CLI Code of Student Conduct Policy, Academic Honesty Policy, Student Use of AI Policy, Cheating Policy, and Plagiarism Policy

Code of Conduct and Student Expectations

All students are expected to adhere to high standards of integrity at all times. CLI’s primary focus is to develop strong Christian leaders. Therefore, some types of behavior are not allowed, such as cheating, plagiarizing, falsifying information, and abusive, threatening, or harassing language or behavior. Any student found to be in violation of this policy would be subject to discipline, which may include lowering a grade, academic probation, suspension, or expulsion, depending on the circumstances of the case.

Students are to conduct themselves in a manner honoring to Christ and Biblical principles. Therefore, students are expected to treat administrators, staff, faculty, volunteers, and other students with courtesy, respect, and kindness, as is fitting for servants of the Lord. Obscene, abusive, profane, blasphemous, threatening, and/or harassing language or behavior are prohibited. Such language or behavior is grounds for disciplinary action, which may include academic probation, suspension, or expulsion.

Academic Integrity and Honesty

All students are expected to adhere to high standards of academic integrity at all times. Students are expected to engage with all the required materials within a course for learning and knowledge retention. In the case of a material being available in multiple formats, the student should view whichever format works best for that student’s situation. All required lectures, readings, and other learning resources contained in a course must be watched/read and studied to meet the requirements within the course syllabus. If CLI administrators, staff, or faculty see that a student is not viewing the required course materials (e.g., evidenced by low time spent in course modules or lecture viewing data) and thus is not engaging with the course’s required content, that student may be subject to academic discipline and further review.

Quizzes and written assignments must be completed by the student without outside help, whether by another person or by utilizing AI or other technological tools. More information about cheating, plagiarism, and AI usage is provided in further detail in those specific policies.

Each student must have only one student account. The student is responsible to keep the account secure by logging out when the student has finished any coursework for that session and keeping the password private. The student should not allow any other student to access this account. If a student is unable to get back into the student account for any reason, the student should email Help Desk at helpdesk@christianleaders.net rather than creating a new account.

Falsifying information about yourself or others is strictly prohibited.

Below additional policies related to academic integrity, such as cheating and plagiarism policies, are explained further. Students are responsible to fully understand the importance of academic integrity and these related policies. Students found in violation of any of these policies related to academic integrity and honesty may be subject to academic probation, suspension, or expulsion.

Student Use of AI and Limitations

This policy outlines the acceptable use of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative tools (such as ChatGPT, Bard, Microsoft Copilot and other large language models) for all students. The purpose of this policy is to uphold academic integrity and ensure that all submitted work is a true representation of the student's own effort and 42 learning. CLI wants to help you develop as a critical thinker and writer, and inappropriate AI usage can strongly hurt student learning and growth.

We sincerely hope our students desire to learn and grow here at CLI and thus will be careful to set their minds on learning and developing to be an equipped Christian leader, able to engage with Scripture and those around them in ways that glorify God. 2 Timothy 2:15-16 says, “15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,” (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles). And 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.).

General Principles

1. Human-Generated Work: The foundation of our academic process is that all quizzes, exams, essays, and assignments are completed by the student. 
2. AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement: AI tools can be used to support your learning, such as for brainstorming ideas, improving grammar and spelling, or summarizing complex topics. They are not to be used as a substitute for your own critical thinking, analysis, and writing. 
3. Cited Material: No more than 30% of a paper should be paraphrased or directly-quoted content. And proper citations must be given for all paraphrased or direct quotes. 
4. Automated Detection: CLI utilizes automated software to detect non-human quiz speed and writing patterns, which will result in an academic integrity investigation.

Prohibited AI Usage The use of AI is forbidden for the following actions:

1. 1. Writing or Generating Assignments: You may not use AI to write essays, reports, or any part of an assignment that is intended to be your original work. Submitting AI-generated text as your own is a form of plagiarism and is dishonest. Students should seek to use their own words and style in their written work and to understand the building blocks of writing effectively. 
2. Completing Quizzes or Exams: You may not use AI to answer questions on quizzes, tests, or exams, whether in-class or take-home. This is considered cheating. 
3. Generating Code or Data: Unless explicitly permitted by your instructor, you may not use AI to generate code, data, or research findings for a graded assignment.

Allowable AI Usage Students may utilize AI in the following manner: 

1. Research Assistance: You may use AI tools to assist in investigating for writing (similar to how someone might use an encyclopedia or web search), but it may not be used to write the assignment or paper. a. When AI is allowed as a research tool, the student must properly cite the AI tool and the prompt used, as directed by the course instructor or the institutional citation guide. 
2. Proofreading/Editing: You may use proofreading or editing functions before submitting the paper, but they should be used with caution, especially in Composition/Writing classes. If the use of the proofreading/editing function results in substantial changes to the content, structure, or original argument of your work, it shall be considered a violation of the prohibition against AI writing/generating assignments. a. In courses specifically designed to teach writing fundamentals (e.g., Composition classes), instructors may prohibit or severely limit the use of any AI-based editing tools. 
3. If you have any questions about whether AI is permissible for a specific assignment, you must ask your instructor for clarification before using the tool.

