Attendance

Durham Technical Community College demands complete academic integrity from each student. Academic dishonesty is the participation or collaboration in specific prohibited forms of conduct. Participation or collaboration may be active (such as submitting a term paper which includes plagiarized work) or passive (such as receiving a copy of a test before class).

Academic dishonesty includes the following:

1. Registering for a course not approved by a student advisor;
2. Unauthorized copying, collaboration, or use of notes, books, or other materials on
   examinations or other academic exercises;
3. Plagiarism, which is defined as the intentional representation of another
   person’s work, words, thoughts, or ideas, including material from the internet, as one’s own;
4. Unauthorized possession of any academic material, such as tests, research papers, assignments, or similar materials; or
5. Furnishing false information with the intent to deceive members of the college faculty or
   administration who are acting in the exercise of their official duties.

Violation Procedure
Any student who commits any of the acts described above as well as any other act which constitutes a clear offense against the academic integrity of the college shall be disciplined in the following manner:

1. In the case of a first offense of academic dishonesty, a grade of zero shall be given on that particular academic exercise in which the act of dishonesty occurred. The instructor must notify the student of the assigned grade of zero within seven working days. The instructor must also provide written notice of the violation to the chief instructional officer via the program director and department dean. The chief instructional officer will notify the instructor of any prior final findings of academic dishonesty against the student. If the offense is a second or third violation, the student will be assigned a grade of F for the course; and the paragraphs below will apply.
   1. If the student wishes to appeal the instructor’s decision, he/she may appeal to the program director. This appeal must be in writing and must be presented to the program director within seven working days of receiving the grade of zero. The appeal must clearly explain why the instructor’s decision is incorrect or improper. The instructor may respond to the student’s appeal in writing. Any response must be promptly furnished to the student by the program director. The program director will schedule a meeting with the student, investigate the appeal, and present the student with a written decision within seven working days of receiving the appeal or meeting with the student, whichever is later.
   2. There is no right to appeal a first offense of academic dishonesty beyond the instructor’s immediate supervisor. Upon a final finding that the student has violated this academic honesty policy, written notice, together with all supporting material evidence, shall be forwarded to the chief instructional officer. Written notice of such a final finding shall also be provided to the Counseling and Student Development office. Once a final finding of academic dishonesty has been made, the student may not return to class until he/she has contacted the Counseling and Student Development office.
   3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the instructor is the program director or department dean and the academic dishonesty occurs in a class under his/her jurisdiction, the appeal shall be to the instructor’s immediate supervisor.
   4. A determination of academic dishonesty will be deemed a “final finding” when the student fails to appeal an adverse decision in accordance with this policy or when the instructor’s initial decision is sustained and cannot be further appealed.
      
      
2. In the case of a second offense of academic dishonesty, the instructor shall expel the student from the class with a grade of F for the course. The instructor must notify the student of assignment of the F grade within seven working days. The instructor must also provide written notice of the violation to the chief instructional officer via the program director and department dean. If the student wishes to appeal, the procedures outlined here shall be followed.
   1. If the student is not satisfied with the program director’s decision, he/she may appeal to the department dean. This appeal must be in writing and must be presented to the department dean within seven working days of receiving the program director’s decision. The appeal must clearly explain why previous decisions are incorrect or improper. The department dean will schedule a meeting with the student, investigate the matter, and present the student with a written decision within seven working days of receiving the appeal or meeting, whichever is later.
   2. If the student is not satisfied with the department dean’s decision, he/she may appeal to the chief instructional officer. The chief instructional officer may investigate the appeal by assigning the appeal to a committee or personally consulting with the parties. In either case, the student will be provided an opportunity to appear before the committee or chief instructional officer and present relevant evidence as determined by the trier of fact. A recommendation by the committee shall be made to the chief instructional officer within seven days of the hearing. There is no right to appeal a second offense of academic dishonesty beyond the chief instructional officer level.
   3. Rules of procedure for committee hearings convened in accordance with this policy shall be determined by the committee, approved by the chief instructional officer, and published and made available to the student prior to the hearing.
      
      
3. In the case of a third offense of academic dishonesty, the instructor shall expel the student from the class and assign a grade of F for the course. The instructor must also provide written notice of the violation to the chief instructional officer via the program director and the department dean. If the student wishes to appeal, the applicable procedures outlined above shall be followed. Upon a final finding of a third offense of academic dishonesty and upon receiving a written recommendation by the chief instructional officer, the president of the college may suspend the student for a minimum of one year. Suspension because of academic dishonesty will be recorded on the student’s transcript.
   
   
4. In addition to the procedures described above, any student in a clinical, practicum, or work placement setting (such as clinicals in the Health Technologies programs) who commits any serious error or offense or dishonesty which, in the opinion of the instructor, compromises the health, safety, or well-being of any child, patient, fellow student, or any other person may be immediately expelled from the class and removed from the premises by the instructor or by other appropriate personnel. The instructor must promptly provide the student with written notice of the expulsion. Written notice of the expulsion, together with all supporting material evidence, shall be provided to the chief instructional officer within three working days of the imposition of the expulsion. This additional provision is imposed in recognition of the fact that in special settings, dishonesty and serious errors of judgment may have consequences that are far more significant and far-reaching than those occurring in the usual academic setting. The student may appeal an expulsion from a clinical, practicum, or work placement course in accordance with the provisions of this policy and any practicum, clinical, or work setting agreements, policies, or procedures that may apply.
   
   
5. The right to appeal decisions concerning issues addressed by this policy is limited to the procedures outlined here.

Associate in Arts and Associate in Science
Either the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree or the Associate in Science (A.S.) degree is awarded for the University Transfer program. Students who began their program Fall Semester 1997 or later and who complete the University Transfer program (for courses with a grade of C or above), after being accepted at a four-year university, will transfer as a junior to all University of North Carolina (UNC) System institutions. After being accepted at the four-year university, students who complete the general education core (for courses with a grade of C or above) will meet general education requirements for all UNC System institutions. University Transfer student advisors and faculty in the University Transfer Department can assist students with most basic transfer information for public and private institutions in North Carolina.

Associate in Applied Science
The Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is awarded for two-year technical programs which focus on preparing the student for a profession. There are senior institutions which accept some of these degrees as the first two years of a four-year program. Other senior institutions evaluate the Associate in Applied Science degree on a course-by-course basis.

Counseling and Student Development staff assist students with transfer to other educational institutions. Information about the colleges and universities that offer transfer credit for courses in the Associate in Applied Science degree programs completed at Durham Tech is available in the Counseling and Student Development office and on this web site.

Associate in General Education
The Associate in General Education (A.G.E.) is a highly flexible degree program which a student may structure to meet individual needs. Courses for the A.G.E. degree may be selected from either the University Transfer program or from technical programs, provided that a minimum of 18 credits in a general education core is included. Transferability of courses depends on which specific courses are selected for the degree. Additional information is available from the Admissions office or the General Education program director and on this web site.