Academic Policies and Procedures

The purpose of the Academic Integrity Policy is to ensure that students at Post University perform and submit their own, original work and/or give proper credit when incorporating the work of others.  Post University faculty, administration, and staff are dedicated to ensuring a positive education experience for every student.  As such, enforcement of the Academic Integrity Policy is taken seriously, and violations of the Policy will not be tolerated.

Throughout their time at Post University, students can make use of well-known examples of acceptable resources for checking and/or enhancing the grammar of their own, original works including, but are not limited to, Grammarly®, Academic Writer®, and TutorMe®.

Types of Academic Integrity Infractions 

Infractions of the Academic Integrity Policy involve any unethical behaviors at the University and/or actions associated with University classroom learning and content.  Infractions include, but are not limited to, the following:

Cheating, including:

• Submitting work that is not your own original work product, either in part or whole.
• Working with one or more persons on an exam or assessment that is to be taken as an individual.
• Using unauthorized materials (e.g., a “cheat sheet”) during an exam or assessment.
• Acquiring information for assigned projects from another student in a manner inconsistent with the guidelines for the project.
  • Students should refer to the course assignment and/or syllabus for the rules associated with collaboration for every assignment.
  • When in doubt, students should consult their professor for guidance.
• Observing and/or copying work from another individual’s exam.
• Providing information to another student at the University related to an exam or assessment that is meant to be taken individually.
• Purchasing and/or downloading past and current University course materials from sources (e.g., tutoring websites) that purport to be a source of Post University course content.
• Selling, sharing, and/or posting digital or hard copy University course materials in a manner intended to induce others to cheat.
• Authorizing another to complete course work on your behalf.
• Submitting work on behalf of another University student.

Plagiarizing, including:

• Presenting the words, ideas, data, images, videos, or other original materials of another as one’s own without giving proper credit, attribution, or citation to the original author.
  • Any source or materials used must be properly cited and referenced when quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing. 
  • Students must adhere to the University’s expectations for properly citing sources. 
• Attempting to receive credit for work performed by another, obtained in whole or in part from individuals or other sources, including (but not limited to) any material obtained by Generative Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT, DALL.E, Bard, etc.).
• Self-plagiarizing previously submitted work in whole or in part without first checking with one’s instructor and/or substantially revising it.
  • Students are expected to submit their own, original work in each class they take to strengthen their skills and demonstrate competency in the learning outcomes of each course.

Masking, including:

• Using digital paraphrasing tools to alter or disguise the original work of another as your own.
  • Using print and/or digital tools for the limited purpose of checking and/or enhancing the grammar of your own, original work is not considered a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Falsifying information, including:

• Intentionally falsifying or inventing any information or citation in an academic activity at the University.
• Presenting – either written or oral – results of research or practice experience hours that have not been performed.
• Authorizing and/or providing log-in information to another for the purpose of accessing Post University courses or academic platforms.

Utilizing course materials in an unauthorized manner, including:

• Reproducing University course content in violation of the University Copyright Protection Policy (re-stated below):

Post University courses contain copyrighted resources that may not be reproduced, revised, or distributed without the written permission of Post University.  Students in violation of Post Copyright Protection Policy are subject to civil and criminal liabilities associated with the Federal Copyright Act and could be subject to dismissal from the University.  This policy includes providing materials to websites that allow students to download or purchase course materials, exams, assignments (both completed assignment or the assignment prompt), study guides, and course materials.  Distributing Post University copyrighted materials or purchasing/downloading any Post University course materials or assignments from these sites is cheating and may result in legal action against the student and dismissal from the University.

Conspiring, planning, or attempting, including:

• Conspiring, planning, or attempting to achieve any of the above acts (i.e., cheating, plagiarizing, masking, falsifying information, and/or utilizing course materials in an unauthorized manner) as enumerated above.

Miscellaneous:

• Any other act or omission by a student that is directly or indirectly contrary to the objectives of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Process for Reviewing Suspected Violations of the Academic Integrity Policy

In the event that there is a suspicion that a violation (“Suspected Violation”) of the Academic Integrity Policy has occurred, the Suspected Violation will be reviewed by the appropriate University personnel, as the situation dictates.

