AcademicIntegrityPolicy_EN

KSAU-HS Academic Integrity Guide 1 Academic Integrity Guideline Executive Summary The purpose of this guideline is to promote academic integrity among faculty members and students at the University when using scientific information, to respect academic integrity when designing or uploading digital educational materials, and to be in line with Saudi Vision 2030 goals by achieving the highest standards of transparency and to be an effectively governed facility. This guideline applies to all faculty members and students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences in all its branches, including the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC). 2 Purpose of the Guideline ………………………………………………………..……………………………………………..3 Applicability ………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………3 Related References ……………………………………………….………………………………………………………………..3 Definitions ……………………………………………………………………..………………………………………………………..4 Guidelines …………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………5 Maintaining Academic Integrity ……………………………………………..……………………………………………..7 Responsible authorities for implementing the Guideline …………………….……………………………….8 Approval ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………..8 Table of Contents 3 Academic Integrity Guideline Executive Summary 1. Purpose of the Guideline 1.1. To promote academic integrity among faculty members and students at the University when using scientific information in producing research, managing projects, or when transferring, documenting, or publishing it, and other related activities. 1.2. To respect academic integrity when designing or uploading digital educational materials and digital content of all forms and types—such as texts, images, programs, designs, or others—on a website or through e-learning systems and tools. 1.3. To align with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by achieving the highest standards of transparency and maintaining an effective environment and management within the University. 2. Applicability This guideline applies to all faculty members and students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences in all its branches, including the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC). 3. Related References 3.1. Saudi Vision 2030 3.2. Document on Enhancing Integrity and Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest, Ministry of Education 3.3. Regulations for Study and Examinations for the Undergraduate Study and Executive Rules of King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, September 2022 3.4. Executive Regulations on Student Rights and Responsibilities, and Code of Conduct and Discipline, September 2022 3.5. Regulations Governing the Affairs of University Faculty Members and Those in Their Equivalence, 2021 4 3.6. Executive Regulations and Procedural Rules for Combating Cybercrimes and Document/Information Leaks at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, February 2020 3.7. Guide to High Ethics at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, November 2022 3.8. Transparency Guide at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, November 2022 3.9. Responsibility Culture Guide at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, November 2022 4. Definitions 4.1. Faculty Members: Refers to professors, associate professors, and assistant professors, as well as those considered equivalent to faculty members, including lecturers and teaching assistants. 4.2. Exploiting Collaboration: Refers to relying on another person to complete joint or group assignments, or exploiting another person to complete tasks or assignments for individual benefit. 4.3. Impersonation: Refers to pretending to be someone else in class, during an exam, or in any type of academic assignment. 4.4. Fabrication and Forgery: Refers to altering or fabricating approved information in an exam, assignment, or academic research, or presenting a forged medical certificate to excuse absences. 4.5. University: Refers to King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences and all its branches in various regions, including the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KIMARC). 4.6. Scientific Plagiarism: Refers to quoting phrases and works of others from a thesis or published research either fully or partially while citing them as references. 4.7. Literary Theft/Plagiarism: Refers to quoting phrases and works of others, and the unauthorized use of intellectual and literary sources or any information in any exam, assignment, or academic research, without citing them as references. 4.8. Cheating: Refers to using deceptive methods to benefit from others' efforts to succeed in academic exams or other assigned tasks. 5 4.9. Students: Any regular or affiliated student enrolled at the University, whether male or female, across various colleges and branches of the University. 4.10. Academic Integrity: Refers to intellectual honesty, scientific integrity, and adherence to truthfulness, fairness, respect, and responsibility in using information and scientific sources during a student's studies or a faculty member's academic work. 4.11. Misuse of Academic Assistance: Refers to exploiting the work of another person who provided academic assistance in good faith, such as transferring the efforts of that assistance to another task without informing them. 4.12. University Policy: Refers to the procedures implemented within the University to ensure its operations are conducted in accordance with its internal regulations. 5. Guidelines 5.1. The University is committed to maintaining academic integrity as a fundamental principle in the conduct of in-person or online educational processes. 5.2. The University is committed to addressing cases of academic integrity violations and works to raise awareness and educate faculty members and students about their consequences and negatives. 5.3. The University is committed to guiding its colleges to develop clear and visible strategies for faculty members and students to ensure they receive appropriate guidance and scientific experiences to refine their research skills and embody academic honesty. 