The Catholic Distance University expects all students to conduct themselves in accord with the Christian principles of justice and charity. Likewise, CDU will strive to treat students with the same principles of justice and charity based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, from which it derives its mission and to which it bears witness. CDU will provide due process in the investigation of any alleged infraction.
CDU defines academic misconduct to include the following actions:
Any violation of the academic regulations.
Cheating: the use of books, notes, or assistance from other students or the giving of such assistance to fulfill requirements—tests, exams, or other course related work—unless specifically authorized by the professor.
Plagiarism: according to the MLA Handbook, “Plagiarism is the act of using another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the source...In short, to plagiarize is to give the impression that you have written or thought something that you have in fact borrowed from someone else...The most blatant form of plagiarism is to repeat as your own someone else’s sentences, more or less verbatim...Other forms of plagiarism include repeating someone else’s particularly apt phrase without appropriate acknowledgment, paraphrasing another person’s argument as your own, and presenting another’s line of thinking in the development of an idea as though it were your own.” (Joseph Gibaldi and Walter S. Acthlert, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1984).
Obstruction: engagement in activities that interfere with the educational mission and programs of CDU.
Falsification: the modification of academic records, information, or documents without proper authorization.
Procedures for reporting and processing academic misconduct
1. The instructor, administrator, or student identifying the academic misconduct must report the complaint in writing to the appropriate dean:
If a hearing is warranted, the student will appear before the Academic Review Committee.
2. If the Academic Review Committee finds that the student did indeed commit an act of academic misconduct, it may impose one of the following penalties:
3. The dean will inform the student in writing of the decision and clearly explain any penalty imposed.
4. The student will have one week to appeal the decision to the executive vice president, who in turn will have one week to make a final decision.
Student Complaint Against A Faculty Member
The occasion may arise where a student has a complaint against an instructor or staff member. In Christian charity, the student should attempt to resolve the problem privately and in an informal manner as follows:
Faculty and Course Evaluations
When a course is completed, each student is strongly encouraged to complete a course evaluation with a candid and honest evaluation of the course and the instructor. This information is a vital part of the formal assessment process carried out by the university and helps to improve course materials and instructor teaching skills, and to reward excellence.