Reporting and Consequences:

1. Responsibility: You are responsible for any and all work you submit. If AI-generated content is found in your work without explicit permission and proper citation (if allowed), you will be in violation of the academic integrity policy. 
2. Violation of Policy: Any violation of this policy will be treated as a case of academic misconduct. Consequences may include a failing grade for the assignment, a failing grade for the course, or further disciplinary action up to and including suspension or expulsion.

Cheating and Plagiarism Policies

Cheating Policy:

What is cheating?

Cheating is finding out the content of quizzes before taking the quiz. Cheating is also finding out the answers or filling in the answers using an AI or generative tool in place of studying or learning. Cheating is prohibited at Christian Leaders Institute. DO NOT discuss quiz questions and answers with other students. DO NOT use a different CLI account to see quiz questions or answers in advance. DO NOT use AI or generative tools to find answers in lieu of studying the materials. Do not use AI or generative tools to fill in the answers or take quizzes. These are all forms of cheating.

May family members or study groups learn together?

Yes, students may discuss videos and articles together, but a student should not take quizzes together or share any information about quizzes with one another. Each student must earn his or her own grade on a quiz, not get quiz help from someone else.

May students search the course materials during a quiz?

Yes, students may search for the answers in course materials after filling in the ones they knew if the quiz is open note and allows for referring back to the course materials. However, this should be used for learning purposes or to confirm the student’s knowledge on whether or not a quiz questions has been answered correctly. Students should not utilize search tools to take the quiz without reviewing and studying the course materials for learning first.

How is cheating detected?

CLI computer servers track student activity. This information is analyzed for evidence of cheating. Any suspicious patterns are reported to the Registrar and the necessary action(s) are taken.

What is the penalty for cheating on quizzes?

Any student found guilty of cheating will fail the class and may be suspended or expelled from Christian Leaders Institute, depending on the severity of the offense. All certificates, awards, and diplomas will be revoked. Someone who cheats is not honest or trustworthy enough to be a leader in the church of Jesus Christ.

Can I appeal a decision to suspend or expel me?

If a student believes the charges of cheating are not accurate, the student may appeal to the Provost by sending a written appeal to the registrar at registrar@christianleaders.net. The Registrar will forward the appeal to the Provost. After consideration of the case and any further information the student provides, the Provost will make a final decision on whether the student will remain a student at CLI or be expelled.

Plagiarism:

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism is using someone else's words or ideas without identifying the source, leaving the impression that the words or ideas are your own. Using AI-generated or generative tools’ content without identifying the source may also be plagiarism.

What are some examples of plagiarism?

1. Submitting a paper written by someone else (including AI or generative tools) but identifying yourself as the author.
2. Copying and pasting material from the Internet into your paper, presenting it as your own wording and not saying where the material came from.
3. Copying sentences or paragraphs from a book or article without quotation marks and without giving credit to the author.
4. Summarizing or paraphrasing blocks of material from a source but not crediting the source in your paper.
5. If more than 30% of a paper is paraphrased or directly quoted content, even if proper citation is used. What's wrong with plagiarism? Plagiarism is a form of stealing and lying. It violates Christian moral standards, is contrary to accepted academic guidelines, and is illegal under government law. 

How does Christian Leaders Institute respond to plagiarism?

1. Any assignment found to involve plagiarism will automatically receive a failing grade by the grader. The grader will report the plagiarism to the Registrar so that the Registrar is aware of the offense should item 4. happen with the same student.
2. If the student wishes to appeal the failed grade, the student may contact the Registrar. If the Registrar determines that the plagiarism is unintentional and on a small scale, the student may be allowed to redo the assignment for a grade.
3. However, if the Registrar determines that the plagiarism is intentional and involves a substantial amount of material, the student will fail the course as well as the particular assignment that involved plagiarism. If the student had received an institutional scholarship, it may be revoked also.
4. If a student commits a second offense of serious plagiarism, the usual penalty will be loss of all scholarships and expulsion from Christian Leaders Institute. In exceptional circumstances, the Registrar may lessen this penalty. However, plagiarism is such a serious breach of Christian conduct and academic integrity that those found guilty of it repeatedly are not mature, trustworthy Christians who qualify to be trained for leadership in God's church.
5. If a student completes a class or earns a certificate, diploma, and/or degree from Christian Leaders Institute but is later found to have committed plagiarism, course credit may be withdrawn and the credentials may be revoked.