expected to comply with College and district regulations and administrative rules and procedures.   A student may be penalized by the College for violating its standards of conduct regardless of action taken by state or federal authorities for the same act.

This Student Discipline and Due Process Code applies to individual students and states the role of students in disciplinary proceedings and grievances.  The College has jurisdiction for disciplinary purposes over a person who was a student at the time he/she allegedly violated the policy, regulation, rule, or code.

The College reserves the right to apply appropriate disciplinary provisions to persons who participate in college sponsored activities or programs but who are not enrolled students

Information about student discipline and due process can be found on our website.

Student Handbook

The Student Handbook information is available through the links on this page.

Eastern Iowa Community Colleges consists of Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine and Scott Counties, and parts of Cedar and Louisa Counties. The district stretches along the Iowa side of the Mississippi River with Clinton Community College to the north, Muscatine Community College to the south, and Scott Community College between the two. EICC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the colleges are approved by the Iowa Department of Education and the Board of Regents. Individual programs are accredited by associations within their respective fields. 

It is the policy of Eastern Iowa Community College District not to discriminate in its programs, activities, or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, and actual or potential family, parental or marital status, as required by the Iowa Code §§216.6 and 216.9, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.).

If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy, please contact EICC’s Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Equity Coordinator, Eastern Iowa Community College District, 101 West Third Street, Davenport, Iowa 52801, 563-336-5222, equity@eicc.edu or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Education, John C. Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn Street, 37th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604-7204, Telephone: (312) 730-1560 Facsimile: (312) 730- 1576, TDD (800) 877-8339 Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.