Learner Code of Conduct

Nexford University in an effort to promote an atmosphere conducive to intellectual fulfillment, commits itself, the administration, faculty, and learners to the maintenance of the highest possible standards of academic integrity. Learners are required to conduct themselves with the same standards of behavior as are expected in the workplace and in the community at large. All members of the Nexford community have the responsibility and obligation to adhere to and uphold the standards of learner code of conduct outlined below:

Academic Honesty

Nexford University holds all learners, current and alumni, to the highest standards of academic integrity. The University expects them to submit work that is only theirs, to respect the intellectual property of other persons (both in and outside the University), to ensure ethical use of AI tools, and to refrain from collaborating with other learners on course assessments unless they are expressly permitted by course faculty to do so. Learners found to be in violation of the University’s academic standards, whether by committing acts of plagiarism, cheating, or inappropriate collaboration — as defined below — may be liable to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University. Alumni found to have violated academic honesty standards will be liable to disciplinary action, including barring reenrollment to the University, a permanent hold of transcripts, or revocation of their degree from Nexford University. Escalated violations of academic honesty standards may be reviewed by the University Review Committee (URC). Learners are notified in writing of such reviews and allowed to respond to allegations. If permitted to continue in their programs, learners are instructed on any steps they need to take to align their practices with the University’s honesty standards.

Possible violations include, but are not limited to:

Plagiarism is defined as representing words, ideas, or other works of another individual or entity, including AI-generated content, as your own without giving proper credit to the original author or source.
Cheating is defined as using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, study aids, or computer-related information.
Self-plagiarism is defined as submitting previously submitted course work that may or may not have received academic credit, without prior approval of faculty.
Poor scholastic achievement focuses on students not properly citing sources or following published citation criteria.
Colluding with another learner or learners, either in person or online, who are enrolled in or have completed a course, to share an assignment or project and/or to make revisions to the same graded assignment or project to deliberately disguise similarities.
Providing unauthorized help to another learner or learners by sharing coursework privately or publicly by uploading it to an online forum.

It can sometimes seem unclear where the line between proper and improper work is drawn. Learners can sometimes cross the line unintentionally with no intent to deceive. Yet, the University takes even unintentional transgressions very seriously. Nexford University expects learners to familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of honest academic practice, and to seek guidance from course faculty and/or Success Advisors any time they are uncertain whether their own work is in compliance with the University’s Academic Honesty Policy.

Artificial Intelligence Acceptable Use

Effective September 1, 2025, Nexford will start requiring AI usage in course assignments, which will be rolled out in a phased approach.

Nexford University recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a foundational element of the modern workplace. In alignment with Nexford’s mission to prepare learners for career success, the University AI Acceptable Use approach has been defined to ensure learners develop the competencies required to use AI strategically, ethically, and effectively.

Learners are required to use AI capabilities across select course assignments to enhance productivity, quality of work, and relevance to real-world professional practices. Nexford considers both the appropriate and effective use of AI and the learner’s ability to exercise sound judgment in how AI is applied and augmented with human value as key professional competencies.

Assessments will include two dimensions: evaluation of the quality of the final output with respect to course learning objectives, and the learner’s effective use of AI in completing the assignment.

Learners must complete a disclosure form documenting their AI usage in the assignment. Learners who choose not to use AI for a specific assignment must explicitly document their decision and provide a rationale explaining how their alternative approach will result in a higher-quality outcome.

Computers, Mobile Devices, and Email

Learners are expected to regularly check the email address they provided during initial enrollment to the University for official communications and respond in a timely manner. If learners choose to set up email forwarding from their official University account to another account, they should be aware of potential risks such as dropped messages or emails being marked as spam. Learners are responsible for managing these risks, and the University is not liable for any consequences resulting from missed communications, including non-receipt of course materials, unsuccessful submission of academic work, or missed payments. For this reason, Nexford University strongly advises against email forwarding.

To ensure seamless access to Nexford’s online learning environment, learners should use personal, non-corporate devices. Corporate devices often have security restrictions that may block University platforms due to company-enforced firewall settings and IT policies. If a learner must use a corporate device, they are responsible for verifying access with their internal IT department. Nexford University cannot modify or request changes to corporate IT policies, and access issues on such devices remain the responsibility of the learner and their employer.

Drugs and Alcohol

Though Nexford University is a fully online institution, it remains committed to maintaining a drug- and alcohol-free environment. The University prohibits learners from interacting with faculty, staff, other Nexford community members, or any external parties in their capacity as learners while under the influence of illegal substances or alcohol.

