Academic Integrity Policy

The Academic Integrity Policy ensures that all AIES Approved Centers promote a culture of honesty, fairness, and ethical behavior in all academic activities. This policy outlines the expectations for maintaining academic integrity in program delivery, student assessments, and overall educational practices, as well as the procedures for addressing violations.

Key Principles:

1. Commitment to Honesty and Fairness
   All staff, instructors, and students are expected to uphold the highest standards of honesty and fairness in all academic endeavors. This includes:

   • Ensuring that all academic work, including assessments and projects, is completed truthfully and without deception.
   • Treating all students equitably, providing equal opportunities for success.

2. Prohibition of Academic Misconduct
   Academic misconduct undermines the integrity of education and is strictly prohibited at all AIES Approved Centers. Forms of academic misconduct include:

   • Cheating: Using unauthorized materials, information, or devices during exams or assessments.
   • Plagiarism: Presenting another person’s work, ideas, or intellectual property as one’s own without proper attribution.
   • Fabrication: Falsifying or inventing data, results, or sources for assignments, reports, or assessments.
   • Collusion: Working with others to engage in any academic misconduct, including sharing exam answers or submitting group work as individual effort.
   • Unauthorized Collaboration: Collaborating with others on assignments or exams without explicit permission from the instructor.
   • Impersonation: Pretending to be another student during exams or allowing someone else to take an exam on one’s behalf.

3. Instructor and Staff Responsibilities
   Instructors and staff play a critical role in fostering academic integrity and are responsible for:

   • Clearly communicating expectations for academic honesty and the consequences of misconduct to students.
   • Implementing fair and secure procedures for administering assessments and exams.
   • Actively monitoring for any signs of academic misconduct and addressing issues as they arise.
   • Reporting any suspected or confirmed instances of academic misconduct to the center’s administration and AIES.

4. Student Responsibilities
   Students are expected to uphold academic integrity by:

   • Completing all assessments, assignments, and projects independently unless otherwise instructed.
   • Properly citing all sources used in written work, following appropriate citation standards.
   • Reporting any observed instances of academic misconduct to instructors or staff.
   • Understanding and adhering to the rules for exams, assignments, and projects as outlined by the instructor.

5. Preventing Academic Misconduct
   Centers are encouraged to actively prevent academic misconduct by:

   • Providing students with clear guidelines on what constitutes academic misconduct.
   • Offering resources and training on proper citation methods, avoiding plagiarism, and ethical research practices.
   • Creating a culture that encourages academic honesty, including through awareness campaigns and discussions about integrity in the classroom.
   • Implementing proctoring tools and systems to maintain exam security in both in-person and online settings.

6. Detection and Reporting of Academic Misconduct
   Centers must take reasonable steps to detect and address academic misconduct. This includes:

   • Monitoring assessments and exams for irregularities or signs of cheating.
   • Using plagiarism detection software to check the originality of student submissions.
   • Investigating any reported or suspected instances of academic misconduct in a timely and fair manner.
   • Reporting confirmed cases of academic misconduct to AIES for further review.

7. Consequences of Academic Misconduct
   Academic misconduct is a serious violation of AIES’s standards and may result in disciplinary actions, including:

   • Warnings: Issued for minor or first-time offenses, typically involving a reprimand and an opportunity to correct the behavior.
   • Failure of Assessment: A student may receive a failing grade for the assignment, exam, or course involved in the misconduct.
   • Suspension or Expulsion: Repeated or severe instances of academic misconduct may result in suspension or expulsion from the program, depending on the severity of the violation.
   • Revocation of Certifications: In extreme cases, AIES reserves the right to revoke any certifications awarded as a result of academic dishonesty.

8. Appeals Process
   Students have the right to appeal any academic misconduct decisions. The appeals process must:

   • Provide students with the opportunity to present evidence or testimony in their defense.
   • Ensure that appeals are reviewed fairly and without bias by a designated committee or administrator.
   • Communicate the outcome of the appeal and any final decisions to the student in a timely manner.

9. Confidentiality and Fairness
   All investigations and disciplinary actions related to academic misconduct must be handled with confidentiality and fairness. Centers must ensure that:

   • The privacy of all involved parties is protected throughout the investigation process.
   • Students are treated impartially and given the opportunity to respond to any allegations.

Enforcement and Accountability:

Failure to adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy may result in disciplinary actions against both students and centers. Centers found to be neglecting their responsibilities in upholding academic integrity may face sanctions from AIES, including probation or revocation of approved center status.