Appendix 4: Student Academic Responsibilities

Student Academic Ethics: A Guide to Academic Honesty

Every situation concerning scholastic conduct cannot be included in this context. Therefore, it is important that students maintain close communication with faculty members in order to clarify expectations and standards. At the beginning of each course, it is critical for faculty to clearly state their policies regarding academic honesty.

Definition of Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is intentional cheating, fabrication, or plagiarism. It is also knowingly helping or attempting to help others be dishonest. Academic dishonesty lowers scholastic quality and defrauds those who will eventually depend upon your knowledge and integrity.

Cheating

Definition: Intentionally copying from another student’s work, using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids during any academic exercise.

Clarification:

1. Students completing any examination should assume that external aids (e.g., books, notes, web sites, conversation with others) are prohibited unless specifically allowed by the course director.
2. Students are responsible for maintaining an appropriate demeanor and a decorum during examinations (e.g., no talking; no hats; eyes on their own paper/computer screen; turn off all cell phones and any other electronic devices; placing books, notes, study aids, coats and personal possessions well away from their seat or in Testing Center lockers/cubicles when utilizing the Testing Center for examinations).
3. Students may not have others conduct research or prepare work for them without advance authorization from the instructor. This includes, but is not limited to, the services of commercial companies and anything via artificial intelligence. Take-home exams also apply to this policy as well.
4. Major portions of the same academic work may not be submitted more than once for credit or honors, without authorization.

Fabrication

Definition: Intentionally falsifying or inventing any information or citation in any academic exercise.

Clarification:

1. “Invented” information may not be used in any laboratory experiment or academic exercise. It would be improper, for example, to analyze one sample in an experiment and then “invent” data based on that single experiment for several more required analyses.
2. One should acknowledge the actual source from which cited information was obtained. For example, a student should not take a quotation from a book review and then indicate that the quotation was obtained from the book itself.
3. Students must not change and resubmit previous academic work without prior permission from the instructor.

Plagiarism

Definition: Representing the words or ideas of another person as one’s own in any academic exercise.

Clarification:

1. Direct Quotation: Every direct quotation must be identified by quotation marks or appropriate indentation and must be cited in a footnote or endnote.
2. Paraphrase: Prompt acknowledgment is required when material from another source is paraphrased or summarized in whole or in part, in one’s own words. To acknowledge a paraphrase properly, one might state, “to paraphrase Locke’s comment...” then conclude with a footnote or endnote identifying the exact reference.
3. Borrowed Facts: Information gained in reading or research that is not common knowledge among students in the course must be acknowledged. Examples of common knowledge include the names of leaders of prominent nations, basic scientific laws, etc. Materials that add only to a general understanding of the subject may be acknowledged in the bibliography and need not be footnoted or end noted.

One footnote or endnote is usually enough to acknowledge indebtedness when a number of connected sentences are drawn from one source. When direct quotations are used, however, quotation marks must be inserted and acknowledgment made. Similarly, when a passage is paraphrased, acknowledgment is required. Please consult with the instructor for further information about plagiarism.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty

Definition: Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another commit an act of academic dishonesty.

Clarification: A student must not knowingly allow another student to copy from their work during any academic exercise. This includes, among other things, examinations, videotapes, audiotapes, laboratory experiments, social networking sites and other electronic/digital means of communication.

Computer Misuse

Definition: Disruptive or illegal use of computer resources.

Clarification:

1. No student shall access, copy, examine, modify, utilize, or destroy any computer equipment, hardware, software, or file that is not specifically intended for their own personal use, without written permission.
2. Disruptive or illegal use of computer resources includes, but is not limited to, violation of copyrights held on software or programs; tampering with computer equipment or hardware or with operation of any computer system or function/execution; plagiarism or cheating in any form; any act that is unduly disruptive to other users or operators; and any invasion of personal or institutional privacy with the use or aid of any computer equipment.

Knowingly furnishing false information to the University.

Malicious obstruction or disruption of teaching, research, or administrative operational procedures.

Unauthorized collaboration: Working together on an exam or lab report when expressly prohibited from doing so by an instructor.

Forgery, alteration or misuse of any University-related document or item.

Possible Consequences of Academic Dishonesty

When academic rules are broken, procedures may vary according to circumstances. Actions that could be taken include, but are not limited to, a failing grade or no credit for the work involved; suspension from the course, which may result in a failing grade for the course; automatic failure in the course; suspension and/or dismissal from the program and University.