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A Positive Approach to Academic Integrity

In 2017, 83 Ohio State students were reported for using an app called GroupMe to share quiz questions and answers (Bever, 2017). At universities across the nation, students have cheated using various apps and technology. Increased access to technology tools does provide additional avenues for cheating, but the availability of these new tools has not led to more cheating (see Lang, 2013). 

Still, preventing academic misconduct is a topic that weighs on many instructors’ minds. We want students to learn and to come by their degrees honestly. The good news is that the educator’s role in academic honesty does not always have to be punitive or after-the-fact. Proactively promoting academic integrity in positive ways can reduce the likelihood that students will commit misconduct.

In the United States, public attitudes about academic misconduct range from mild irritation at the existence of cheating to the moral outrage one might show toward hard criminal offenses. In an effort to reduce cheating, instructors often implement defensive measures. For example, using a digital plagiarism detector such as  Turnitin  is meant to deter students from plagiarizing in their writing and to catch the ones who do so. Setting time limits for synchronous online exams is a common tactic for reducing the time available for students to use the textbook or a website like  Chegg  to solve their problems for them. 

But telling students not to cheat—and what will happen to them if they do—only goes so far in deterring academic misconduct.  

Underneath those dos and don’ts are implicit values present in the American system of higher education. What if we openly communicated those values instead? 

What do we value? 

The concept of academic integrity is often taught with a focus on academic misconduct and how not to misbehave. Students navigate through college trying not to break the rules. Underneath those rules lie traits that are valued in our education system, and in scholarly work. For example, we trust that a student who can explain a concept in their own words rather than quoting a text has truly learned that concept. We also value original thought and the individual voice in scholarly conversation. We place importance on respecting what writers and researchers contribute to the conversation, and on distinguishing who said what.  

For a brief history on the development of intellectual property, see Bloch, 2012, Chapter 2. 

Do students understand what academic integrity is? 

Bretag and colleagues (2014) discuss two main types of research into academic integrity: student self-reports about their cheating behaviors and research on students’ understanding of academic integrity. Based on surveys of students at multiple institutions, they found that students had some idea of what academic integrity is but did not feel they received enough support for how to practice it effectively, beyond the generic information provided early in their college careers. In one of the surveys, students indicated that instructors’ expectations varied and that conventions were not uniform across courses, and that knowing what happens when you commit academic misconduct is not helpful. 

Learning disciplinary practices 

Nelms (2015) points out that many students plagiarize unintentionally on their way to becoming more expert in their fields. As novice students learn to use the language of their disciplines, they may begin by imitating the language that they are reading. He provides a positive view of plagiarism as an opportunity to help students develop their own voices and learn to participate in scholarly conversation. By viewing students first as learners, it is possible to create penalties that are educational rather than punitive (Morris, 2016).  

English language learners 

It’s especially critical to support English language learners writing in a non-native language to understand academic integrity expectations. Rhetorical styles and conventions vary around the world. Students who were not educated in the United States may have learned practices surrounding academic integrity that do not align with the Western conventions of incorporating and citing scholarly work, and therefore face a steeper learning curve. 

Explore  resources for supporting international students with writing  from Writing Across the Curriculum. 

The learning environment 

In  Cheating Lessons  (2013), James Lang examines how features of a learning environment might lead to increased academic misconduct. He argues that instructors can influence these features directly. They are (p. 35): 

Emphasis on performance : Students who are more concerned with doing well on a test than with learning are more likely to cheat on that test. If an instructor overemphasizes grades, the focus on performance can put pressure on students and become a dominant feature of the learning environment. 

High stakes : If a student’s grade is determined by one or two assessments, such as a midterm (at 50% of the grade) and a final (the other 50% of the grade), cheating is more likely. In such a class, students are not receiving regular feedback on their work, and only have two chances to demonstrate their learning. 

Extrinsic motivation for success : Many students are motivated by grades or other extrinsic motivators, such as pressure from parents. However, students who are motivated by grades or other extrinsic rewards are not necessarily only motivated by extrinsic rewards. 

Low expectation of success on the part of the student : A student who does not believe they have the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully complete an assessment are more likely to resort to cheating. 

In the next section, we’ll discuss how to address each of these characteristics so we can take a positive, rather than punitive, approach to teaching about academic integrity. 

In Practice

 From explicit communication to assessment design to student support, the strategies below will help you proactively promote academic integrity in your courses. 

Be transparent about expectations

Good course design, coupled with transparency, can go a long way to reducing academic misconduct. Explicitly communicate to students your expectations for the course, for individual assessments and assignments, and for academic honesty and other behaviors you want them to demonstrate. Include language in your syllabus around academic integrity and discuss openly what that means and looks like at the start of term. Ensure students understand both the university expectations for academic integrity and the specific expectations for your course.  

Align all assessments and assignments to learning outcomes and communicate that alignment clearly to students. Address any specific academic integrity expectations for a given assignment or assessment in the instructions. For example, make clear how resources should be used and cited, what types of collaboration are allowed or encouraged, how previous student work can be repurposed (if at all), and whether a quiz or test is “open book” or “open notes.” These clarifications will help students understand why their work matters, how it fits in the broader context of your course, and what they need to do to be successful while maintaining academic integrity.

Syllabus Language 

See this  sample syllabus statement for academic integrity and misconduct  and the additional considerations in the  Online and Hybrid Syllabus template  provided by the Office of Distance Education and eLearning. 

Communicate values 

Support students to understand the values and communication conventions within your discipline. While an introductory composition course may help them learn fundamental concepts or habits, that is just the beginning. Explain to students that they are participating in a scholarly conversation—just as they would with their friends, they should respect the ideas that everyone contributes, including their own. Openly encouraging them to find their own voices as distinct from others can reduce the likelihood of plagiarism. 

Beyond scholarly conversation, Lang suggests that educators must explain to students the importance of creating original work in their discipline. 

"… I think these two questions are ones that students might pose to faculty in any discipline: how do I produce my own work in this discipline, and why does it matter that I produce my own work? Those two general questions, it seems to me, are ones that each discipline—and perhaps even each faculty member and each course—has to answer distinctively. And those two questions, it also seems to me, can help form the basis for the more substantial conversation you have with your students about academic honesty and dishonesty in your courses, in addition to the general conversation they might be having through educational campaigns on campus."  (Lang, 2013, p. 194) 

Lang teaches literature, so for him, original work means creating meaningful connections to other works, or to current events in the world. He reminds readers that building these connections leads to deeper learning as students create a more sophisticated mental network (Bransford, et al., 2000, Chapter 2).  

If you teach in another discipline, your approach will be different. In the experimental sciences, for example, we often begin by replicating an experiment, fully or partially. We build on or extend it to test another hypothesis or look at the same hypothesis under different conditions. We get a result, we interpret the result, and this prompts more questions and hypotheses. In the sciences, we have a responsibility to be honest and accurate about those results (Committee on Science Engineering, and Public Policy, 1995). 

Teach for mastery to de-emphasize performance  

Students develop mastery when they acquire a set of skills, practice integrating those skills, and then know when to apply them (Ambrose, et al., 2010). They need opportunities to practice skills in isolation and in combination, and you should evaluate them in both situations. If students are weaker in some skills, provide additional support, perhaps in the form of tutorials or additional practice outside of class.  

Build in opportunities for students to apply important skills in different contexts. Some students excel with certain types of assessments and not others. Providing multiple opportunities—and options—for assessment allows students a variety of ways to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. 

Lower the stakes 

Among your assessments should be many lower stakes opportunities. For example, rather than giving one midterm and one final, include multiple exams or quizzes that are worth fewer points overall. Your students will benefit from the testing effect; Karpicke and Roedinger (2008) demonstrated that the more frequently students were tested on information, the more likely they were to retain that information.  

Plan ways for students to practice for graded assessments during class time or through ungraded asynchronous activities. Autograded  quizzes in Carmen  that present a random set of questions aligned to appropriate learning outcomes make it possible for students to take a quiz as many times as needed until they get the answers right. Shorter assignments that are worth just a few points can help students practice—and get feedback on—what they need to do for a bigger project. 

Scaffolding  assignments is another way you can lower the stakes. Break a larger project or paper into manageable pieces and ask students to show their progress on each piece, so you can see how their work unfolds over time. You will get a sense of which students need more support earlier in the semester, preventing unpleasant surprises later. 

Foster intrinsic motivation 

According to Bain (2004), “People learn best when they ask an important question that they care about answering.” Connecting your course material to students’ interests and personal lives beyond your class can increase their investment. For example, a freshman statistics seminar at Carnegie Mellon University, Statistics of Sexual Orientation, included rigorous statistical analysis while also dealing with theories about the LGBT population.     The following are additional techniques for fostering student motivation (Ambrose et al., 2010). 

Integrate real–world, authentic tasks so students can see the relevance of what they are learning. 

Connect your course content to other courses students are taking or will take so they understand its place in the larger context of their educations. 

Demonstrate how learned skills will be useful in students’ future professional lives. 

Build students’ self-efficacy 

In a chapter on student motivation, Ambrose et al. (2010) describe two parts to self-efficacy. First, students must believe they know what they need to know in order to succeed at a given task. Second, they must believe, when they begin that task, that they will succeed. Even if students have the necessary knowledge and skills, they may feel rushed on the task, that the instructor will not grade fairly, that other members in a group project will hinder their progress, or simply that they will not succeed. Imposter syndrome and stereotype threat can also affect students’ self-efficacy. 

Lang (2013) and Ambrose et al. (2010) describe a variety of strategies for supporting student self-efficacy. One important strategy is to help students develop  metacognition . Students who have an awareness of how they learn tend to be more successful learners. There are a variety of ways to support metacognitive thinking. For example, in STEM courses, separate problem-solving strategies from the actual computation to help students categorize problems into types and see deeper patterns. Ask students to review their graded work and reflect upon study strategies that worked or didn’t work for them (see “ exam wrappers ”). Explicitly guiding students to identify and leverage behaviors they can control, such as study strategies and time management, can increase their success. Sharing recommended study strategies and resources with students can give them options they may not have considered. 

Dive deeper into strategies for  Designing Assessments of Student Learning  and  Supporting Student Learning in Your Course . 

Learning for Mastery

Building a question bank, student tips for preserving academic integrity.

By taking proactive approaches, you can make the shift from the defensive prevention of cheating to the creation of an environment in which students are less likely to cheat in the first place.  

Key strategies for promoting academic integrity include: 

Focus on positive messages rather than fear or the threat of punishment . Emphasizing the consequences of academic misconduct does not support students to understand why academic integrity matters. 

Use good course design to reduce the chances of academic misconduct . Intentionally align assignments to learning outcomes and clearly communicate that alignment to students. 

Provide transparent and explicit instruction and support around academic integrity . Students come to college with diverse backgrounds and values around appropriate academic behavior. Openly discuss what academic integrity looks like at the university and in the context of your course. 

Explain the values and discourse of your discipline . Provide positive examples of how students can enact those values. This is a crucial piece of helping students see themselves as participants in the scholarly conversation of your discipline. 

Teach for mastery and lower the stakes . Focusing on learning over grades and allowing students many opportunities to practice—and make mistakes—will lessen the anxiety around performance on bigger exams or projects. 

Foster intrinsic motivation and help build students’ self-efficacy . Authentic assignments connected to student interests and a balance of challenge and support will keep students motivated. 

You may do everything you can to proactively promote academic integrity but still encounter the occasional student who cheats. In the event that you need to report academic misconduct, consult these  resources from the Office of Academic Affairs  to familiarize yourself with your responsibilities and the university procedure. 

• Academic Integrity and Misconduct (website)
• Academic Integrity in Online Courses (workshop recording)
• Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty (e-book)
• Instructor Resources for Choosing and Using Sources (website)
• International Center for Academic Integrity (website)
• Plagiarism, Intellectual Property and the Teaching of L2 Writing (book)
• Setting up Question Banks in Carmen (help article)
• Using question banks to randomize exam questions in Carmen (help article)

Learning Opportunities

Ambrose, S.A., Bridges, M.W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., Norman, M.K. (2010).   How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Bain, K. (2004).  What the best college teachers do . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 

Bever, L. (2017). Dozens of Ohio State students accused of cheating ring that used group-messaging app.  The Washington Post , 13 Nov. 2017.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/11/13/dozens-of-ohio-state-students-accused-in-cheating-ring-using-group-messaging-app/

Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., and Cocking, R.R. (Eds.). (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school . Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. 

Bretag, T., Mahmud, S., Wallace, M., Walker, R., McGowan, U., East, J., Green, M., Partridge, L., & James, C. (2014). ‘Teach us how to do it properly!’ An Australian academic integrity survey.  Studies in Higher Education   37 (7): 1150---1169. 

Bloch, Joel. (2012).  Plagiarism, intellectual property and the teaching of L2 writing . Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters. 

Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. (1995).  On being a scientist: Responsible conduct in research . 2nd edition. Washington DC: National Academy Press.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232224/   

DiPietro, M. (2009, Fall). Diversity content as a gateway to deeper learning: the statistics of sexual orientation.  Diversity & Democracy   12  (3).  https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/diversity-content-gateway-deeper-learning-statistics-sexual

Karpicke, J.K. and Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning.  Science   319 : 966-968. 

