Great Bend ? Barton County Community College has given a student its first “XF” grade, a new designation showing the student cheated on an assignment.

The grade was created in May after several instances of academic dishonesty last year, said Karin Clos, dean of learning and instruction.

The grade can be assigned in place of an “F” for students who cheat. The grade appears on transcripts with a note explaining that academic dishonesty was involved.

Barton College is still refining its policy, Clos said. The college plans to research campus cheating this semester and explore whether the policy should include options for clemency. For now, “XF” grades are permanent.

Teaching students the importance of academic integrity and the difference between citing research and stealing others’ work is part of the new policy’s focus.

The college changed its policy last year after several students turned in essays off the Internet as their own or cheated on tests, and after a test was stolen from a teacher’s office.

Cheating is widespread on college campuses, said Donald McCabe, founder of the Center for Academic Integrity at Duke University. In campus surveys, anywhere from one-quarter to two-thirds of all students have admitted cheating one or more times in the past year.

Clos said the idea for the “XF” grade came from a similar policy at Kansas State University.