The University is in full compliance with the requirements of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 whereby all learners and employees are notified that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession or use of a controlled substance by University learners or employees, on or off University premises, while conducting University business, is prohibited. Violations of this policy will result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, and may have further legal consequences.

Fraud

The integrity of a Nexford degree hinges on the assurance that learners represent themselves truthfully at all times, vouching that the work they submit is their own, that any information they provide the University is accurate and up to date, and that in any dealings with others, these accurately and faithfully represent the University and its learner experiences. Any attempt to deceive, or to induce fraudulent representation by others is liable to be met with disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the University.

Intellectual Property

Nexford University respects and abides by all legally enforced intellectual property rights. The University provides online access to all course reading materials to learners at no additional charge. The University requires all community members to comply with all state and federal laws, including copyright laws, that pertain to intellectual property. To read about copyright laws and about Nexford University’s guidelines for the use of copyrighted materials, please refer to the US Copyright Office website. Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including unlawful peer-to-peer file sharing, is a violation of the University policy. Violations of this policy may be met with disciplinary action, and possibly, with civil and/or criminal penalties as well.

Learner Identity Verification

Nexford University offers online courses that fall under the U.S. Department of Education's definition of distance education. This policy applies to all courses subject to federal distance education requirements, beginning with the application for admission and continuing through a learner's graduation, transfer, or withdrawal from the University.

In accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) (Public Law 110-315) and 34 CFR § 602.17(g)–(h), Nexford University maintains processes to verify that the learner who registers for a distance education course or program is the same individual who academically engages in the course or program. Identity verification methods may include secure login credentials, proctored examinations, and other technologies or practices effective in verifying learner identity. The University protects personal information collected during identity verification in accordance with its established Privacy Policy. No additional fees are charged to learners for identity verification.

Applicant Identity and Document Verification

During the application process, applicants are required to upload a valid government-issued identification document and a passport-style photograph through the University's online application portal for identity verification. Academic credentials and proof of English language proficiency must be submitted as official documents in accordance with the University's admission requirements.

All submitted documents must be authentic, accurate, complete, and legible. Government-issued identification documents must be submitted without redactions, alterations, or omissions. The University reserves the right to reject documents that do not meet these requirements and request resubmission. Applicants must satisfactorily complete the identity verification process before enrollment can be finalized.

Documents uploaded through the application portal are accessible to authorized University personnel through the University's student information system and are managed in accordance with established privacy and information security policies.

Upon completion of enrollment, learners are issued unique University login credentials consisting of a username and temporary password to access the learning management system. Learners are required to replace the temporary password with a secure password of their own upon initial login to maintain the security and confidentiality of their accounts.

24x7 Password Reset Tool

Network user account credentials are managed by authorized administrators at Nexford University. Learners also have the ability to reset their Nexford credentials using the Microsoft 365 password reset tool.

Two-Factor Authentication

Nexford University uses two-factor authentication to increase privacy and enhance security for learners accessing its systems. The University uses two-factor authentication to verify the identity of learners accessing the learning management system through two independent authentication factors. The purpose of two-factor authentication is to protect learner identity and help ensure that the learner enrolled in the academic program is the same individual accessing the LMS.

Learning Management Course and User Data

Course registrations, including adds and drops, are automatically populated in the learning management system by the student information system each term, ensuring that only individuals with valid Nexford University user accounts may access the system and that learners may access only courses in which they are enrolled.

Remote Proctoring

Nexford University utilizes remote proctoring within its academic programs at designated intervals to support academic integrity and learner identity verification. The remote proctoring application verifies the learner's identity through identification checks conducted at the beginning of the assessment.

During the assessment, the remote proctoring system uses AI-enabled webcam monitoring to continuously verify learner identity and detect potential academic integrity violations. The system monitors gestures, gaze, and movement patterns that may indicate unauthorized activities, such as accessing prohibited materials or receiving external assistance. Browser restrictions and security controls are also implemented to prevent unauthorized access to external applications, communication tools, and other prohibited resources.

The system flags potentially suspicious activities during the assessment for subsequent review. Upon completion of the assessment, University faculty review the session recording and AI-generated flags to determine whether any academic integrity violations occurred. Suspected violations are reported to the University for review and appropriate disciplinary action by the University Review Committee (URC).

Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, disciplinary actions may include, but are not limited to, requiring resubmission of government-issued identification, assigning a failing grade, permitting reassessment, or dismissal from the University.

Faculty

Nexford University faculty hold academic responsibility for ensuring learner compliance with the Learner Identity Verification Policy. Faculty oversight complements technological identity verification measures and individual accountability through the use of assignments and evaluations that support academic integrity.

Changes in learner behavior, such as sudden shifts in academic performance or changes in writing style or language used in discussion groups or email communications, may indicate potential academic integrity concerns. As part of established best practices, faculty engage learners in discussions of key concepts from course materials and references, require research projects and written assignments to be submitted in stages, and/or use plagiarism detection tools such as http://Turnitin.com.

Nexford University Network Acceptable Use

All computer accounts issued by Nexford University remain the property of the University. Account holders are responsible for the appropriate use and security of their accounts. Learners are required to safeguard their login credentials, maintain the confidentiality of their passwords, change passwords regularly, and promptly report any suspicious account activity to the University's IT Help Desk.

Unauthorized access to or use of another learner's account constitutes a violation of the University's Learner Code of Conduct. Learners are prohibited from sharing their login credentials or permitting others to access their accounts. Both the individual who gains unauthorized access and the account holder who knowingly permits or facilitates such access may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.

Nexford University prohibits the use of learner accounts for illegal, unauthorized, or inappropriate activities, including but not limited to:

Sending threatening, obscene, or harassing communications;
Disrupting network services or equipment, including distributing unsolicited advertisements or malicious software;
Gaining or attempting to gain unauthorized access to University systems, networks, or accounts belonging to other users;
Using University networks or accounts for unauthorized commercial activities, including selling services or network access;
Tampering with University computer systems, communications hardware, or software, including unauthorized modification of device IP addresses;
Intercepting or attempting to intercept emails, file transfers, or other communications intended for another party;
Sending or attempting to send communications through another learner's account or impersonating another user; and
Attempting to compromise the security or integrity of University systems, networks, or user accounts.

Online Etiquette

Learners are always expected to observe proper online etiquette. This includes, but is not limited to, posting, to any public forums or to any individuals, only content that is relevant and appropriate. Nexford University holds all of its community members to a high ethical standard of conduct. In the course of their studies, learners are liable to encounter others such as peers, faculty, or staff whose views differ from theirs. Such encounters deepen learners’ educational experience, providing them with opportunities to broaden their understanding of the world, deepen their grasp of specific issues, and sharpen their critical skills. Nexford encourages debate and open exchange of ideas. However, the University takes very seriously every learner’s right to pursue their education in a spirit of respect, support, and open inquiry, away from any concerns about intimidation.

Non-Solicitation

All learners are expected to maintain professionalism and respect within the learning community. To preserve an environment focused on academic and professional growth, learners are prohibited from engaging in solicitation or recruitment activities unrelated to their studies.

Learners must not use University systems, platforms, or communication channels to promote, advertise, or solicit personal support, services, or resources from other learners, faculty, or staff. This includes, but is not limited to, requests for financial assistance, fundraising, or any other solicitation unrelated to academic or University-approved purposes.

Any misuse of University resources or communication tools for solicitation purposes is considered a violation of the Code of Conduct and may result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.

Respectful Treatment of Others

Nexford University always expects all its community members to treat each other with respect, refraining from any behavior that may be deemed offensive, discriminatory, threatening, bullying, embarrassing, or otherwise harassing of others. This expectation applies equally to learners’ interactions in the ‘classroom’ and outside of class, for instance, with Success Advisors or members of the University’s administrative staff. Disrespectful behavior, deemed severe enough to warrant the University’s intervention, may be met, initially, with a warning. Persistent or repeated instances of disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated by the University, particularly if such behavior harms another member of the community, and could result in stricter sanctions, up to and including dismissal from the University.

Disciplinary Actions

All University faculty and staff are responsible for enforcing the Learner Code of Conduct. Violations may result in disciplinary action, depending on their nature and severity, including but not limited to:

A failing grade on an assignment
A failing grade in a course
A written warning
Dismissal from the University

Repeated offenses or serious violations are referred to the University Review Committee (URC) for review.

Learners may appeal disciplinary sanctions by working with a Success Advisor to prepare a petition containing a personal statement and any supporting documentation. Appeals must be submitted to the URC at urc@nexford.edu. Learners who disagree with the URC's decision may pursue the formal complaint process outlined in the Learner Complaints Procedures section of the University Catalog.