Lang, James M. (2013). Cheating lessons: learning from academic dishonesty . Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 

Morris. E.J. (2016). Academic integrity: A teaching and learning approach. Chapter 70 (pp. 1038-1051) in Bretag, T. (Ed.).  Handbook of Academic Integrity . Singapore: Springer Science and Business Media. 

Nelms, G. (2015, July 20).  Why plagiarism doesn’t bother me at all: A research-based overview of plagiarism as an educational opportunity . Teaching and Learning in Higher Ed.  https://teachingandlearninginhighered.org/2015/07/20/plagiarism-doesnt-bother-me-at-all-research/

Tatum, H. and Schwartz, B.M. (2017). Honor codes: Evidence based strategies for improving academic integrity.  Theory into Practice   56 :129-135. 

Related Teaching Topics

Shaping a positive learning environment, designing assessments of student learning, strategies and tools for academic integrity in online environments, related toolsets, carmencanvas, search for resources.

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Promoting Academic Integrity 

While it is each student’s responsibility to understand and abide by university standards towards individual work and academic integrity, instructors can help students understand their responsibilities through frank classroom conversations that go beyond policy language to shared values. By creating a learning environment that stimulates engagement and designing assessments that are authentic, instructors can minimize the incidence of academic dishonesty.

Academic dishonesty often takes place because students are overwhelmed with the assignments and they don’t have enough time to complete them. So, in addition to being clear about expectations and responsibilities related to academic integrity, instructors should also invite students to  plan accordingly and communicate with them in the event of an emergency. Instructors can arrange extensions and offer solutions in case that students have an emergency. Communication between instructors and students is vital to avoid bad practices and contribute to hold on to the academic integrity values. 

The guidance and strategies included in this resource are applicable to courses in any modality (in-person, online, and hybrid) and includes a discussion of addressing generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT with students. 

On this page:

What is academic integrity, why does academic dishonesty occur, strategies for promoting academic integrity, academic integrity in the age of artificial intelligence, columbia university resources.

• References and Additional Resources
• Acknowledgment

Cite this resource: Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2020). Promoting Academic Integrity. Columbia University. Retrieved [today’s date] from https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/resources/academic-integrity/

According to the  International Center for Academic Integrity , academic integrity is “a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage.” We commit to these values to honor the intellectual efforts of the global academic community, of which Columbia University is an integral part.

Academic dishonesty in the classroom occurs when one or more values of academic integrity are violated. While some cases of academic dishonesty are committed intentionally, other cases may be a reflection of something deeper that a student is experiencing, such as language or cultural misunderstandings, insufficient or misguided preparation for exams or papers, a lack of confidence in their ability to learn the subject, or perception that course policies are unfair (Bernard and Keith-Spiegel, 2002).

Some other reasons why students may commit academic dishonesty include:

• Cultural or regional differences in what comprises academic dishonesty
• Lack or poor understanding on how to cite sources correctly
• Misunderstanding directions and/or expectations
• Poor time management, procrastination, or disorganization
• Feeling disconnected from the course, subject, instructor, or material
• Fear of failure or lack of confidence in one’s ability
• Anxiety, depression, other mental health problems
• Peer/family pressure to meet unrealistic expectations

Understanding some of these common reasons can help instructors intentionally design their courses and assessments to pre-empt, and hopefully avoid, instances of academic dishonesty. As Thomas Keith states in “Combating Academic Dishonesty, Part 1 – Understanding the Problem.” faculty and administrators should direct their steps towards a “thoughtful, compassionate pedagogy.”

The CTL is here to help!

The CTL can help you think through your course policies and ways to create community, design course assessments, and set up CourseWorks to promote academic integrity. Email [email protected] to schedule your 1-1 consultation .

In his research on cheating in the college classroom, James Lang argues that “the amount of cheating that takes place on our campuses may well depend on the structures of the learning environment” (Lang, 2013a; Lang, 2013b). Instructors have agency in shaping the classroom learning experience; thus, instances of academic dishonesty can be mitigated by efforts to design a supportive, learning-oriented environment (Bertam, 2017 and 2008).

Understanding Student’s Perceptions about Cheating 

It is important to know how students understand critical concepts related to academic integrity such as: cheating, transparency, attribution, intellectual property, etc. As much as they know and understand these concepts, they will be able to show good academic integrity practices.

1. Acknowledge the importance of the research process, not only the outcome, during student learning.

Although the research process is slow and arduous, students should understand the value of the different processes involved during academic writing: investigation, reading, drafting, revising, editing and proof-reading. For Natalie Wexler, using generative Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT as a substitute of writing itself is beyond cheating, an act of self cheating: “The process of writing itself can and should deepen that knowledge and possibly spark new insights” (“‘ Bots’ Can Write Good Essays, But That Doesn’t Make Writing Obsolete” ).

Ways to understand the value of writing their own work without external help, either from external sources, peers or AI, hinge on prioritizing the process over the product:

• Asking students to present drafts of their work and receive feedback can help students to gain confidence to continue researching and writing.
• Allowing students the freedom to choose or change their research topic can increase their investment in an assignment, which can motivate them to conduct their own writing and research rather than relying on AI tools. 

2. Create a supportive learning environment

When students feel supported in a course and connected to instructors and/or TAs and their peers, they may be more comfortable asking for help when they don’t understand course material or if they have fallen behind with an assignment.

Ways to support student learning include:

• Convey confidence  in your students’ ability to succeed in your course from day one of the course (this may ease student anxiety or  imposter syndrome ) and through timely and regular feedback on what they are doing well and areas they can improve on. 
• Explain the relevance  of the course to students; tell them why it is important that they actually learn the material and develop the skills for themselves. Invite students to connect the course to their goals, studies, or intended career trajectories. Research shows that students’ motivation to learn can help deter instances of academic dishonesty (Lang, 2013a). 
• Teach important skills  such as taking notes, summarizing arguments, and citing sources. Students may not have developed these skills, or they may bring bad habits from previous learning experiences. Have students practice these skills through exercises (Gonzalez, 2017). 
• Provide students multiple opportunities to practice challenging skills  and receive immediate feedback in class (e.g., polls, writing activities, “boardwork”). These frequent low-stakes assessments across the semester can “[improve] students’ metacognitive awareness of their learning in the course” (Lang, 2013a, pp. 145). 
• Help students manage their time  on course tasks by scheduling regular check-ins to reduce students’ last minute efforts or frantic emails about assignment requirements. Establish weekly online office hours and/or be open to appointments outside of standard working hours. This is especially important if students are learning in different time zones. Normalize the use of campus resources and academic support resources that can help address issues or anxieties they may be facing.  (See the Columbia University Resources section below for a list of support resources.)
• Provide lists of approved websites and resources  that can be used for additional help or research. This is especially important if on-campus materials are not available to online learners. Articulate permitted online “study” resources to be used as learning tools (and not cheating aids – see McKenzie, 2018) and how to cite those in homework, writing assignments or problem sets. 
• Encourage TAs (if applicable) to establish good relationships  with students and to check-in with you about concerns they may have about students in the course. (Explore the  Working with TAs Online  resource to learn more about partnering with TAs.)

3. Clarify expectations and establish shared values

In addition to including Columbia’s  academic integrity policy  on syllabi, go a step further by creating space in the classroom to discuss your expectations regarding academic integrity and what that looks like in your course context. After all, “what reduces cheating on an honor code campus is not the code itself, but  the dialogue about academic honesty that the code inspires. ” (Lang, 2013a, pp. 172)

Ways to cultivate a shared sense of responsibility for upholding academic integrity include: 

• Ask students to identify goals and expectations  around academic integrity in relation to course learning objectives. 
• Communicate your expectations  and explain your rationale for course policies on artificial intelligence tools, collaborative assignments, late work, proctored exams, missed tests, attendance, extra credit, the use of plagiarism detection software or proctoring software, etc. It will make a difference to take the time at the beginning of the course to explain differences between quoting, summarizing and paraphrasing. Providing examples of good and bad quotation/paraphrasing will help students to know what constitutes good academic writing. 
• Define and provide examples  for what constitutes plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty in your course.
• Invite students to generate ideas  for responding to scenarios where they may be pressured to violate the values of academic integrity (e.g.: a friend asks to see their homework, or a friend suggests using chat apps during exams), so students are prepared to react with integrity when suddenly faced with these situations. 
• State clearly when collaboration and group learning is permitted  and when independent work is expected. Collaboration and group work provide great opportunities to build student-student rapport and classroom community, but at the same time, it can lead students to fall into academic misconduct due to unintended collaboration/failure to safeguard their work.
• Discuss the ethical, academic, and legal repercussions  of posting class recordings, notes and/or class materials online (e.g., to sites such as Chegg, GitHub, CourseHero – see Lederman, 2020).
• Partner with TAs  (if applicable) and clarify your expectations of them, how they can help promote shared values around academic integrity, and what they should do in cases of suspected cheating or classroom difficulties

4. Design assessments to maximize learning and minimize pressure

High stakes course assessments can be a source of student anxiety. Creating multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning, and spreading assessments  throughout  the semester can lessen student stress and keep the focus on student learning (see  Darby, 2020  for strategies on assessing students online). As Lang explains, “The more assessments you provide, the less pressure you put on students to do well on any single assignment or exam. If you maintain a clear and consistent academic integrity policy, and ensure that all students caught cheating receive an immediate and substantive penalty, the benefit of cheating on any one assessment will be small, while the potential consequences will be high” (Lang, 2013a and Lang, 2013c). For support with creating online exams, please please refer to our  Creating Online Exams resource .

Ways to enhance one’s assessment approach:

• Design assignments  based on authentic problems in your discipline. Ask students to  apply  course concepts and materials to a problem or concept. 
• Structure assignments into smaller parts  (“scaffolding”) that will be submitted and checked throughout the semester. This scaffolding can also help students learn how to tackle large projects by breaking down the tasks. 
• Break up a single high-stakes exam  into smaller, weekly tests. This can help distribute the weight of grades, and will lessen the pressure students feel when an exam accounts for a large portion of their grade. 
• Give students options  in how their learning is assessed and/or invite students to present their learning in creative ways (e.g., as a poster, video, story, art project, presentation, or oral exam).
• Provide feedback prior to grading  student work. Give students the opportunity to implement the feedback. The revision process encourages student learning, while also lowering the anxiety around any one assignment. 
• Utilize multiple low-stakes assignments  that prepare students for high-stakes assignments or exams to reduce anxiety (e.g., in-class activities, in-class or online discussions)
• Create grading rubrics and share them  with your students and TAs (if applicable) so that expectations are clear, to guide student work, and aid with the feedback process.  
• Use individual student portfolio folders  and provide tailored feedback to students throughout the semester. This can help foster positive relationships, as well as allow you to watch students’ progress on drafts and outlines. You can also ask students to describe how their drafts have changed and offer rationales for those decisions.
• For exams , consider refreshing tests every term, both in terms of organization and content. Additionally, ground your assignments by having students draw connections between course content and the unique experience of your course in terms of time (unique to the semester), place (unique to campus, local community, etc. ), personal (specific student experiences), and interdisciplinary opportunities (other courses students have taken, co-curricular activities, campus events, etc.). (Lang, 2013a, pp. 77).

Since its release, ChatGPT has raised concern in universities across the country about the opportunity it presents for students to cheat and appropriate AI ideas, texts, and even code as their own work. However, there are also potential positive uses of this tool in the learning process–including as a tool for teachers to rely on when creating assessments or working with repetitive and time-consuming tasks.

Possible Advantages of ChatGPT

Due to the novelty of this tool, the possible advantages that might present in the teaching-learning process should be under the control of each instructor since they know exactly what they expect from students’ work. 

Prof. Ethan Mollick teaches innovation and entrepreneurship at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and has been openly sharing on his Twitter account his journey incorporating ChatGPT into his classes. Prof. Mollick advises his students to experiment with this tool, trying and retrying prompts. He recognizes the importance of acknowledging its limits and the risks of violating academic honesty guidelines if the use of this tool is not stated at the end of the assignment.

Prof. Mollick uncovers four possible uses of this AI tool, ranging from using ChatGPT as an all-knowing intern, as a game designer, as an assistant to launch a business, or even to “hallucinate” together ( “Four Paths to the Revelation” ). For Prof. Mollick, ChatGPT is a useful technology to craft initial ideas, as long as the prompts are given within a specific field, include proper context, step-by-step directions and have the proper changes and edits.

