Speaker 1: Hello Bulldog Nation. We would like to take a few minutes to tell you about Bowie's academic integrity policy. Bowie High School deeply values learning and seeks to empower each student to reach his or her full potential. We recognize that struggles and mistakes are necessary elements of the learning process. However, cheating and plagiarism eliminate the development of critical thinking, stifle creativity, and relegate us to a world of what already is rather than a world of what could be. In order to realize our full potential, we pledge to value learning above grades and to hold ourselves to the highest standard of academic integrity. In the past decade, instances of cheating in academic institutions like schools and colleges has increased by leaps and bounds. Students are tempted to cheat for a variety of reasons, including pressure from family and peers, a heavy or difficult workload, or simply because of a lack of preparation. Academic dishonesty can have serious consequences, such as expulsion from college or even criminal prosecution. So, before you develop dishonest habits that can get you in real trouble, it's important to learn the meaning of academic integrity. We would like to share a video with you about academic integrity that was created by Stephanie Stauber.

Speaker 2: Integrity. What is it? It means acting with honesty and doing the right thing, even when nobody is watching. One example of acting with integrity is finding money on the floor of a supermarket, and instead of keeping it, giving it to the supermarket attendant in case the person who lost it comes back to look for it. So, what is academic integrity? It means acting with honesty, truth, fairness, and respect in your academic work, doing your own work, and always referencing the work of others. The opposite of academic integrity is academic dishonesty, and it means participating in dishonest academic actions, and may include cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty. Let's look at some examples of academic dishonesty. Copying answers on a test, quiz, or other assignment from somebody else. Doing somebody else's work for them. Giving somebody the test or quiz answers or getting the answers from somebody in advance. Or, paying somebody to do your work for you. So, what is plagiarism? It is copying the work of others and presenting it as your own original work. This is one example of plagiarism. Buying papers online. Copying and pasting from the internet and rearranging words and sentences. Using information without referencing it. Paying others to do your work. Or, reusing somebody else's work are all considered plagiarism. Remember, information you use from any source must always be referenced in your work, even if it's a friend's idea, a sentence from the internet, or a verse from your favorite song. Let's talk about group work because it's kind of tricky. With group work, each person must submit their own original work, even if the answer is the same. With group work, you do want to help each other find the answer or information together, but you don't want to copy from each other or submit the same work. So what should you do? Understand the rules on cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty. Learn how to reference the work of others properly. Acting honestly in your academic work will prepare you for success in your personal and professional future. And when you receive your diploma, you will be confident that the skills and knowledge that you earned really belong to you. And wherever life takes you, the people you interact with will respect the honesty that you practiced in your academic life.

Speaker 1: Now that you have a better understanding of cheating and plagiarism, it's important that you understand the BUE penalties for engaging in this type of academic dishonesty. You can find BUE's academic integrity policy in the student handbook. Under the most recently revised policy, consequences for cheating and plagiarism are aligned to the severity of the offense in the student's grade level. Keep in mind that a history of academic dishonesty can also prevent you from gaining access to some of BUE's honor societies. Tier 1 is probably the most common and perhaps the most tempting form of academic dishonesty, because it typically happens when you are working on your own and aren't being monitored by a teacher. Sharing answers on a class assignment or on homework is typically considered a Tier 1 offense. Additionally, using a translation tool in your language classes or a solving tool on a math assignment without your teacher's permission is a Tier 1 violation. Cheating on daily assignments will result in the submission of a referral. After your teachers and parents are notified of the infraction, you will be required to redo your assignment for a grade no higher than a 65, and you will also be assigned to three days of lunch detention. Cheating on a quiz or test in any manner is a Tier 2 offense. If you are caught cheating on an assessment, then your teacher will submit a referral and contact your parents. After participating in a conference with your parents and an administrator, you'll be required to redo the assignment for no more than a 60 and spend the day in ISS. These consequences will also be applied to any juniors or seniors who cheat on daily assignments. Tier 3 involves the most serious forms of academic dishonesty. Stealing a test or a test key, destroying another student's academic work, or taking credit for someone else's work are all Tier 3 offenses. In addition to the teacher notifying your parents, your administrator, and all of your other teachers, you will be required to redo the assignment for a grade no higher than a 50, and you'll be assigned to three days of in-school suspension. Research continues to show that students who believe they can get smarter also understand that working hard in school will result in higher academic achievement. At Bowie, we want you to develop this growth mindset and understand that when you engage in academic dishonesty, you not only risk getting in trouble, you are getting in the way of your own success. Always do your own work and cite all of your sources. Your teachers will continue to work with you to learn how to do this, but remember, when in doubt about what's allowed and what's not allowed, ask your teacher. Our hope is that as a Bowie student, you will value learning above grades and hold yourself to the highest standard of academic integrity. You are encouraged to go to the Bowie website to read the Academic Integrity Policy in its entirety. Thank you for your attention.