Integrity Policy

Last Updated: December 1, 2020

BlueLedge will not tolerate cheating, plagiarism, or dishonesty in any form. Instructors are expected to uphold and support the highest academic standards in this matter. Based on the learning style of the BlueLedge courses and curriculum, work is to be done independently.

Students at BlueLedge are engaged in or pursuing employment in the industry of court reporting and legal transcription which requires the highest level of integrity, honesty, and morals. BlueLedge instructs students on the AAERT Code of Ethics which begins with “Always conduct yourself in a manner reflecting the highest integrity of the electronic reporting and transcribing profession.”

BlueLedge considers a student to have cheated if they obtained or attempted to obtain or aided another to obtain credit for an Evaluation (as hereafter defined) they did not complete on their own. Cheating includes but is not limited to copying from another’s Evaluation, discussion at any time of questions or answers on an Evaluation or receiving copies of an Evaluation without the instructor’s permission. For purposes hereof, Evaluation means any for credit work including test, quiz, activity, assessment, practice, exercise, unit, project, homework, or assignment that affects a student’s grade in the course.

BlueLedge considers plagiarism to be submission of an Evaluation completed (either wholly or partially) by someone else, failure to give credit for ideas or conclusions which belong to another, or the failure to acknowledge original author of a piece of work.

BlueLedge considers dishonesty to be improvement in performance during an Evaluation by any deceptive means including the use of outside website unless research is instructed for that Evaluation. 

If cheating, plagiarism, or dishonesty is suspected by BlueLedge’s instructors or staff, the student will be contacted to discuss the matter. After the meeting, BlueLedge’s instructors or staff will determine an appropriate course of action. If it is determined a student engaged in cheating, plagiarism, or dishonesty they can be penalized up to and including termination of their enrollment (without refund of any tuition fees) and ineligibility to enroll in any BlueLedge course in the future. Other disciplinary actions may include requiring the student to redo the Evaluation, assigning a failing grade to the Evaluation or require the student to withdraw (without refund of any tuition fees) and re-enroll in the course.

The student may appeal the action taken by the instructor or staff member to the Manager of Training and Development and the Lead Instructor by emailing info@blueledge.com within seven calendar days of notification of the action by the BlueLedge instructor or staff. The decision on appropriate actions by either the Manager of Training and Development or the Lead Instructor will be considered final.

For students enrolled through a partner organization, educational institution, court system or other entity that pays for or coordinates your training, BlueLedge may consult with and notify the partner organization of the suspected cheating, plagiarism, or dishonesty and may notify them of the action determined by our instructors and staff.