Resources for faculty: 

• Academic Integrity Best Practices for Faculty (Columbia College & School of Engineering and Applied Sciences)
• Faculty Statement on Academic Integrity (Columbia College)
• FAQs: Academic Integrity from Columbia Student Conduct and Community Standards 
• Ombuds Office for assistance with academic dishonesty issues. 
• Columbia Center of Artificial Intelligence Technology

Resources for students: 

• Policies from Columbia Student Conduct and Community Standards
• Understanding the Academic Integrity Policy (Columbia College & School of Engineering and Applied Sciences)

Student support resources:

• Maximizing Student Learning Online (Columbia Online)
• Center for Student Advising Tutoring Service (Berick Center for Student Advising)
• Help Rooms and Private Tutors by Department (Berick Center for Student Advising
• Peer Academic Skills Consultants (Berick Center for Student Advising)
• Academic Resource Center (ARC) for School of General Studies
• Center for Engaged Pedagogy (Barnard College)
• Writing Center (for Columbia undergraduate and graduate students)
• Counseling and Psychological Services
• Disability Services

For graduate students: 

• Writing Studio (Graduate School of Arts and Sciences)
• Student Center (Graduate School of Arts and Sciences)
• Teachers College

Columbia University Information Technology (CUIT) CUIT’s Academic Services provides services that can be used by instructors in their courses such as Turnitin , a plagiarism detection service and online proctoring services such as Proctorio , a remote proctoring service that monitors students taking virtual exams through CourseWorks. 

Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) The CTL can help you think through your course policies, ways to create community, design course assessments, and setting up CourseWorks to promote integrity, among other teaching and learning facets. To schedule a one-on-one consultation, please contact the CTL at [email protected] . 

References 

Bernard, W. Jr. and Keith-Spiegel, P. (2002).  Academic Dishonesty: An Educator’s Guide . Mahwah, NJ: Psychology Press.

Bertram Gallant, T. (2017).  Academic Integrity as a Teaching and Learning Issue: From Theory to Practice .  Theory Into Practice,  56(2), 88-94.

Bertram Gallant, T. (Ed.). (2008).  Academic Integrity in the Twenty-First Century: A Teaching and Learning Imperative .  ASHE Higher Education Report . 33(5), 1-143. 

Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2020).  Creating Online Exams . 

Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2020).  Working with TAs online . 

Darby, F. (2020).  7 Ways to Assess Students Online and Minimize Cheating .  The Chronicle of Higher Education.  

Gonzalez, J. (2017, February).  Teaching Students to Avoid Plagiarism . Cult of Pedagogy, 26.

International Center for Academic Integrity (2023).  Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity .

International Center on Academic Integrity (2023).  https://academicintegrity.org/

Keith, T. Combating Academic Dishonesty, Part 1 – Understanding the Problem. The University of Chicago. (2022, Feb 16).

Lang, J.M. (2013a).  Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty . Harvard University Press.

Lang, J. M. (2013b).  Cheating Lessons, Part 1 .  The Chronicle of Higher Education. 

Lang, J. M. (2013c).  Cheating Lessons, Part 2 .  The Chronicle of Higher Education. 

Lederman, D. (2020, February 19).  Course Hero Woos Professors . Inside Higher Ed. 

McKenzie, L. (2018, May 8).  Learning Tool or Cheating Aid?   Inside Higher Ed.

Marche, S. (2022, Dec 6). The College Essay is Dead. The Atlantic.

Mollick, E. (2023, Jan 17). All my Classes Suddenly Became AI Classes. One Useful Thing.

Mollick, Ethan. (2022, Dic 8). Four Paths to the Revelation. One Useful Thing.

Wexler, N. Bots’ Can Write Good Essays, But That Doesn’t Make Writing Obsolete. Minding the Gap.

Additional Resources

Bretag, T. (Ed.). (2016). Handbook of Academic Integrity. Singapore: Springer Publishing.

Ormand, C. (2017 March 6).  SAGE Musings: Minimizing and Dealing with Academic Dishonesty . SAGE 2YC: 2YC Faculty as Agents of Change.

WCET (2009).  Best Practice Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity in Online Education .

Thomas, K.  (2022 February 16). Combating Academic Dishonesty, Part 1 – Understanding the Problem. The University of Chicago. Academic Technology Solutions.

______. (2022 February 25). Combating Academic Dishonesty, Part 2: Small Steps to Discourage Academic Dishonesty. The University of Chicago. Academic Technology Solutions.

______.  (2022 April 28). Combating Academic Dishonesty, Part 3: Towards a Pedagogy of Academic Integrity. The University of Chicago. Academic Technology Solutions.

______.  (2022 June 7). Combating Academic Dishonesty, Part 4: Library Services to Support Academic Honesty. The University of Chicago. Academic Technology Solutions.

Acknowledgement

This resource was adapted from the faculty booklet  Promoting Academic Integrity & Preventing Academic Dishonesty: Best Practices at Columbia University  developed by Victoria Malaney Brown, Director of Academic Integrity at Columbia College and Columbia Engineering, Abigail MacBain and Ramón Flores Pinedo, PhD students in GSAS. We would like to thank them for their extensive support in creating this academic integrity resource.

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Academic Honesty: Why It Matters in Psychology

In psychology, academic honesty is about so much more than getting in trouble..

Posted April 17, 2021 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

• All colleges and universities have academic honesty policies with serious consequences.
• Websites that pay to write student papers violate academic honesty and are becoming more abundant and aggressive.
• Academic honesty is inherently psychological, involving questions of curiosity, trust, morality, and future orientation.

The other day, while looking for a free plagiarism checker to use in addition to the one provided by my institution, I came across a website blatantly selling papers to students. This particular site promises, for a high fee per page, to write students completely unique papers that won’t get caught as plagiarism. They’ll even write your Ph.D. dissertation for you (uh…good luck defending that).

All professors are familiar with these sites. The fact that students are paying others to produce work for them is not a secret, at all. Most of us have caught students doing this, or versions of it, and though it’s exhausting and demoralizing, we’ve learned to deal with it semester after semester.

What is academic honesty?

This behavior falls under the heading of “academic honesty.” All colleges and universities have academic honesty policies that address issues like plagiarism and cheating, including serious consequences for violating them. I, for one, am particularly adept at detecting copy/paste/change-a-few-words plagiarism. Frankly, half the time it’s obvious because it’s incomprehensible. As many professors will commiserate, if I wasn’t so good at detecting it, life would be much easier.

Most of us on the policy enforcement side can relate stories with versions of, “But I bought the paper! I didn’t plagiarize, the person who wrote it did! I shouldn’t be held responsible!” In fact, I receive more and more pushback like that every semester: “My cousin wrote the paper for me and I had no idea she plagiarized! She should get in trouble, not me!”

Where does academic dishonesty come from?

We certainly understand that issues like plagiarism may come from lack of confidence in one’s writing skills, being unprepared for college, pressure, inaccessible resources, and the like, but overall, I’ve found it to be a matter of buy-in. Either students buy in to the concept of academic honesty or they don’t, and this has implications beyond school.

How is academic honesty linked to psychology?

I’m less concerned with magically convincing students to follow academic honesty policies than I am in getting them to think about why it is important in the context of psychology. Though I am indeed a prevention practitioner, I’m not naïve enough to think I can change someone’s mind about the value of academic honesty. I am, however, hopeful that those studying psychology will consider the following connections (and then some):

• Learning – You’re not learning much if you’re not doing the work. I once listened to an NPR story about students purchasing papers in which a student said, “I feel like I am doing my own work because I’m using my own money.” Come on. Psychology is all about learning. It’s a topic in every introductory psychology course. It’s usually an entire chapter in introductory psychology textbooks. We have classes specifically focused on it. One of the foundations of learning is that the learner be…involved.
• Morality – “What is moral?” students ask. I can’t answer that, but I am pretty confident that cheating is not. Again, this is a topic that is usually covered in introductory psychology and then over and over again in developmental psychology, social psychology, and more. You’ll even find “moral psychology” as its own field. Psychologist Lawrence Kholberg asked if subjects would steal a drug. Today, he could ask if you’d buy a term paper.
• Future orientation – Personality psychology research suggests that those with a “future orientation” tend to have better outcomes than those with a “present orientation.” The idea is that if you have a future orientation, you tend to, well, look to the future and anticipate future outcomes more than those who are focused solely on the present. While a concern with consequences is associated with mortality (e.g. Kholberg’s theory), the ability or tendency to envision potential consequences is associated with a future orientation. Could there be a more psychological question than, “Is it worth it?”
• Conscientiousness and trust – Conscientiousness is a core personality trait. Trust is essential in development and relationships. Academic dishonesty violates trust and displays low conscientiousness.
• Human services – Students often take psychology because it’s required for medical careers, careers involving working with children, and other human service careers. Go back to the first point about learning. I once had a nurse who tried to inject Heparin directly into my muscle. I had to fight to get her to inject it subcutaneously, as directed. When you work in a hospital, on a general surgery floor, not knowing where to safely inject a blood thinner is alarming. When you don’t do your own work, you don’t have a chance to learn and for a discipline preparing students to work with humans, especially children, everything associated with academic honesty, all of the above, is essential.
• Personal fable – Simply put, this component of David Elkind’s adolescent egocentrism theory suggests that adolescents tend to think they are special and unique. “It might happen to you, but it won’t happen to me.” I can’t tell you how many students are shocked and very angry when caught. In fact, I once read a Twitter thread from professors about the very real dangers associated with catching plagiarism. Many students are still in adolescence , and thinking you’re an exception who won’t get caught is a sure sign.
• Entitlement and violence – Speaking of anger, the idea that you’re special is linked to entitlement , a very psychological concept. In fact, those who study education research “academic entitlement,” in which students feel they should get a good grade just because they attended class or just because they turned in work. Having worked in domestic and sexual violence for a very long time, I know that entitlement is often coupled with violence, as challenges to one’s sense of entitlement frequently result in anger and aggression . Linking homework to violence seems incredible, but it’s a very real possibility.
• Behavioral consistency – As much as we may want to, professors generally can’t share information about other students with other professors. There’s no, “Hey, watch out for this student, they told me their cousin is doing all their homework for them.” However, all academic honesty policies do require some level of reporting to campus administration and they know about behavioral consistency, another psychological concept. This concept suggests that people tend to behave in a consistent manner; they behave in ways that match their past behavior. Need I say more?

One of the main reasons for academic honesty is scientific integrity. I didn’t address it above because, frankly, I find that’s not a very convincing argument, especially when these “pay for us to do your homework” sites target students so aggressively. I found a few more of these sites and recently used their online chat tool. Before I disclosed that I am a professor, and subsequently got kicked off, every single one guaranteed that my professor and my institution “wouldn’t find out.” That’s appalling, not just for the reasons above, but because we do find out, and it can ruin a student’s entire academic career .

Psychology is fascinating and fun. Why wouldn’t you want to learn it, anyway?

Ashley Maier teaches psychology at Los Angeles Valley College.

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What is academic integrity? | Academic integrity definition

Building an awareness of inequities, and empowering ourselves as educators to promote academic integrity and making it more inclusive, is a first step towards making education a “great equalizer.”

When students come from outside the racial, ethnic, and cultural mainstream, they have greater learning challenges. Students not familiar with the vernacular of a classroom or even the language, have to make huge adjustments to navigate learning. One way for educators to address this gap is through culturally responsive pedagogy.

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Academic integrity is more than a policy to uphold at your institution. While academic integrity should be addressed in honor codes, it is also important to understand its meaning and uphold it at all levels, from explicit instruction to formative feedback to final assessment. Academic integrity, too, is a set of values to enact throughout a student’s learning experience into the workplace with a lifelong commitment to learning.

Having a concrete definition of academic integrity to be used within a classroom setting is important in order to action the term. While it’s easy to define academic integrity as what it is not (i.e., not plagiarizing, not contract cheating, not engaging in AI Writing misconduct), it is important to define it in practical and actionable ways.

The word “academic integrity,” in sum, entails a commitment to honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage.

An authoritative definition of academic integrity can be found at the International Center of Academic Integrity (ICAI) , which was founded in 1992 by leading researchers. Don McCabe spearheaded its founding and is credited as the person who popularized the term “academic integrity.” In 1999, the Center identified and described the “ fundamental values of academic integrity ” as honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility, and in 2014 added the sixth value of courage. Academic integrity, per the ICAI, is a commitment to these values.

Academic integrity is not only a definition, but a set of values to uphold. The components of academic integrity are enacted in the following ways:

• Honesty: be truthful, give credit, and provide facts
• Trust: provide transparency, trust others, give credence
• Fairness: apply rules consistently, engage with others equitably, and take responsibility for our own actions
• Respect: receive feedback willingly, accept others’ thoughts, and recognize the impacts of our own words and actions on others
• Responsibility: follow institutional rules and conduct codes, engage in difficult conversations, and model good behavior
• Courage: take a stand to address wrongdoing, be undaunted in defending integrity, and endure discomfort for something you believe in ( ICAI, 2020 )

According to research by Guerrero-Dib, Portales, and Heredia-Escorza, “Academic integrity is much more than avoiding dishonest practices such as copying during exams, plagiarizing or contract cheating; it implies an engagement with learning and work which is well done, complete, and focused on a good purpose— learning. It also involves using appropriate means, genuine effort and good skills. Mainly it implies diligently taking advantage of all learning experiences” ( International Journal for Educational Integrity, 2020 ).

Academic integrity goes beyond avoiding cheating or plagiarizing. Academic integrity is also about maintaining excellent academic standards in teaching and curriculum and fostering impeccable research processes. Academic integrity requires full institutional and instructor effort as well as the vigilance of individuals in the learning process. Not only should students not cheat, but educators offer accurate assessments, and institutions support honest research practices and when applicable, fair discipline.

In 2010, after years of active participation from international communities like Australia, Canada, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, the ICAI added “international” to its name.