5.4. Faculty members and students are committed to uphold academic integrity, and any violation of others' rights that results in the provision of misleading information, research, projects, or any form of academic work through dishonest means is classified as a blatant violation of academic integrity, and the case will be handled according to the University's regulations and policies. 5.5. The work submitted for evaluation purposes must be entirely independent, free from plagiarism, and committed to scientific honesty, whether submitted by faculty members or students, individually or in approved groups, to demonstrate their competence and scientific abilities 5.6. Faculty members and students are committed to acknowledging their awareness of behaviors that violate academic integrity, including but not limited to: 6 5.6.1. Cheating 5.6.2. Literary theft/plagiarism 5.6.3. Misuse of academic assistance 5.6.4. Exploitation of collaboration 5.6.5. Falsification and forgery 5.6.6. Impersonation of others 5.6.7. Gaining an unfair advantage, including but not limited to: 5.6.7.1. Allowing students to access exam materials or providing access to them before the scheduled time by a faculty member. 5.6.7.2. Stealing, damaging, or destroying library materials or research materials, thereby preventing others from using them. 5.6.7.3. Unauthorized collaboration to complete an assignment or academic task. 5.6.7.4. Students retaining, possessing, or circulating materials from a previously held exam without the faculty member's permission. 5.6.7.5. Disrupting or interfering with another person's academic work. 5.6.7.6. Participating in any activity to gain an advantage due to another person's rightful claim within the same course. 5.6.7.7. Students bribing a faculty member or an administrative staff member at the University to change grades or obtain any other benefits. 5.7. Cheating or falsification in reports, graduation projects, training work, or scientific research subjects students to disciplinary actions according to the Executive Regulations of Student Rights and Obligations and the Code of Conduct and Discipline at the University. These penalties include: 5.7.1. Verbal warning, with documentation in the student’s file. 5.7.2. Written warning, accompanied by a written pledge from the offending student not to repeat the violation. 5.7.3. Requiring the student to complete some volunteer service work or attend certain courses for no more than one month. 5.7.4. Confiscation of devices used in the violation, which will not be returned to the student except through the college administration or the University administration. 5.7.5. Denial of some University privileges provided to students. 7 5.7.6. Temporary suspension (for no more than two semesters) from participating in one or more student activities. 5.7.7. Suspension of the University allowance for a period not exceeding two months. 5.7.8. Suspension of the University stipends for no more than two months. 5.7.9. Denial of the student's entry to the exam for one or more courses during a single semester. 5.7.10. Suspension from studies for a period not exceeding two semesters, according to the regulations governing study and examinations. 5.7.11. Delaying the graduation of the offending student by one semester. 5.7.12. Financial penalty equal to the value of the damaged material, and the student will bear the costs of any damages, and repair costs. The student will not be released from the University until these costs are settled. 5.7.13. Revocation of the graduation certificate if it is proven that there was forgery or manipulation in the procedures for obtaining it. 5.7.14. If the student is caught cheating during the examination, they will be considered to have failed. 5.7.15. Permanent expulsion from the University. 6. Maintaining Academic Integrity 6.1. The University provides both faculty members and students who report academic misconduct, or who are accused, the opportunity to formally present their complaints. The University is committed to protecting anyone from any form of discrimination or harm as a result of submitting a complaint in good faith. 6.2. The University offers services for detecting violations of academic integrity, including: 6.2.1. The (SafeAssign) tool via the University's approved Learning Management Systems (LMS), to verify potential plagiarism. This tool generates a detailed report of the similarities found in the student's submitted work compared to existing sources on the internet. The report identifies all instances of matching text and provides a list of potential sources. The training guide on how to use the (SafeAssign) tool can be found in Guide No. (ET-AWN-130) issued by the General Department of Educational Technology Services (EduTech). 8 6.2.2. The (iThenticate) program: The University provides this service for faculty members and postgraduate students to check the rate of scientific plagiarism electronically. 6.3. Faculty members may request the following from students to assist in identifying or ruling out potential violations of academic integrity: 6.3.1. Explanation or discussion of the contents of their assessment. 6.3.2. Documentation of what was learned in the assessment task – for example, but not limited to: reviewing drafts, notes, or reference materials used in preparing the completed assessments. 7. Responsibility of the Authorities Responsible for Applying the Guide University leaders, the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KIMARC), colleges, deanships, departments, and units are responsible for applying the provisions outlined in this guide. 8. Approval Prepared by: ________________ ________________ Dr. Omar Bin Saleh Aloboud Date Director General Department of Educational Technology Services King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences Reviewed by: ________________ ________________ Prof. Abdulmalik Bin Mohammed AlKatheri Date Assistant Vice President for Development and Quality Dean of the Deanship of Development King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences Recommended by: ________________ ________________ Prof. Mohamed Bin Saad AlMoamary Date APPROVED 29 MAY 2023 APPROVED APPROVED 9 Vice President for Development and Quality Dean of the Deanship of Development Approved by: ________________ ________________ Prof. Bandar Bin Abdulmohsen Al Knawy Date President King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences APPROVED