The GMA Honor Code is one among many expressions of our commitment to enhancing the ethical and moral development of our school community. By adopting this policy, we join with many schools across the country that share our objectives and have established similar guiding principles.
Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School
Honor Code
Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School is a community committed to nurturing and developing competent and compassionate women of faith who choose to live their lives rooted in Gospel values. Believing that these values are fundamental to personal growth, we aspire to mold women of integrity who:
§ Demonstrate respect for self and others
§ Make wise choices
§ Accept responsibility for their actions
§ Promote justice for all persons
The Gwynedd Mercy tradition of academic excellence can continue only when achievements are fulfilled in an atmosphere where all members conduct themselves in a truthful and trustworthy manner.
Therefore, the intent of the Honor System is not to punish, but to perpetuate a climate of principled scholarship that encourages and rewards the development of each student’s unique talents and abilities.
Student Responsibilities:
§ To understand the content of the Honor Code and its purpose as a guide to promote scholastic efforts that are upright and honest
§ To uphold the academic integrity of the GMA community by choosing not to engage in cheating or plagiarism
§ To address with the teacher any questions or uncertainties about assigned work
§ To utilize Turnitin.com as a technological resource for plagiarism prevention
Parent / Guardian Responsibilities:
§ To preserve the academic integrity of the GMA community by becoming familiar with the Honor Code and encouraging their daughter(s) to abide by its guidelines and responsibilities
§ To support the enforcement of consequences if the Honor Code is violated
Strategies to assist students with their commitment to academic integrity:
§ Ensure that your academic goals are realistic and achievable by writing them down, evaluating them periodically, and consulting with your parents, teachers, and counselor.
§ Create an academic plan that is both challenging and reasonable, recognizing your unique talents and abilities.
§ Be mindful of your time as you strive to balance academic endeavors with involvement in extracurricular activities. Use your red book as an effective tool to assist with time management.
In response to these recommendations and responsibilities, Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School expects that no student will engage in the following behaviors:
Cheating
To cheat is “to deal with dishonestly for one’s own gain.” (
Webster’s New World Dictionary)
Examples of cheating may include but not be limited to:
§ Copying and/or offering homework verbally, in written form, or by electronic means
§ Copying and/or offering answers to tests or quizzes verbally, in written form, or by electronic means (Any form of communication among students is strictly prohibited during the administration of an exam, test, or quiz).
§ Bringing in and using unauthorized information during class or test time, including information stored in a calculator, cell phone, handheld computer or any such device
§ Pressuring other students to violate the Honor Code
§ Having anyone, including parents or tutors, complete assignments for submission as one’s own
§ Presenting collaborative work as individual work
§ Copying answers from answer guides in texts
§ Obtaining unauthorized prior knowledge of an examination
§ Fabricating data, information, or sources
§ Forging signatures or tampering with official records
Plagiarism
To plagiarize is “to take (ideas, writings, etc.) from (another) and pass them off as one’s own.” (Webster’s New World Dictionary)
Examples of plagiarism may include but not be limited to:
§ Attempting to pass off someone else’s work, imagery, or technology as your own without acknowledging the source
§ Incorporating portions of another’s writing within the context of your own work without proper acknowledgement
Composition:
Vice Principal for Academics
Four faculty members, one from each grade level
Function of the Honor Code Committee:
The Honor Code Committee exists to demonstrate and ensure that the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and responsibility are upheld among all members of the GMA community. Upon being informed of a verified violation of the Honor Code, the Committee will seek to collect information about the infraction from the teacher who reported the incident. When meeting with the student, her parents, and the teacher involved, the Honor Code Committee will attempt to explore the student’s motivation for cheating, and discuss the corresponding consequences for this behavior. A proactive plan to promote success through honest effort will then be established through the collaboration of the Committee, the student, and her parents.
Levels of Consequences
Before any of the following consequences are enacted, the Vice Principal for Academics and the teacher involved in reporting an incident of cheating will meet to determine that credible evidence exists to constitute a violation of the Honor Code. Once the violation has been verified, a meeting with the student, her parent(s), the teacher involved, and member(s) of the Honor Code Committee will follow.
First Offense:
§ The Vice Principal for Academics will contact the student’s parents to notify them about the incident. Parents will be informed that they may participate in meetings with their daughter and the members of the Honor Code Committee. A date for this meeting will be arranged and conveyed to the student, her parents, and the Honor Code Committee by the Vice Principal for Academics.
§ If a verified violation of the Honor Code involves cheating on a test or quiz, the teacher will mark a red “F” on the test or quiz to indicate a failing grade of 60 for that assessment. The student, however, must re-take the test or quiz until she has demonstrated mastery of the material content of the test.
§ If a verified violation of the Honor Code involves homework or other assigned work (papers, projects, etc.), the student will not receive credit for the assignment.
§ Any verified first offense will be documented in the student’s file.
Second and Subsequent Offense(s):
§ The Vice Principal for Academics will contact the student’s parents to notify them about the incident. Parents will be informed that they may participate in meetings with their daughter and the members of the Honor Code Committee. A date for this meeting will be arranged and conveyed to the student, her parents, and the Honor Code Committee by the Vice Principal for Academics.
§ If a verified violation of the Honor Code occurs for a second time, the student will receive a zero on the test, quiz, or assignment.
§ A contract will be signed by the Vice Principal for Academics, the student, and her parents outlining the consequences for a verified third offense.
§ Any verified second offense will be documented in the student’s file.
Other disciplinary consequences, including dismissal, will be dispensed on a case-by-case basis if the Vice Principal for Academics determines that a student’s violation of the Honor Code is exceptional.
Pledge
Students will be asked to write the following pledge on every major test and assignment.
Individual teachers will determine its use on other assigned work.
“On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in completing this assignment.”