The ICAI, without a doubt, has done groundbreaking work and rallied the world to uphold academic integrity. But it is also important to note that this prior work is largely rooted in the Western world, and there is still much to be done when it comes to promoting academic integrity around the world.

For starters, cultural differences can challenge the ICAI definition of academic integrity.

According to Tran, Hogg, & Marshall, research shows that students who come from rote-learning habits view plagiarism as a less serious offense. Additionally, Western-based plagiarism values may conflict with various cultures ( 2022 ).

Collectivist cultures, for example, define respect in a way that can uphold mimicry, prioritizing rote memorization above all else. Mimicry itself is a sign of respect. Professor Tosh Yamamoto of Kansai University described Japanese perspectives on academic integrity for Turnitin. Yamamoto states, “Academic integrity is, I believe, a philosophical mindset to reflect the learning mind to the mirror of honesty, sincerity, contribution to the future society, and also scientific attitude and ethics and morals. However, on the other hand, education in Japan is focused on rote memorization and regurgitation and understanding” ( Yamamoto, 2021 ).

In fact, there may be instances in which paraphrasing or adding original ideas to a text is seen as a form of disrespect. Mimicry makes plagiarism a very possible outcome. This cultural context with regards to respect, then, runs counter to intentions of the ICAI definition of academic integrity.

In other parts of the world, citations themselves may be fraught and a sign of disrespect. Quoting or paraphrasing well-known texts without attribution is common in, for instance, the Middle East. Teachers are expected to know sources to such ideas; this is otherwise known as “communal ownership of knowledge.” In fact, this expectation is endemic to such a degree that including a citation may be received as patronizing or even insulting to the instructor ( Sowden, 2005 ).

Additionally, there are areas of the world that literally do not have a word for academic integrity; like Japan, for instance. In other countries like Eritrea, copyright protection simply doesn’t exist. And in Latvia, “the Latvian academic terminology database AkadTerm does not include terms such as academic integrity,’ ‘academic honesty,’ and ‘academic misconduct’” ( Tauginiené, et al. 2019 ).

Academic integrity is a western term, one that many institutions follow, and an ideal that we should all uphold. Still, it is important to note academic integrity’s cultural roots so that educators can support students from different parts of the world to understand how to conduct work within a western framework, particularly when studying abroad.

That said, academic integrity is a global expectation. In our changing, post-industrial world, students and institutional goals include entering a global marketplace of ideas. And it is more important than ever that those ideas be original and authentic.

According to 2013 research, “The education landscape has been shifting towards a stronger emphasis on higher-order level of thinking such as creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem solving as research shows that current graduates lack transcending skills like communication skills and problem-solving skills, which are crucial in the industry. The most important skills employers look for when hiring new employees are teamwork, critical thinking, communication...or innovative thinking” ( Ju, Mai, et al. ).

Academic integrity is critical to some of the following areas:

• Fostering the positive reputations of institutions and individuals
• Future workplace behavior

Academic misconduct, simply put, shortcuts learning. When learning isn’t measured accurately because either the student’s answers are not their own or because the person who graded the essay is a ghost-grader who doesn’t provide accurate feedback, there is no way to support students towards next steps. Students don’t receive the feedback they need to learn. When the work is not the student’s own original thoughts, they lose learning opportunities.

Accurate assessment also provides instructors with data on student knowledge, such as learning gaps that can be bridged. When student’s answers are not their own, it’s impossible for educators to have an accurate measurement of learning and to provide feedback or make appropriate changes to a teaching curriculum and bridge learning gaps.

If this information exchange is muddied due to misconduct, learning is stymied.

Academic integrity also fosters respect for the learning process and is critical for life-long learning.

In their research, Guerrero-Dib, Portales, and Heredia-Escorza state, “Academic integrity is much more than avoiding dishonest practices such as copying during exams, plagiarizing or contract cheating; it implies an engagement with learning and work which is well done, complete, and focused on a good purpose – learning” ( 2020 ).

While shortcut solutions belittle education, academic integrity takes advantage of and embraces every learning opportunity. When for instance quotes are attributed, research is acknowledged, data is accurate, and knowledge exchange is upheld and respected.

Knowledge is a university’s product; academic integrity is linked to education integrity. When students graduate from an institution having learned what the institution’s diploma represents and embodies the values of that institution, reputations are upheld. An institution’s academic reputation is essential to a university community, credibility, and financial stability, whether via admissions or donations from third parties.

On the other hand, academic misconduct scandals can erode the value of a degree. If students are not learning course material, then it follows that their knowledge does not reflect a valid education. Furthermore, in fields like nursing, this deficit can have serious life and death consequences. Scandals, too, have financial impacts on institutions.

In their paper, “The Impact of College Scandals on College Applications,” Michael Luca, Patrick Rooney, and Jonathan Smith, researchers from the Harvard Business School and the College Board, state:

“Scandals with more than five mentions in The New York Times lead to a 9 percent drop in applications at the college the following year. Colleges with scandals covered by long-form magazine articles receive 10 percent fewer applications the following year. To put this into context, a long-form article decreases a college’s number of applications roughly as much as falling 10 places in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings.”

Enrollment is a university’s financial bread-and-butter, particularly for those without large financial endowments. Universities benefit in other ways from popularity. According to Dr. Aldemaro Romero Jr., “The more and better students an institution can enroll, the more it can claim a level of prestige. And if the numbers of applicants increase—because of the perceived prestige—institutions become more selective in admissions. This, in turn, increases retention and graduation rates” ( 2016 ).

An institution’s reputation is more important than ever, given the trend of universities closing down, with The Hechinger Report citing declining student enrollment as the leading cause of campus closures ( Barshay, 2022 ).

Attached to a university’s academic reputation is its research component; in the field of research, scandals can stain reputations and impact factors , ending the academic careers of individuals. Research is a cumulative, interactive process, one that must prioritize academic honesty to provide innovation without fraud—as well as provide critical knowledge to bettering the world.

School is not just about learning the content of subject matter but nurturing a love of learning and ability to share knowledge in an equitable manner. And what students learn in school informs an entire life. The friends made in college, the community building within residential halls, study habits, the cultures to which students are exposed on campus, and the quality of mentorship are some of the many components of higher education that can influence a person’s life.

There is an adage, “ Past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior .”

To that end, numerous research studies show that academic dishonesty in school leads to workplace deviance ( Blankenship & Whitley 2000, Harding, et al. 2004, Lawson 2004, Nonis & Swift 2001, & Sims 1993 ). Those who engage in misconduct during university are more likely to lie, cheat, and steal later on in the workplace ( Druica, et al., 2019 ).

Which can lead to the question of whether or not academic integrity in school upholds workplace honesty. Recent 2021 research states that “Tolerating dishonest behaviors in college seems to support dishonest students who may continue to be dishonest in the future. Thus, maintaining academic integrity in college may increasingly contribute to the credibility of the workplace” ( Mulisa & Ebissa, 2021 ).

While academic dishonesty in college leads to workplace misconduct, the opposite can hold true as well: academic integrity is an indicator of future workplace integrity. It is important to nurture academic integrity early to promote future success and to make clear academic integrity’s importance to students.

Academic integrity can also be defined by what not to do.

Despite best efforts, misconduct occurs. In March 2020, ICAI researchers surveyed 840 students across multiple college campuses (the geographical region was not specified). They found that 32 percent of undergraduates freely admitted to “cheating in any way on an exam.” Additionally, they survived 70,000 high school students at over 24 high schools in the United States. In that survey, researchers found that “58 percent admitted to plagiarism and 95 percent said they participated in some form of cheating” ( ICAI, 2020 ).

Academic dishonesty, or the violation of academic integrity principles, manifests in different ways and in different forms of misconduct. Collusion , copy-paste plagiarism , usage of electronic cheating devices, access to online test banks , abuse of word spinners , self-plagiarism (including as a researcher ), contract cheating , data manipulation, and the emerging trend of AI Writing misconduct , are all examples of academic misconduct as shown on Turnitin’s Plagiarism Spectrum 2.0 infographic.

All of the above examples misrepresent knowledge, violate trust, disrespect the learning process, shirk responsibility, and are unfair to oneself and others. In sum, they violate academic integrity. And in doing so, they all shortcut learning.

Ceceilia Parnther states, “Students learn what educators value and what we don’t care about—as well as who we hold to certain standards and who we don’t” (University of Calgary, October 2020 ). When it comes to academic integrity, it is important to set expectations and then model academic integrity for students. There are several ways to uphold academic integrity, including:

• Academic policies, honor codes, and equitable discipline
• Understanding who cheats, why, and shepherding students towards academic integrity
• Variety of assessment types and assessment design

Let’s look at each of these in depth to understand how students can benefit from the framework that academic integrity provides.

Honor codes make explicit institutional expectations. It is critical to show students that academic integrity is important via policies, honor codes, assessment design, support, and equitable discipline that supports the learning journey. As stated earlier, what students learn in school informs an entire life: how educators enact academic integrity is as important as stating its importance.

When there is a university plagiarism policy that is carefully worded, students deepened their understanding of academic integrity. Furthermore, researchers found that honor codes are an effective way to impress the seriousness of academic misconduct ( Brown & Howell, 2001 ).

Ensure that disciplinary action provides opportunities for students to transform plagiarism into a teachable moment .

Instead of a “zero tolerance” policy, consider a restorative approach (Sopcak) that can help students learn from past mistakes and move forward in their learning journey and possibly become advocates for academic integrity. This approach also models academic integrity by modeling the foundational values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage

Students who feel no value in assessments may cheat. Students who excel in their studies but feel the pressure to be “perfect,” may cheat. Students who are struggling and have no vested interest in the subject matter may cheat. Students who feel peer pressure to “help” fellow students may cheat. The list goes on. There is no one profile of a student who cheats. But understanding the push and pull factors of shortcut solutions can help educators mitigate academic misconduct.

Approaches on upholding academic integrity involve systemic, institutional, parental, instructional, as well as student involvement. Building a culture of academic integrity bolsters student courage to stand up for what is right. Some approaches include:

• Provide explicit instruction on academic integrity and academic misconduct within classrooms to level-set knowledge for students coming from diverse educational backgrounds.
• Include the definition in course syllabi .
• And set a foundation for students by creating a sense of belonging .

According to Tran, Hogg, & Marshall’s 2022 research, “Explicit plagiarism training makes a difference. A training session on referencing improved Chinese students’ knowledge of referencing and plagiarism (Du, 2020 ) and a 13-week course on plagiarism-related issues enhanced international students’ academic writing skills and understanding of plagiarism (Tran, 2012 ). Perkins and Roe ( 2020 ) revealed the effectiveness of an academic English master class on Vietnamese students’ understanding of academic conventions” ( Tran, Hogg, & Marshall 2022 ).

Offer inclusive and formative assessments with a variety of formats so students with different learning styles can practice and receive feedback while failing safely .

Assessment design is widely regarded as one of the most effective ways to mitigate misconduct and help students understand the relevance of assignments, quizzes, tests, or exams. Creating assignments, quizzes, tests, exams, projects, and all the ways to measure learning outcomes are a critical component to upholding academic honesty. Ensuring that assessments are designed to be inclusive and test what has been taught is one way to model integrity. A variety of formats and frequent, low-stakes assessments ensure that students feel supported.

To that end, provide frequent, low-stakes assessments to support student learning. Consider replacing high-stakes exams with low-stakes assessments. Design assessments that test what has been taught in order to lower student stress and increase fairness. Consider designing questions specific to your course or class discussions and avoid generic questions so as to avoid contract cheating. Provide rubrics so that students understand the relevance of the assessment to their learning.

Finally, there are plagiarism detection or similarity tools like Turnitin Feedback Studio . These are a backstop solution to academic dishonesty and should not be a first step in upholding academic integrity in the classroom. They can, however, act as a deterrent and if needed, provide data for Courageous Conversations about misconduct with students.

In sum, academic integrity is a concept that must be backed up by institutional policies, curriculum, teaching interventions, assessment design, and feedback loops that strengthen a student’s bond to learning. By making learning a positive experience, academic integrity can remain in an individual’s life throughout school and into their lifelong journey.

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Central to any academic writing project is crediting (or citing) someone else' words or ideas. The following sites will help you understand academic writing expectations.

Academic integrity is truthful and responsible representation of yourself and your work by taking credit only for your own ideas and creations and giving credit to the work and ideas of other people. It involves providing attribution (citations and acknowledgments) whenever you include the intellectual property of others—and even your own if it is from a previous project or assignment. Academic integrity also means generating and using accurate data.

Responsible and ethical use of information is foundational to a successful teaching, learning, and research community. Not only does it promote an environment of trust and respect, it also facilitates intellectual conversations and inquiry. Citing your sources shows your expertise and assists others in their research by enabling them to find the original material. It is unfair and wrong to claim or imply that someone else’s work is your own.

Failure to uphold the values of academic integrity at the GSD can result in serious consequences, ranging from re-doing an assignment to expulsion from the program with a sanction on the student’s permanent record and transcript. Outside of academia, such infractions can result in lawsuits and damage to the perpetrator’s reputation and the reputation of their firm/organization. For more details see the Academic Integrity Policy at the GSD. 

