Policy Violation Examples
The information below describes common violations of each of the policies outlined in the University Policy Handbook. It is important to note that this list is not inclusive of all violations to the policies.
Academic Dishonesty
• Cheating, attempting to cheat, or assisting others to cheat, including dishonest activity or unauthorized use of any resource or materials in any academic exercise.
- A form of cheating is giving another student an assignment you completed knowing that they intend to submit your work as their own.
• Fabricating or inventing any information that applies to an academic exercise or University investigation.
- An example of violating this policy is to overstate the number of observation hours you completed for your practicum.
• Plagiarizing, intentionally or unintentionally, the words, works, or ideas of others and representing them as your own.
- An example of plagiarism is copying and pasting information retrieved from another source without proper citation and reference, leading to a high Turnitin.com similarity score.
• Presenting work that has been prepared by someone other than yourself, including the purchase or sharing of work.
- An example of this policy violation is submitting an assignment, which was written by another student, as your own.
• Self-plagiarism is the submission of work that has been used, wholly or in part, and prepared for a different course.
- A form of self-plagiarism is reusing a portion or resubmitting the entire paper that you submitted in your COM 126 course for your ENG 105 class.
• Unauthorized assistance is the use of materials not authorized to complete an assignment, including exam answers, faculty materials, or answer keys/solution manuals.
- An example of authorized assistance is using the solution manual to complete the assignments for your ACC 250 course.
• Unsanctioned collaboration is the completion of, or collaboration on, an assignment by someone other than the student.
- An illustration of unsanctioned collaboration is completing an assignment intended to be completed individually, with another student.
• Knowingly violating copyright laws or regulations.
- A violation of copyright laws and regulations involves allowing another person to access your E-book by providing your username and password.
• Violating the University's policies and regulations pertaining to the use and propriety nature of the Grand Canyon University curriculum, network, networking facilities, computer use, or platform access.
- An example of this policy violation is posting GCU curriculum outside of the GCU network; such as posting Module 2 lecture notes on a website.
• Selling or providing papers, essays, discussion questions, assignments, or any part of the University curriculum to online term paper clearinghouses, or other commercial websites.
- A form of this policy violation is posting the paper you completed for your HCA 250 course on a paper selling website.
Student Conduct
• Acting or communicating in any form, whether oral or written, that threatens or violates the personal safety of any fellow student, faculty member, or member of the University staff.
- An example of this policy violation is sending an email which contains threatening statements to the instructor after you earned a low grade for your Module 5 assignment.
• Acts which can be interpreted as physical assault or abuse.
- This policy violation could be represented by kicking a student during your student teaching placement.
• Threats to harm or endanger the safety of others.
- Threatening the safety of others can be interpreted as emailing the University's staff that you want to "blow up Grand Canyon University".
• Behaviors or actions interpreted by a reasonable person as carrying the potential for violence or acts of aggression.
- This policy would be violated by following the instructor to her car with the intent of confrontation.
• Communicating or behaving in any form that disrupts or interferes with the educational process or any institutional function.
- Emailing the entire class about your concerns regarding the instructor and your grades is communication that disrupts the educational process.
• Falsification, alteration, or invention of information, including, but not limited to, any document used for admission or eligibility to the University, used to apply for financial aid, or other official University documents.
- Forging your cooperating instructor's signature on your practicum observation forms is falsifying information.
• Harassment in any form that creates a hostile or offensive educational environment for a student, faculty member, or staff member.
- Harassment can be interpreted by repeatedly emailing or calling your instructor without providing sufficient time for your instructor to reply.
• Failing to comply promptly with any reasonable directive from a faculty member or University official.
- An example of this violation would be after the instructor advised the class that all exams must be completed in the presence of a proctor, you submitted the exam individually.
• Failing to cooperate with officials in a University investigation.
- An example of this violation would be after you were questioned by University staff, you knowingly failed to provide the information which the University was seeking.
• Possessing, using, distributing, or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while on University property or as part of any University activity.
- An example of this policy violation is being under the influence of illegal or prescription drugs for which you do not have a prescription during clinical or practicum settings.
• With the exception of authorized persons, permitting anyone access to one's classroom or attending class for another student.
- An example of this violation would be providing a friend or another individual with your username and password to submit your assignment because you are on vacation without Internet access.
• Sharing one's password or using someone else's password for any University system or network.
- Using your friend's password and username to access their e-book is considered a violation.
• Using any University system or network resources to upload, download, or otherwise share and/or distribute any copyrighted music video, software, written works, or other materials without written consent of the copyrighted owner.
- Pirating music while logged onto the University network is a violation of copyright protection.
