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Behavioral Standards and Disciplinary Procedures

All Point University students, regardless of modality, must abide by Point University’s academic policies and procedures.

Academic Integrity

Because Point seeks to develop mature Christian leaders and scholars, the University strictly upholds the principles of truth, honesty, diligence, and academic integrity. The primary rule of academic integrity is that all members of the University community must do their own work, executed to the best of their ability, exclusively for the assignment for which it is presented, in order to achieve the full development of each student’s potential. Examples of academic misconduct include but are not limited to:

  • Plagiarism. Students commit plagiarism when they deliberately submit the work of someone else as their own. This offense may involve either submission of work created by someone else or directly copying work from someone else without proper attribution. Plagiarism can also occur when paraphrasing the work of another without properly attributing and documenting the source. Reusing one’s own work from other courses without explicit permission from the instructor is “self-plagiarism.” For demonstrable plagiarism in an assignment, students receive a minimum penalty of a grade of “F” for that assignment. The penalty may also include failing the course. The matter will be reported to the Chief Academic Officer (CAO). Disciplinary action may lead to suspension or dismissal from Point University.

  • Unauthorized Collaboration. In the preparation of any assignment, a student shall not receive assistance not authorized by the instructor. A student shall not give unauthorized assistance to another person in such preparation.

  • Other Violations of Academic Integrity. Examples of other forms of academic dishonesty include, for example, (1) padding a bibliography by adding resources not actually used in the paper; (2) buying, selling, loaning, or sharing a copy of an examination or information about an examination, whether past or current; (3) copying another student’s work on an exam; (4) giving answers to another student during an exam; (5) using unauthorized notes during an exam; and (6) working on the same homework with other students when the instructor does not allow it.

Other Forms of Misconduct

Point students should also refrain from other forms of detrimental behavior, such as:

  1. Providing false or inaccurate information to an instructor or other academic personnel, including marking an attendance sheet for an absent student;

  2. Altering an academic transcript, grade report, or other University document;

  3. Disrupting a classroom, field trip, advising, or other academic activities on campus, off campus, or online;

  4. Being rude or disrespectful toward an instructor or fellow student;

  5. Inattentiveness or sleeping in class;

  6. Misusing technology in class by, for example, employing a cell phone or laptop computer for non-class-related purposes;

  7. Engaging in non-class-related work or activities during class;

  8. Having children in the classroom during class hours or unescorted children in Point University buildings at any time; and

  9. Other inappropriate, disruptive, or destructive behaviors.

The Point Community Honor Code (student handbook) provides additional guidelines for residential students on the main campus in West Point. It includes examples of minor offenses, major offenses, double major offenses, and offenses that may result in automatic suspension.

Reporting Misconduct

Point views violations of behavioral standards as a serious problem and an affront to the entire University community. When a faculty member, staff member, or student becomes aware of serious misconduct, that person should report the misbehavior to the course instructor or other appropriate University official.

Disciplinary Action for Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct in a course is first addressed by the instructor. A professor has the prerogative to take a variety of actions, as appropriate, including but not limited to counting the student absent, requiring work to be redone in whole or part, requiring additional work, giving a lower or failing grade for an assignment or test, requiring the student to leave a class session or event, withdrawing the student from the course, and/or awarding an immediate failing grade for the course.

In all cases of academic misconduct, the instructor reports the misconduct to the Registrar using the Academic Dishonesty Report Form. The Registrar Office maintains records and documentation of all instances of academic dishonesty. If a student’s academic dishonesty appears egregious or repeated, the CAO has the prerogative to pursue disciplinary action beyond that of the instructor, including adjudication by the Faculty Judiciary Committee and suspension of enrollment. For the first offense of academic dishonesty, the student is subject to disciplinary action by the instructor. For a second offense, the student typically receives a failing grade for the course in which the academic dishonesty occurred. In most cases of a third offense, the CAO suspends the student from Point University.

Appeals for Academic Misconduct

A student who believes an error has been made by an instructor in a case of misconduct (e.g., a student who denies the misconduct, disputes the facts of the case, or believes the sanction inappropriate) may appeal the decision and corrective action of an instructor using the academic appeal form found on the Point website under “Registrar” (https://point.edu/academics/registrar). The appeal will proceed using the normal academic appeals process. The student may continue attending class while an official appeal is pending.

Disciplinary Action and Appeals Process for Other Forms of Misconduct

Members of the Point staff, such as the CAO, Dean of Students, Athletic Director, and Faculty Judiciary Committee, are empowered to enforce policies and procedures found in this catalog. The Point Community Honor Code provides additional guidelines for residential students on the main campus in West Point. It includes examples of minor offenses, major offenses, double major offenses, and offenses that may result in automatic disciplinary suspension from the University. It also outlines discipline procedures and the appeals process.