The GSD’s Academic Integrity Tutorial can help build proficiency in recognizing and practicing ways to avoid plagiarism.

• Avoiding Plagiarism (Purdue OWL) This site has a useful summary with tips on how to avoid accidental plagiarism and a list of what does (and does not) need to be cited. It also includes suggestions of best practices for research and writing.
• How Not to Plagiarize (University of Toronto) Concise explanation and useful Q&A with examples of citing and integrating sources.

This fast-evolving technology is changing academia in ways we are still trying to understand, and both the GSD and Harvard more broadly are working to develop policies and procedures based on careful thought and exploration. At the moment, whether and how AI may be used in student work is left mostly to the discretion of individual instructors. There are some emerging guidelines, however, based on overarching values.

• Always ask first if AI is allowed and specifically when and how.
• Always check facts and sources generated by AI as these are not reliable.
• Cite your use of AI to generate text or images. Citation practices for AI are described in Using Sources and AI.

Since policies are changing rapidly, we recommend checking the links below often for new developments, and this page will continue to update as we learn more.

• Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) from HUIT Harvard's Information Technology team has put together this webpage explaining AI and curating resources about initial guidelines, recommendations for prompts, and recommendations of tools with a section specifically on image-based tools.
• Generative AI in Teaching and Learning at the GSD The GSD's evolving policies, information, and guidance for the use of generative AI in teaching and learning at the GSD are detailed here. The policies section includes questions to keep in mind about privacy and copyright, and the section on tools lists AI tools supported at the GSD.
• AI Code of Conduct by MetaLAB A Harvard-affiliated collaborative comprised of faculty and students sets out recommendations for guidelines for the use of AI in courses. The policies set out here are not necessarily adopted by the GSD, but they serve as a good framework for your own thinking about academic integrity and the ethical use of AI.
• Prompt Writing Examples for ChatGPT+ Harvard Libraries created this resource for improving results through crafting better prompts.
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• Last Updated: May 21, 2024 2:01 PM
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16 Chapter Sixteen: Academic Honesty

Academic Honesty

I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating. —Sophocles

Academic Honesty and Dishonesty

At most educational institutions, “academic honesty” means demonstrating and upholding the highest integrity and honesty in all the academic work that you do. In short, it means doing your own work and not cheating, and not presenting the work of others as your own.

The following are some common forms of academic dishonesty prohibited by most academic institutions:

Cheating can take the form of crib notes, looking over someone’s shoulder during an exam, or any forbidden sharing of information between students regarding an exam or exercise. Many elaborate methods of cheating have been developed over the years—from hiding notes in the bathroom toilet tank to storing information in graphing calculators, pagers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. Cheating differs from most other forms of academic dishonesty, in that people can engage in it without benefiting themselves academically at all. For example, a student who illicitly telegraphed answers to a friend during a test would be cheating, even though the student’s own work is in no way affected.

Deception is providing false information to an instructor concerning an academic assignment. Examples of this include taking more time on a take-home test than is allowed, giving a dishonest excuse when asking for a deadline extension, or falsely claiming to have submitted work.

Fabrication

Fabrication is the falsification of data, information, or citations in an academic assignment. This includes making up citations to back up arguments or inventing quotations. Fabrication is most common in the natural sciences, where students sometimes falsify data to make experiments “work” or false claims are made about the research performed.

Plagiarism, as defined in the 1995 Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary, is the “use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work.” [1]

In an academic setting, it is seen as the adoption or reproduction of original intellectual creations (such as concepts, ideas, methods, pieces of information or expressions, etc.) of another author (whether an individual, group, or organization) without proper acknowledgment. This can range from borrowing a particular phrase or sentence to paraphrasing someone else’s original idea without citing it. Today, in our networked digital world, the most common form of plagiarism is copying and pasting online material without crediting the source.

Common Forms of Plagiarism

According to “The Reality and Solution of College Plagiarism” created by the Health Informatics department of the University of Illinois at Chicago, there are ten main forms of plagiarism that students commit:

• Submitting someone else’s work as their own.
• Taking passages from their own previous work without adding citations.
• Rewriting someone’s work without properly citing sources.
• Using quotations, but not citing the source.
• Interweaving various sources together in the work without citing.
• Citing some, but not all passages that should be cited.
• Melding together cited and uncited sections of the piece.
• Providing proper citations, but failing to change the structure and wording of the borrowed ideas enough.
• Inaccurately citing the source.
• Relying too heavily on other people’s work. Failing to bring original thought into the text.

As a college student, you are now a member of a scholarly community that values other people’s ideas. In fact, you will routinely be asked to reference and discuss other people’s thoughts and writing in the course of producing your own work. That’s why it’s so important to understand what plagiarism is and steps you can take to avoid it.

Avoiding Plagiarism

Below are some useful guidelines to help you avoid plagiarism and show academic honesty in your work:

• Quotes: If you quote another work directly in your work, cite your source.
• Paraphrase: If you put someone else’s idea into your own words, you still need to cite the author.
• Visual Materials: If you cite statistics, graphs, or charts from a study, cite the source. Keep in mind that if you didn’t do the original research, then you need to credit the person(s) or institution, etc. that did.

The easiest way to make sure you don’t accidentally plagiarize someone else’s work is by taking careful notes as you research. If you are doing research on the Web, be sure to copy and paste the links into your notes so you can keep track of the sites you’re visiting. Be sure to list all the sources you consult.

There are many handy online tools to help you create and track references as you go. For example, you can try using Son of Citation Machine . Keeping careful notes will not only help you avoid inadvertent plagiarism; it will also help you if you need to return to a source later (to check or get more information). If you use citation tools like Son of Citation, be sure to check the accuracy of the citations before you submit your assignment.

Lastly, if you’re in doubt about whether something constitutes plagiarism, cite the source or leave the material out. Better still, ask for help. Most colleges have a writing center, a tutoring center, and a library where students can get help with their writing. Taking the time to seek advice is better than getting in trouble for not attributing your sources. Be honest about your ideas, and give credit where it’s due.

Consequences of Plagiarism

In the academic world, plagiarism by students is usually considered a very serious offense that can result in punishments such as a failing grade on the particular assignment, the entire course, or even being expelled from the institution. Individual instructors and courses may have their own policies regarding academic honesty and plagiarism; statements of these can usually be found in the course syllabus or online course description.

Activity: Gather Campus Resources

• Identify common scenarios that can lead to academic dishonesty, and possible consequences
• Indiana University has a clever list of different types of plagiarism. Their names for different types of plagiarism can help you learn how to avoid situations of academic dishonesty. Go to this link and read through the various examples.
•  Jot down a few notes on examples that are new to you.
• Start by finding information about plagiarism in one of your courses. You may find information on the course syllabus and/or the course Web site. You may want to bookmark this information or make a note to yourself. Knowing your rights as a student may help if there is a misunderstanding.

Chapter Sixteen: Academic Honesty Copyright © by Erin Nunnally and Brooke Tyson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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A Guide To...Academic Honesty and Academic Integrity

Academic integrity.

• Find your department's statement on Academic Integrity
• Take the quiz
• The Writer's Workshop at Holy Cross
• Schedule an appointment with a Librarian
• The Purdue OWL

Notable cases of plagiarism

Rand Paul (R)

Kentucky Senator 2011 -

Blake, A. (2013, November 4). Rand Paul's plagiarism allegations, and why they matter . The Washington Post.

Stephen Ambrose, 1936-2002

American historian and author

Kirkpatrick, D. D. (2002, January 5). 2 say Stephen Ambrose, popular historian, copied passages . The New York Times.

Alex Haley, 1921-1992

Fulwood, S. I. (2003). Plagiarism playing by the rules: in the academic world, in music and even in church, what constitutes plagiarism is under new scrutiny after journalism's wake-up call . Black Issues Book Review, (5). 24.

Academic Honesty  means being honest and ethical about the way that you do academic work. This includes citing and acknowledging when you borrow from the work of others. As Holy Cross students, you are required to follow the College's Academic Honesty policy. 

Excerpt from the College policy: 

All education is a cooperative enterprise between faculty and students. This cooperation requires trust and mutual respect, which are only possible in an environment governed by the principles of academic honesty. As an institution devoted to teaching, learning, and intellectual inquiry, Holy Cross expects all members of the College community to abide by the highest standards of academic integrity. Any violation of academic honesty undermines the student-faculty relationship, thereby wounding the whole community. The principal violations of academic honesty are plagiarism, cheating, and collusion.

It is the responsibility of students, independent of the faculty’s responsibility, t o understand the proper methods of using and quoting from source materials (as explained in standard handbooks such as The Little Brown Handbook and the Harbrace College Handbook), and t o take credit only for work they have completed through their own individual efforts within the guidelines established by the faculty.

The Scholarly Conversation

Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism

• What needs to be cited?
• Tips for the research process

What needs to be cited? In addition to citing exact quotations from your sources, you need to cite any ideas or words that you did not think up yourself. You should always cite:

• Anything you summarize from another source
• Websites (even if there is no author listed)
• Information you received from other people, such as information learned during interviews
• Graphs, illustrations, and any other visual items you use in your work. (This includes images from websites.)
• Video and audio recordings that you sample in your work.

Some things that you don't need to cite:

• Your own life experiences or ideas
• Your own results from lab or field experiments
• Any artwork or media you have created yourself
• “Common knowledge” (This is information that can be found undocumented in many places and is likely to be known by many people.)

Good practices for taking notes:

Before writing a note, read the original text over until you understand the meaning.

Use quotation marks around any exact phrasing you use from the original source.

While you are taking your notes, record the source for each piece of information (including page numbers) in you notes so that you’ll be able to cite the source in your paper.

Use a variety of sources in your research.   If you use only one source, you may end up using too many of that author’s ideas and words.

Plan ahead and leave yourself enough time to do your research and writing. If you are rushing to finish your paper, you’ll be more likely to improperly cite things or to accidentally plagiarize.

College policy and definitions

Academic Honesty Policy

-accessed 4/1/2019 from https://www.holycross.edu/sites/default/files/Registrar/academic_integrity_policy.pdf

Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas, data, illustrative material, or statements of someone else, without full and proper acknowledgment, and presenting them as one’s own.

Cheating is the use of improper means or subterfuge to gain credit or advantage. Forms of cheating include the use, attempted use, or improper possession of unauthorized aids in any examination or other academic exercise submitted for evaluation; the fabrication or falsification of data; misrepresentation of academic or extracurricular credentials; and deceitful performance on placement examinations. It is also cheating to submit the same work for credit in more than one course, except as authorized in advance by the course instructors. Collusion is assisting or attempting to assist another student in an act of academic dishonesty.

At the beginning of each course, the faculty should address the students on academic integrity and how it applies to the assignments for the course. The faculty should also make every effort, through vigilance and through the nature of the assignments, to discourage and prevent dishonesty in any form. It is the responsibility of students, independent of the faculty’s responsibility, to understand the proper methods of using and quoting from source materials (as explained in standard handbooks such as The Little Brown Handbook and the Harbrace College Handbook), and to take credit only for work they have completed through their own individual efforts within the guidelines established by the faculty.

The faculty member who observes or suspects academic dishonesty should first discuss the incident with the student. The very nature of the faculty-student relationship requires both that the faculty member treat the student fairly and that the student responds honestly to the faculty’s questions concerning the integrity of his or her work. If the faculty is convinced that the student is guilty of academic dishonesty, he or she shall impose an appropriate sanction in the form of a grade reduction or failing grade on the assignment in question and/or shall assign compensatory course work. The sanction may reflect the seriousness of the dishonesty and the faculty’s assessment of the student’s intent. In all instances where a faculty member does impose a grade penalty because of academic dishonesty, he or she must submit a written report to the Chair or Director of the department and the Class Dean. This written report must be submitted within a week of the faculty member’s determination that the policy on academic honesty has been violated. This report shall include a description of the assignment (and any related materials, such as guidelines, syllabus entries, written instructions, and the like that are relevant to the assignment), the evidence used to support the complaint, and a summary of the conversation between the student and the faculty member regarding the complaint. The Class Dean will then inform the student in writing that a charge of dishonesty has been made and of his or her right to have the charge reviewed. A copy of this letter will be sent to the student’s parents or guardians. The student will also receive a copy of the complaint and all supporting materials submitted by the professor. The student’s request for a formal review must be made in writing to the Class Dean within one week of the notification of the charge. The written statement must include a description of the student’s position concerning the charge by the faculty. A review panel consisting of a ClassDean, the Chair or Director of the department of the faculty member involved (or a senior member of the same department if the Chair or Director is the complainant), and an additional faculty member selected by the Chair or Director from the same department, shall convene within two weeks to investigate the charge and review the student’s statement, meeting separately with the student and the faculty member involved. The Chair or Director of the complainant’s department (or the alternate) shall chair the panel and communicate the panel’s decision to the student’s Class Dean. If the panel finds by majority vote that the charge of dishonesty is supported, the faculty member’s initial written report to the Class Dean shall be placed in the student’s file until graduation, at which time it shall be removed and destroyed unless a second offense occurs. If a majority of the panel finds that the charge of dishonesty is not supported, the faculty member’s initial complaint shall be destroyed, and the assignment in question shall be graded on its merits by the faculty member. The Class Dean shall inform the student promptly of the decision made. This information will be sent to the student’s parents or guardians. The Class Dean may extend all notification deadlines above for compelling reasons. He or she will notify all parties in writing of any extensions. Each instance of academic dishonesty reported to the Class Dean (provided that the charge of dishonesty is upheld following a possible review, as described above) shall result in an administrative penalty in addition to the penalty imposed by the faculty member.

