Academic Integrity Explained

Academic Integrity violations include cheating, plagiarism, falsification, fabrication, theft or destruction of intellectual property, research misconduct, and facilitation of academic dishonesty. Below are examples of each. This list is not exhaustive. Students should speak with a faculty member if they have any questions. 

Cheating

  • The presence of “cheat sheets” during an exam, test, or quiz.
  • Programming a calculator or other electronic device with information for an exam, test, or quiz.
  • Writing information on one’s person or clothing.
  • Unauthorized collaboration with another student to share information in an exam or testing setting or during completion of a take-home assignment.
  • Glancing at another student’s paper during an exam, test, or quiz.
  • Conversations during a testing setting.
  • Soliciting information regarding an exam or test from another student.
  • Obtaining an examination prior to its administration.
  • Not completing a proper environmental scan on Respondus.
  • Publicly posting course materials without the permission of the instructor on public internet sites or social media 

Plagiarism

  • Plagiarism is the appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit and includes:
    • Submitting all or portions of a piece of written work using someone else’s words or ideas from an Internet site, material printed in a book or periodical, another student’s work, or recycling your past work without appropriate or adequate use of quotation marks or citations.
    • Use of a source in a paper or presentation—using exact words or paraphrase—without citation.
    • Use of an incorrect or incomplete citation despite acknowledged use of a source.
    • Use of a paraphrase that is too close to the wording in the original source. 

Information fabrication or falsification

  • Fabrication is making up data or results and recording or reporting them.
  • Falsification is manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record. 

Theft of intellectual property

  • Taking the work of another student without permission.
  • Taking the course materials from an instructor without permission.
  • Hindering other students, faculty, or staff from the use or access to library or other academic materials.

Facilitation of academic dishonesty

  • Giving materials such as tests or papers to another student without the instructor's permission.
  • Helping another student obtain materials for cheating or plagiarism.
  • Discussing an exam or test with a student who has yet to take it without the professor’s permission.