The appropriate University personnel will review the Suspected Violation in a timely manner.  During the review process, the appropriate University personnel may request additional information from the student and/or other individuals involved in the Suspected Violation.  At the completion of the review process, the Decision will be communicated to the student and documented in the Academic Integrity Database.  The University maintains the right to review work by the student from previous assignments, exams and/or courses when reviewing a Suspected Violation.

In the event that the review process determines that No Violation has been committed, there will be no follow-up steps required by the student or University.

In the event that the review process determines that a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy (“Confirmed Violation”) has occurred, the Instructor or appropriate University personnel will assign one of the following sanctions:

• Integrity Warning; or
• Infraction

It is at the discretion of the Instructor or appropriate University personnel reviewing the Confirmed Violation to consider whether the Confirmed Violation constitutes an Integrity Warning or an Infraction.  The severity and/or the student’s intention in the Confirmed Violation will be used to determine whether the student receives an Integrity Warning or an Infraction.  There is no limit to the number of Integrity Warnings a student can receive.

In the event an Integrity Warning is issued, the student involved in the Confirmed Violation will be assigned a zero on the assignment with the opportunity to resubmit new coursework for the assignment under review.  If the Confirmed Violation involves an exam or an assessment, it will be at the discretion of University personnel to determine whether the student may re-take the exam or assessment.

In the event an Infraction is issued, the student may be issued an Infraction 1, Infraction 2 or Infraction 3.  The penalties associated with the Infractions are as follows:

• Infraction 1:     Student is assigned a zero on the assignment or assessment with no opportunity to resubmit.
• Infraction 2:     Student is issued the grade of an F in the course.  Student is removed by the Registrar from the course in which the Confirmed Violation occurred.
• ​​​Infraction 3:     Student is academically dismissed from Post University.  Student will not be eligible for financial reimbursement.  Student may not reapply for readmission to the University.

Typically, infractions 1 through 3 are assigned consecutively upon additional infractions of the Academic Integrity Policy.  Unless noted otherwise, the first instance a student earns an Infraction will result in an Infraction 1, the second instance the same student earns an Infraction will result in an Infraction 2, and the third instance a student earns an Infraction will result in an Infraction 3.

The University reserves the right to deviate from consecutive assignment of infractions in the event it the consecutive infraction is deemed to be not suitable considering the specific facts of the Confirmed Violation.  Instead, University personnel may assign a different infraction or a different penalty that is more appropriate considering the specific Confirmed Violation.  The alternative infraction or penalty assigned may be more or less severe than the infraction listed above.  In particularly severe cases, an Infraction 3 may be issued, and the student will be academically dismissed from the University, regardless of whether the student has previously received an Infraction 1 and/or an Infraction 2.

A student may receive an Integrity Warning after receiving an Infraction 1 or an Infraction 2 without affecting the above-described progression of Infractions.

Students receiving an Integrity Warning, Infraction 1 or Infraction 2 may be required to schedule an appointment at the Center for Academic Success (CAS) to discuss the Confirmed Violation.

Confirmed Violations may be appealed by the student.  The appeal process is detailed at the following locations.

Course Grade Appeal (Integrity Warning, Infraction 1, or Infraction 2):

https://post.edu/student-services/academic-affairs/academic-policies-and-procedures/

Dismissal Appeal (Infraction 3):

https://post.edu/about/student-satisfaction-and-performance/student-complaints/

Student Questions

Students are encouraged to contact their instructor, advisor, or the Center for Academic Success (CAS) if they have any questions about Post University’s Academic Integrity Policy. Questions may also be answered through tutorials on current APA format and documentation styles available through the Library.

Copyright Protection

Post University’s courses contain copyrighted resources created by the University and licensed from various third parties. In compliance with U.S. Copyright Law, these resources may not be reproduced, revised, or distributed without the written permission of Post University.  Individuals found to be in violation of this policy are subject to civil and criminal liabilities associated with the Federal Copyright Act, and risk dismissal from the University under the Academic Integrity Policy.  Unless otherwise noted, student access to these materials is limited to the period of time they are enrolled in the course. Students should contact the library ([email protected]) for information on which resources can be printed.