For a first instance of academic dishonesty, the penalty shall be academic probation effective immediately and continuing for the next two consecutive semesters. For a second instance, the penalty shall be academic suspension for two consecutive semesters. For a third instance, the penalty shall be dismissal from the College. Dismissal from the College shall also be the penalty for any instance of academic dishonesty that occurs while a student is on probation because of a prior instance of dishonesty. Multiple charges of academic dishonesty filed at or about the same time shall result in a one-year suspension if the student is not and has not been on probation for a prior instance of dishonesty. Multiple charges of academic dishonesty filed at or about the same time shall result in a dismissal if the student has ever been on probation for a prior instance of dishonesty. Suspension and dismissal are effective at the conclusion of the semester in which the violation of the policy occurred. Students may appeal a suspension or dismissal for reasons of academic dishonesty to the Committee on Academic Standing, which may uphold the penalty, overturn it, or substitute a lesser penalty. A penalty of dismissal, if upheld by the Committee, may be appealed to the President of the College.

• Next: Find your department's statement on Academic Integrity >>
• Last Updated: Apr 25, 2024 1:59 PM
• URL: https://libguides.holycross.edu/academichonesty

Chapter 10: College Policies

Academic honesty, how many ways are there to cheat.

Form a small group and brainstorm as many ways as you can think of to cheat. Once you have exhausted your ideas as a group, compare your ideas with the lists below. Be ready to share with the class how your list compared to what is in the textbook.

Consider the impact of cheating on:

• our community

I would prefer even to fail with honor than to win by cheating. —Sophocles

Academic Honesty and Dishonesty

At most educational institutions, “academic honesty” means demonstrating and upholding the highest integrity and honesty in all the academic work that you do. In short, it means doing your own work, not cheating, and not presenting the work of others as your own.

The following are some common forms of academic dishonesty prohibited by academic institutions:

Deception is providing false information to an instructor concerning an academic assignment. Examples of deception include taking more time on a take-home test than is allowed, giving a dishonest excuse when asking for a deadline extension, or falsely claiming to have submitted work.

Fabrication

Fabrication is the falsification of data, information, or citations in an academic assignment. This includes making up citations to back up arguments or inventing quotations. Fabrication is most common in the natural sciences, where students sometimes falsify data to make experiments “work” or make false claims about the research performed.

MCC’s Definitions of Cheating and Plagiarism

MCC has a clear and complete compilation of what is considered academic dishonesty and unacceptable academic behavior. The following are MCC’s definitions on cheating and plagiarism, examples of academic dishonesty, and a link to the complete Academic Honesty portion of the MCC College Catalog and Student Handbook.

1.8.1 Definition (2011)

Cheating is defined as the unauthorized use or exchange of information by students or others for the purpose of achieving an unfair advantage in the classroom or assessment process.

Plagiarism is using someone else’s work as if it were one’s own, whether or not it is done intentionally. This includes, but is not limited to: using the exact language, using nearly the exact language, and using ideas without showing they originated in another’s work. The work taken from another person or source (including publications, web sites, speeches, etc.) may be as little as an isolated formula, portions of a speech, a simple sentence, an idea, or as much as entire paragraphs, papers, or writings of professionals or other students; however, well-known, common knowledge is generally an exception. Omitting quotation marks when using language copied from another’s work, failing to use citations for ideas or language taken from other authors, or failing to use one’s own style of writing when summarizing and paraphrasing someone else’s work constitute plagiarism. Any form of plagiarism is essentially an act of cheating. Specific concerns should be directed to your professor.

The academic honesty policy pertains to all instructional delivery methods offered at the College, including but not limited to classroom and online instruction, and self-study.

Some examples of academic dishonesty include but are not limited to the following:

• Taking an exam for another student.
• Having another student take an exam for you.
• Paying someone to write a paper to submit as your own work.
• Writing a paper for another student.
• Submitting the same paper for grading in two different courses without permission.
• Arranging with other students to give or receive answers by use of signals.
• Arranging to sit next to someone who will let you copy from his or her exam.
• Copying from someone’s exam.
• Allowing another student to copy from you during an exam.
• Obtaining answers, information, translations, or material from a source (e.g., the Internet) without appropriate citation.
• Getting questions or answers from someone who has already taken the same exam.
• Working on homework with other students when the instructor does not allow it.
• “Padding”—adding items on a works cited page that were not used.
• Unauthorized use of information stored in the memory of an electronic device (e.g., programmable calculators and cell phones) on a test or assignment. No information stored in any electronic devices may be used without explicit permission.
• Altering or forging an official document.

Academic Honesty portion of MCC’s College Catalog and Handbook

Avoiding Plagiarism

Below are some useful guidelines to help you avoid plagiarism and show academic honesty in your work:

• Quotes: If you quote another work directly in your work, cite your source.
• Paraphrase:  If put someone else’s idea into your own words, you still need to cite the author.
• Visual Materials: If you cite statistics, graphs, or charts from a study, cite the source. Keep in mind that if you didn’t do the original research, then you need to credit the person(s) or institution that did.

The easiest way to make sure you don’t accidentally plagiarize someone else’s work is by taking careful notes as you do research. If you are doing research on the web, be sure to copy and paste the links into your notes so can keep track of the sites you’re visiting. Be sure to list all the sources you consult.

There are many handy online tools to help you create and track references as you go. For example, you can try using the  Son of Citation Machine . Keeping careful notes will not only help you avoid inadvertent plagiarism; it will also help you if you need to return to a source later (to check or get more information). If you use citation tools like Son of Citation, be sure to check the accuracy of the citations before you submit your assignment.

Lastly, if you’re in doubt about whether something constitutes plagiarism, cite the source or leave the material out. Better still, ask for help. Stop by the tutoring center or library for help. If you are an online student, check out the Library’s resources online for research help. Taking the time to seek advice is better than getting in trouble for not attributing your sources. Be honest about your ideas, and give credit where it’s due.

Consequences of Academic Dishonesty

In the academic world, plagiarism by students is usually considered a very serious offense that can result in punishments such as a failing grade on a particular assignment or the entire course or even being expelled from the institution. Individual instructors and courses may have their own policies regarding academic honesty and plagiarism; statements of these policies can usually be found in the course information sheet.

Cheating of any sort causes stress because of the worry of being caught and because those students don’t really know the necessary information. It also lowers self-esteem. Students who cheat are telling themselves that they are simply not smart enough to handle learning, which is almost always not the case. Students who cheat are robbing themselves of the feeling of satisfaction that comes from genuine success.

ACADEMIC HoNesty Research

• Describe three different actions that would violate your college’s academic honesty policy.
• Check out Indiana University’s clever list of different types of plagiarism by going to this link and reading through the various examples.  The names used for different types of plagiarism can help you learn how to avoid situations of academic dishonesty. Jot down a few notes on examples that are new to you.
• Find information about plagiarism in one of your courses. You may find information on the course syllabus and/or the course website. You may want to bookmark this information or make a note to yourself. Knowing your rights as a student may help if there is a misunderstanding.
• Academic Honesty. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
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• Academic Dishonesty. Provided by : Wikipedia. Located at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_dishonesty#cite_note-22 . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
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Academic Integrity

The high academic standard at the University of California, Berkeley, is reflected in each degree that is awarded. As a result, every student is expected to maintain this high standard by ensuring that all academic work reflects unique ideas or properly attributes the ideas to the original sources. Individual departments often have their own ways of citing and attributing work, so it is the responsibility of each student to seek that information out if it is not otherwise provided through a syllabus, course website, or other means.

These are some basic expectations of students with regards to academic integrity:

• Any work submitted should be your own individual thoughts, and should not have been submitted for credit in another course unless you have prior written permission to re-use it in this course from this instructor.
• All assignments must use “proper attribution,” meaning that you have identified the original source and extent or words or ideas that you reproduce or use in your assignment. This includes drafts and homework assignments!
• If you are unclear about expectations, ask your instructor or GSI.
• Do not collaborate or work with other students on assignments or projects unless you have been given permission or instruction to do so.

Other resource: Statements on Course Policies

Academic Honesty Scenarios

by Jessica Plotner | 23 Aug 2013

Need to reduce the level of dishonesty in your classroom? The purpose of this activity is to generate discussion about academic honesty with the ultimate goal of reducing plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty. It’s well organized complete with scenarios your students can discuss and decide whether someone is honest or dishonest

Audience: University

Audience Language Proficiency: Beginner

Duration: 30-45 minutes

1. “A Letter to My Students” (1 copy per student) 2. Your school’s Honor Code/Student Conduct Code (1 copy per student) 3. “Anticipation Guide for Academic Honesty Readings” (1 copy per student) 4. “Academic Honesty Scenarios” (1 copy per student or 1 copy cut into strips)

• Skill areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This activity can be modified to focus primarily on listening/speaking.
• Goal: To improve small group discussion skills, critical thinking skills, and reflective writing skills and to improve student comprehension of academic honesty principles.

Activity Description:   This activity would ideally be introduced at the beginning of a semester to stimulate student discussion of and understanding of principles of academic honesty.

Blum, S. (2009). Academic integrity and student plagiarism: a question of education, not ethics.   The Chronicle of Higher Education , 55(24), Retrieved from   http://chronicle.com/article/Academic-IntegrityStud/32323/

Useful Link: www.academicintegrity.org/educational_resources/ai_articles.php / www.plagiarism.org www.chronicle.com Your local/school librarian Your Honor Code/Judicial Affairs Office

Supporting Files: Academic Honesty Scenarios 1.pdf Academic Honesty Scenarios 2.pdf Academic Honesty Scenarios 3.pdf Academic Honesty Scenarios 4.pdf

TESOL Interest Section: Higher Education

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• Academic Advising

Academic Honesty Process

Key resources.

ALL PARTIES:

• University Policy on Academic Dishonesty, CY 2023-2024 ( PDF ).
• Wilson Library: Preventing and Detecting Plagiarism .
• Appeal Process Diagram ( PDF ).
• Student Disciplinary Software and Intake Forms: Maxient (About).

INSTRUCTOR FORMS

• Incident Reporting Form ( MAXIENT ): The instructor’s formal report of the incident to the University (before submitting, please read below).
• Instructor-Student Academic Dishonesty Resolution Form ( Fillable PDF [Download First])  This form can be used to document the initial meeting between the instructor and the student (even if the student denies the accusation and/or academic penalty.) It is especially useful if the student accepted responsibility.

STUDENT FORM

• Student Appeal Form: Refer to the letter received for the link to the appeal form . The student’s formal appeal to the department/program chair (Level II) or College Dean (Level III) if they disagree with the instructor’s accusation and/or academic penalty. NOTE: Begin with the department/program chair appeal if the student’s effort to reach an agreeable resolution with the instructor has failed.

The Importance of Academic Integrity

Academic honesty is important at the University of La Verne . Here are some reasons why maintaining academic integrity matters:

• Maintaining Trust and Fairness : Upholding academic honesty ensures that students, faculty, and the institution can trust one another. When everyone adheres to honesty, it creates a fair environment where achievements are recognized based on merit.
• Responsibility and Accountability : We expect students to perform academic tasks with integrity. Unless an instructor explicitly defines what is permissible in academic conduct, students are generally expected to maintain honesty in all their courses 1 .
• Respect and Reputation : Academic honesty ensures a respectful learning environment, encourages growth, and maintains the student’s and the institution’s reputation. 📚🎓

Below are brief guidelines for instructors and students dealing with academic integrity issues. We strongly encourage everyone involved to read the “University Policy on Academic Dishonesty” in full (see “Key Resources” above).

Academic Penalties (Dropdown)

Students who are accused of academic dishonesty and the accusation is upheld by appeal or the student’s admission of guilt are subject to academic penalties that are proportional to the severity of the infraction. These academic sanctions might include one or more of the following (short list)

• Partial credit or F on the assignment.
• Rewrite of the assignment.
• A grade of F for the course.*
• Academic suspension or expulsion.
• A case file of the incident for up to seven years.

*Students who earn an F on a course due to academic dishonesty can repeat the course to replace the “old” grade with the “new ” grade to improve the GPA. However, the case file of the original incident will not be expunged.

Academic Integrity Concerns (Instructors)

Weighing the evidence.

Instructors who suspect a student of academic dishonesty should first evaluate the evidence, maybe even consult with a trusted colleague or department/program chair. Is the evidence a “suspicion” or (reasonably) “strong”? A suspicion should be investigated further but it would not rise to sanctionable or reportable.

Example 1: Was the violation a “minor” citation error where the student forgot to cite a source in one area of an assignment but the rest of the paper was OK?

Example 2: Was the violation a blatant violation of academic integrity where they copy/pasted a whole paragraph from Wiki or generated an entire assignment using ChatGPT or a related artificial intelligence tool?

If the evidence is (reasonably) “strong” or if the suspicion rises to probable (most likely than not) that the student violated an integrity principle, the instructor should notify the student in writing and then meet with the student to discuss the concern (these are important steps in our policy) .

Meeting with the Student

The instructor should use this meeting to show the evidence to the student and to get an explanation (maybe even a confession*). The instructor should approach the meeting with an open-mind and as a teachable opportunity (also a key new part of our academic honesty policy) [do you want to be a Cop or an Educator?].

According to the university policy on academic dishonesty, students ” will have a chance for education.” Instructors should press the importance of academic honesty, what issues rose as concerning (show the evidence with specific examples and concerns), and how to avoid future incidents, including, possibly, a referral to Wilson Library to attend writing workshops that teach skills to avoid plagiarism.

The meetings with students can also be helpful to the instructor to consider the students’ reactions to the accusation(s) and the evidence, and allow for reasonable explanations from the student’s perspective before applying an academic sanction (if any).

*If the student admits to the violation, consider this acceptance of responsibility when you apply the academic sanction that is proportional to the offense.

Sanctioning the Violation(s)

The instructor has a duty to educate their students and part of this ethos is to fairly sanction academic integrity violation(s). In the above examples, the instructor should fairly sanction the incident that is proportional to the offense. Do both examples above deserve an F on the course? For Example 1, probably not. For Example 2, maybe (keep reading below). If you are not sure about the appropriate academic penalty, consult with a trusted colleague or your department/program chair.

Let us continue with other examples and how each might be sanctioned differently:

Example 1 : A student wrote an assignment on their own but forgot to cite a quote or a paraphrase on the assignment (but everything else was OK). The student might be given a warning (or word of caution) and an opportunity for resubmission (or not). The violation probably should not be reported, or academically sanctioned .

Example 2 : A second incident in the course from the same student might rise to a more stern warning, a partial credit penalty, and reported to the department/program chairperson and the University (using the Maxient form above).

Example 3 : A different student produced an entire writing assignment using ChatGPT and submitted it as their own. A case like this might warrant a more serious academic penalty such as a zero or F grade on the assignment and reported to the department/program chairperson and the University (using the Maxient form above).

Should the students in Example 2/3 earn an F in the course? It depends. Let’s say the student was under pressure with a deadline and things are not going well at home but confessed to “being desperate” or was careless in their citation work. The instructor might take this contrition (and admission of guilt) into consideration and lighten the academic penalty  such as assigning an F/Zero on the assignment and a warning that another incident would result in an F in the course. The instructor also informs the student they will report this incident to the department/program chairperson and the University (using the Maxient form above).

However, let’s say the student in Example 2/3 is combative, argumentative, and outright denying the accusation (despite the overall strength of the evidence), then the instructor might decide that a more severe academic penalty is warranted such as an F/Zero on the assignment and an F in the course, and reported to the department/program chairperson and the University (using the Maxient form above).

Reporting the Violation^

Do the examples above rise to a reportable offenses? It depends. Consult with your department chair if you are unsure if the violation is a “minor” violation that merits attention (a teachable moment about the importance of proper citations and how to do it), along with a “stern warning” to avoid another incident, whether an academic penalty is needed, and whether it should be reported to the University. Or the incident is so “blatant”–and the student is so “out of line” in their response to the accusation, despite the evidence–that it might deserve a more severe academic sanction and rises to a reportable incident. Full stop.

You have every right to manage your course in ways that meet educational and professional standards, this includes broad discretion about whether an incident is reportable to the University. If you feel strongly that the incident should be reported then proceed to file the report (see Key Resources above for the link the reporting form).

^If the student admits to the violation, accepts the instructor’s academic penalty, and rises as reportable, the instructor and the student should sign the “Instructor-Student Academic Integrity Resolution” form. The instructor should submit the form as an attachment to the Instructor’s Maxient reporting form (see the “Key Resources, Instructor Forms” above).

What Happens After a Report is Filed with the University?

When the instructor reports an incident of academic dishonesty, the Administrator will create a case file in Maxient and send a letter to the student with a formal notification of the accusation(s) and the academic penalty.

The Administrator will also communicate with faculty administrators who have a need to know under FERPA (this includes, usually, the instructor, department/program chairperson, college dean, provost, the VP of Enrollment Management, and the student’s academic advisor).

The student has the right to appeal if they disagree with the accusation and/or the academic penalty. The right to appeal after meeting with the instructor may include the program/department chairperson, the college dean, and provost (more below).

Student Appeal Process

Students who disagree with an accusation and/or the academic penalty have the right to appeal. The student’s intent to appeal triggers a faculty-driven appeal process:

Level I Appeal (Instructor) : the first step of an appeal is with the instructor to reconsider the accusation and/or the academic penalty they applied to the student.

Level II Appeal (Chairperson) : If the student disagrees with the instructor’s accusation and/or academic penalty,  then they can appeal to the department/program chair in the department where the course resides. The chairperson may meet with the student to review the evidence and decide whether to overturn the instructor’s accusation and/or academic penalty or uphold the instructor’s decision.

Level III Appeal (College Dean) : If the student disagrees with the chairperson’s decision to uphold the instructor’s accusation and/or academic penalty, then they can appeal to the college dean where the department resides. The chairperson may meet with the student to review the evidence and decide whether to overturn the instructor’s accusation and/or academic penalty or uphold the instructor’s decision.

Level IV Appeal (Provost) : If the student disagrees with the college dean’s decision to uphold the instructor’s accusation and/or academic penalty, then they can appeal to the Provost. The Provost or their designee might decide directly or assemble a faculty judicial board that consists of at least three faculty from outside the college where the incident occurred. A Provost decision is in writing and is considered final .

Frequently Asked Questions

No, you are not required to report an incident of academic dishonesty, but it depends on the severity of the incident.

Read the examples above when you consider the academic violation and its severity and whether it should be handled informally between you and the student (with a stern warning and/or academic penalty that is proportional to the incident) or the incident rises to “serious” and merits a “stronger” (but proportional) academic penalty that also deserves to be reported to the university.

Yes, meeting with the student is a top principle in our academic dishonesty policy. Students are afforded a right to view the evidence if they are accused of academic dishonesty to give an explanation, confess, or to challenge the accusation directly with you. The meeting also serves as an opportunity for a teachable opportunity.

Said differently, if you’re willing to make an accusation that can have major academic consequences, then meeting with the student to show the evidence is the least we can ask of you.

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Academic Honesty

• Policies and Procedures
• Student Honor Investigations

Examples of Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism is using other peoples’ words, ideas, or data without citing, quoting, or referencing the original author. Examples of plagiarism, including but are not limited to:

• Direct Plagiarism: copying others’ ideas, words, or data without citing, quoting, or referencing the author or source
• Incidental (accidental) plagiarism: this happens when a student uses another person’s words, ideas, or data, but does not cite, quote, or reference them appropriately
• Paraphrased Plagiarism: this happens when a student uses his or her own words to describe ideas, words, or data from another person or source without citing or referencing that person or source
• Plagiarism Mosaic: this happens when students borrow words, ideas, or data from another person or source. Then the student combines those words, ideas, or data into his or her own writing without citing or referencing the original author or source
• Insufficient Acknowledgment: partial or incomplete referencing of another person or source when borrowing words, ideas, or data from that person or source

Fabrication or Falsification

Fabrication or Falsification is creating false or fake information from an original source or author. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Citing a source that does not exist
• Creating fake information, words, or data and stating the fake information, words, or data come from an official author or source
• Stating that results come from an author or source when the original author or source did not claim those results
• Citing an author or source in a reference section or bibliography section when the author or source is not referenced in the assignment
• Purposefully changing the meaning or application of data, words, or information from another source or author
• Creating fake data or results to support conclusions

Cheating is copying other people's work during projects, assignments, tests, or other school work. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Copying from another person’s work during a test, a quiz, an assignment, or project.
• Allowing someone to copy work during a test, a quiz, an assignment, or project.
• Using notes or other materials during a test, a quiz, an assignment, or project without permission from the instructor.
• Working with other people on a test, quiz, assignment, or project without permission from the instructor.
• Completing a test, quiz, assignment, or project for another person without permission from the instructor.
• Allowing another person to complete a test or quiz for you without permission from the instructor

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct is lying or any other dishonest behavior regarding school work. Examples included but are not limited to:

• Giving or receiving help on assignments when the instructor has prohibited it
•  Making plans with another person to be academically dishonest
• Offering to give money or something of value in order to receive help on tests, or quizzes
• Offering to give help on tests or quizzes
• Changing or altering grades in official education records
• Obtaining answers to a test, quiz, or assignment without permission
• Providing answers to a test, quiz, or assignment without permission
• Entering a building or office, without permission, in order to access academic material or content
• Continuing to work on an assignment, quiz, test, or project if time has expired
• Trying to gain credit in different classes for the same assignment or project without permission from each course instructor
• Getting equal credit on group assignments when a student did less work than other students

Unauthorized Uploading Or Sharing

Uploading or sharing BYU-Idaho course content and material without permission is also a form of academic dishonesty. Students should not upload, share, or find course material without permission from the instructor. Your course instructor may also impose other restrictions on the use of course materials.

Consequences Of Violating The Academic Honesty Policy

Violations of the Academic Honesty Policy may result in consequences up to and including suspension or expulsion from the university.

Other Notes: A suspension means not being able to take BYU-Idaho classes for a certain amount of time. Expulsion means not being able to continue as a student at BYU-Idaho.

“When you are honest in every way, you are able to enjoy peace of mind and maintain self-respect. You build strength of character, which allows you to be of service to God and others. You are trustworthy in the eyes of God and those around you. If you are dishonest in your words or actions, you hurt yourself and often hurt others as well. If you lie, steal, cheat, or neglect to give the full amount of work for your pay, you lose your self-respect. You lose the guidance of the Holy Ghost”

University of South Florida

Journalism and Digital Communication

College of Arts and Sciences

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Guidelines on academic honesty & journalism ethics.

All Journalism & Digital Communication students are expected to follow the University’s Academic Integrity Policy and adhere to the principles outlined in these Departmental guidelines, in all academic and extracurricular activities and work. 

According to the University’s code , “Academic integrity is grounded in certain fundamental values, which include honesty, respect and fairness. Broadly defined, academic honesty is the completion of all academic endeavors and claims of scholarly knowledge as representative of one’s own efforts.”

Academic Dishonesty

Some of the behaviors that violate academic integrity are listed below.

Definition: Cheating is using or attempting to use materials, information, notes, study aids or other assistance in any type of examination or evaluation which have not been authorized by the instructor.

Clarification

• Students completing any type of examination or evaluation are prohibited from looking at or transmitting materials to another student (including electronic reproductions and transmissions) and from using external aids of any sort (e.g. books, notes, calculators, photographic images or conversation with others), unless the instructor has indicated specifically in advance that this will be allowed.
• Students may not take examinations or evaluations in the place of other persons. Students may not allow other persons to take examinations or evaluations in their places.
• Students may not acquire unauthorized information about an examination or evaluation and may not use any such information improperly acquired by others.
• Instructors, programs and departments may establish, with the approval of the colleges, additional rules for exam environments and behavior. Such rules must be announced in advance in a course syllabus or other advance written notice to students.

Fabrication, Forgery & Obstruction

Definitions:

• Fabrication is the use of invented, counterfeited, altered or forged information in assignments of any type, including those activities done in conjunction with academic courses that require students to be involved in out-of-classroom experiences.
• Forgery is the imitating or counterfeiting of images, documents, signatures and the like.
• Obstruction is any behavior that limits the academic opportunities of other students by improperly impeding their work or their access to educational resources.
• Fabricated or forged information may not be used in any laboratory experiment, report of research or academic exercise. Invention for artistic purposes is legitimate under circumstances explicitly authorized by an instructor.
• Students may not furnish instructors fabricated or forged explanations of absences or of other aspects of their performance and behavior.
• Students may not furnish, or attempt to furnish, fabricated, forged or misleading information to University officials on University records, or on records of agencies in which students are fulfilling academic assignments.
• Students may not steal, change or destroy another student’s work. Students may not impede the work of others by the theft, defacement, mutilation or obstruction of resources so as to deprive others of their use.
• Obstruction does not include the content of statements or arguments that are germane to a class or other educational activity.

Multiple Submissions

Definition: Multiple submissions are the submissions of the same or substantially the same work for credit in two or more courses. Multiple submissions include the use of any prior academic effort previously submitted for academic credit at this or a different institution.

All work submitted must be the student’s own and especially created for each class. Work created by someone else (friend, another student, family member, etc.), or created by the student for other purposes such as other classes, extra-curricular activities, own personal purposes (i.e., vacation, family event) or for other university, educational or personal activities not covered by the class, is an offense to academic integrity, will be disqualified for grading purposes and will receive zero credit.

• Students may not normally submit any academic assignment, work, or endeavor in more than one course for academic credit of any sort. This will apply to submissions of the same or substantially the same work in the same semester or in different semesters.
• Students may not normally submit the same or substantially the same work in two different classes for academic credit even if the work is being graded on different bases in the separate courses (e.g. graded for research effort and content in one course vs. grammar and spelling in another).
• Students may resubmit a prior academic endeavor if there is substantial new work, research or other appropriate additional effort. The student shall disclose the use of the prior work to the instructor and receive the instructor’s permission to use it prior to the submission of the current endeavor.
• Students may submit the same or substantially the same work in two or more courses, with the prior written permission of all faculty involved. Instructors will specify the expected academic effort applicable to their courses and the overall endeavor shall reflect the same or additional academic effort as if separate assignments were submitted in each course. Failure by the student to obtain the written permission of each instructor shall be considered a multiple submission.

Definition: Complicity is assisting or attempting to assist another person in any act of academic dishonesty.

• Students may not allow other students to copy from their papers during any type of examination.
• Students may not assist other students in acts of academic dishonesty by providing material of any kind that one may have reason to believe will be misrepresented to an instructor or other University official.
• Students may not provide substantive information about test questions or the material to be tested before a scheduled examination unless they have been specifically authorized to do so by the course instructor. This does not apply to examinations that have been administered and returned to students in previous semesters.

Computer Misuse

Definition: Misuse of computers includes unethical or illegal use of computers of any person, institution or agency in which students are performing part of their academic program.

• Students may not use the University computer system in support of any act of plagiarism.
• Students may not monitor or tamper with another person’s electronic communications.

Additional violations are listed in USF Regulation 3.027 .

Plagiarism is also a violation of academic and professional integrity. it goes against the University's code of ethics, as well as our profession’s ethics.

In Academic Writing

Definition: Plagiarism is intentionally or carelessly presenting the work of another as one’s own. It includes submitting an assignment purporting to be the student’s original work which has wholly or, in part, been created by another person. It also includes the presentation of the work, ideas, representations or words of another person without customary and proper acknowledgement of sources. Students must consult with their instructors for clarification in any situation in which the need for documentation is an issue, and will have plagiarized in any situation in which their work is not properly documented.

• Every direct quotation must be identified by quotation marks or appropriate indentation and must be properly acknowledged by parenthetical citation in the text or in a footnote or endnote. In journalistic writing, a simple attribution immediately before or after a direct quotation (e.g., “I approved the bill,” Jane Smith said.) is sufficient.
• When material from another source is paraphrased or summarized in whole or in part in one’s own words, that source must be acknowledged in a footnote or endnote, or by parenthetical citation in the text. In journalistic writing, a simple attribution immediately before or after the paraphrased or summarized material (e.g., The dispute took weeks to settle, according to Joe Smith.) is sufficient.

Submitting someone else’s work as yours, intentionally or by accident, is considered plagiarism. Plagiarism is not limited to copy/paste from a document (web page, paper, media source, photographs and other visuals, etc.) into yours. Plagiarism can take many forms, such as taking someone’s ideas, words or any form of work and presenting them as yours.

The golden rule: If you take anything from someone else, give credit.

All plagiarism and academic integrity issues will be enforced using the rules above. No exceptions.

Situations that ARE plagiarism:

• submitting large or small sections of someone else’s work as your own, without attributing the source even if you rephrased the original wording
• paraphrasing from one source or multiple sources without attribution
• presenting ideas developed by someone else without attribution, even if you paraphrase the wording
• submitting an assignment that contains perfectly cited sources but the assignment is mostly made of citations and includes no to little original work by the student
• submitting work created by other people and presenting it as your own, such as taking someone else’s online submission or files and presenting them as your own
• working with another student or another person on an assignment that requires no collaboration, and/or receiving assistance in doing an assignment or taking an exam that’s supposed to be individual work; this includes taking online exams and quizzes in the presence of other people and receiving assistance from them during the exam, quiz or assignment.

This list is not comprehensive. 

Journalism Ethics & Values

In addition to the University’s regulations, Journalism & Digital Communication students are expected to follow the profession’s Code of Ethics, as articulated by the Society of Professional Journalists. 

The first principle  in SPJ’s Code is to Seek Truth and Report It . Embodying this principle means, in part, to:

• “Never plagiarize. Always attribute.”
• “Remember that neither speed nor format excuses inaccuracy.”
• “Never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information. Clearly label illustrations and re-enactments.”

SPJ’s Code also enshrines the principles to Minimize Harm , Act Independently , and Be Accountable and Transparent .

Read the entire code .

When writing and producing news and media content, don’t do the following:

• Don’t copy/paste from other sources such as: web pages, news stories, press releases, etc. without attribution and/or links .
• Don’t copy/paste quotes from other media stories without attribution and/or link.
• Don’t rewrite without attribution and/or link.

It’s good journalism practice to do research, but also to conduct interviews, find additional sources to double-check the information you obtained through research and find fresh information that no one else has. Avoid repeating information, and strive for fresh original perspectives and insights.

In certain situations, no attribution is needed:

• when you witness/see something first-hand and write from those observations or
• when presenting common knowledge.

Violations and Sanctions 

Violations are classified into four levels according to the nature of the infraction. For each level of violation, a corresponding set of sanctions is recommended; however, specific violations may include additional or different sanctions. 

These examples are not to be considered all-inclusive.

It is recommended that the instructor forward a concise written statement describing the academic dishonesty of an incident with its particulars to the department chair for violations in Levels 1 through 4. 

These records will be maintained until graduation, or until they are of no further administrative value. This will enable better handling of multiple violations.

Level 1 Violations

Level 1 violations may occur because of inexperience or lack of knowledge of principles of academic integrity on the part of persons committing the violation. These violations address incidents when intent is questionable and are likely to involve a small fraction of the total course work, are not extensive, and/or occur on a minor assignment. 

• Working with another student on a laboratory or other homework assignment when such collaborative work is prohibited.
• Failure to footnote or give proper acknowledgment in an extremely limited section of an assignment.

Recommended Sanctions for Level 1 Violations

• Reduction or no credit given for the original assignment.
• An additional assigned paper or research project on a relevant topic.
• A make-up assignment at a more difficult level than the original assignment.
• Required attendance in a non-credit workshop or seminar on ethics or related subjects.

Level 2 Violations

Level 2 violations are characterized by dishonesty of a more serious character or affecting a more significant aspect or portion of the course work.

• Quoting directly or paraphrasing, to a moderate extent, without acknowledging the source.
• Submitting the same work or major portions thereof to satisfy the requirements of more than one course without permission from the instructor.
• Using data or interpretative material for a laboratory report without acknowledging the sources or the collaborators. All contributors to preparation of data and/or to writing the report must be named.
• Receiving assistance from others, such as research, statistical, computer programming or field data collection help, that constitutes an essential element in the undertaking, without acknowledging such assistance in a paper, examination or project.

Recommended Sanctions for Level 2 Violations

• Failing grade for the assignment involved with the grade in the course determined in the normal manner.
• Failing grade for the course, which may be an "F" or "FF" on the internal transcript.

Level 3 Violations

Level 3 violations are those that go beyond Level 1 or 2 violations and that affect a major or essential portion of work done to meet course requirements, or involve premeditation, or are preceded by one or more violations at Levels 1 and/or 2. 

• copying on examinations
• plagiarizing major portions of a written assignment
• acting to facilitate copying during an exam
• using prohibited materials, e.g. books, notes or calculators during an examination
• collaborating before an exam to develop methods of exchanging information and implementation thereof
• altering examinations for the purposes of regrading
• acquiring or distributing an examination from unauthorized sources prior to the examination
• presenting the work of another as one's own
• using purchased term paper or other materials
• removing posted or reserved material, or preventing other students from having access to it
• fabricating data by inventing or deliberately altering material (this includes citing "sources" that are not, in fact, sources
• using unethical or improper means of acquiring data

Recommended Sanctions for Level 3 Violations

• failing grade for the course with a designation of "FF" on the student's internal transcript
• possible suspension from the University for one semester

Level 4 Violations

Level 4 violations represent the most serious breaches of intellectual honesty.

• all academic infractions committed after return from suspension for a previous academic honesty violation
• infractions of academic honesty in ways similar to criminal activity (such as forging a grade form, stealing an examination from a professor or from a University office; buying an examination; or falsifying a transcript to secure entry into the University or change the record of work done at the University.
• having a substitute take an examination or taking an examination for someone else
• fabrication of evidence, falsification of data, quoting directly or paraphrasing without acknowledging the source, and/or presenting the ideas of another as one's own in a senior thesis, within a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation, in scholarly articles submitted to refereed journals or in other work represented as one's own as a graduate student
• sabotaging another student's work through actions designed to prevent the student from successfully completing an assignment
• willful violation of a canon of the ethical code of the profession for which a student is preparing

Recommended Sanctions for Level 4 Violations

• The typical sanction for all Level 4 violations is permanent academic dismissal from the University with the designation of "Dismissed for Academic Dishonesty" to be placed permanently on a student's external transcript.

Additional Resources

• You can quote me on that: Advice on attribution for journalists by Steve Buttry
• What is plagiarism? Quiz by Steve Buttry

This document was adopted in fall 2015 and updated in fall 2022.

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Academic Honesty

• Academic Honesty Policy

Templates for Courses

Simple model, from an english course.

Academic honesty: All assignments and activities associated with this course must be performed in accordance with the University of Rochester's Academic Honesty Policy .

Model for Collaborative Work in Laboratory or Problem Sets, from a Computer Science Course

Academic honesty: www.rochester.edu/college/honesty   www.rochester.edu/college/honesty/policy

Homework collaboration: You may discuss homework problems with others, but you must not retain written notes from your conversations with other students, or share data via computer files to be used in completing your homework. Your written work must be completed without reference to such notes, with the exception of class and recitation notes, which may be retained in written form. [NOTE: some instructors require students to report the names of those with whom they discussed an assignment.]

General rule: When in doubt, cite.

Writing-Intensive Model from a Humanities Course

Academic honesty: Students and faculty at the University must agree to adhere to high standards of academic honesty in all of the work that we do. First-year students read and sign an academic honesty policy statement to indicate that they understand the general principles upon which our work is based. The College Board on Academic Honesty website gives further information on our policies and procedures: www.rochester.edu/college/honesty .

In this course the following additional requirements are in effect: You are encouraged to discuss course readings and assignments with your fellow students. However, all written work must be done independently and not in collaboration with another. In order to make appropriate help available for your essays, I encourage you to consult with me and with the College Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program. The term research paper will require citations and “Works Cited” following the MLA format.

Lab Manual Model

There are extensive guidelines for the boundaries of academic honesty at the University of Rochester ( www.rochester.edu/college/honesty/ ), and this was a point of emphasis during your orientation. In this class, you are held to this mutual agreement. Nevertheless, there are some unique features of laboratory courses that deserve emphasis so the expectations are clear for all of us. This lab is a collaborative exercise in learning, as is most of science. Almost all of the projects are done in pairs and we encourage students to freely and openly discuss findings, interpretation of results, etc. However, the written lab report is an individual product. No two lab reports should have matching sections, paragraphs, or sentences, even among lab partners. Also not acceptable are matching sections among students that are not lab partners but in the same class, in different classes, or in different years.

Figures and graphs may vary from the rules regarding text. Depending on the assignment, the same figure may be used by the entire class. In other assignments, construction of your own figures may be part of the lesson. Your teaching assistant will make this clear in class.

An important part of academic integrity is distinguishing clearly when information is original and when it is derived from another source. Consider this problem carefully in both written reports and oral presentations. Examination of the scientific papers we read in class will give you a good sense of when and how to correctly cite a reference in a sentence. Oral presentations follow the same general rules as written documents but differ in some specifics. For example, often in a talk, one will show data from other papers as background (papers usually discuss other results but rarely show the data). In a case when a slide presents data from another study, the reference should be shown somewhere on the slide. Using multiple slides from a presentation made by another person or group is always unacceptable. Just as for written studies, oral presentations must show an independent contribution by the presenter.

(Courtesy of Robert Minckley)

Collaboration Model

Rules for Collaboration and Use of Sources:

Our rules about the ways in which you may collaborate with other students in preparing these assignments are extremely strict and different from many other classes, so pay attention:

• You may verbally discuss any aspects of any assignment (including ideas about how to do it well) with anyone face to face or via phone or video call.
• You may NOT discuss any aspect of any assignment with anyone, other than the instructor and TAs for the course, via email, text message, chat/IM, online discussion forum, social media post, or any other written means.
• When you verbally discuss (face to face, on the phone, via video call) any aspect of any assignment with anyone other than the course instructor or TAs, you may NOT take notes on or in any way record any aspect or portion of your conversation.
• You may discuss any aspect of any assignment via any means with the course instructor and TAs, and you are welcome to take notes on the basis of these interactions.

The intent of these rules is to help you share ideas with other students that can help you to do the assignments well, while preventing you from substituting (accidentally or intentionally) the words of other students for your own in your written work.

As for the use of sources, the only written source you may ever use language from in writing an article brief or critique is the article itself. You should always quote any verbatim passages from the article you use.

When we grade assignments, we will check for overlap in the wording used between assignments submitted by different students. If we suspect that you have violated the rules on collaboration or use of sources, we will report this as a violation of the College's policy on academic honesty, and this can result in severe sanctions.

(Courtesy of Stuart Jordan)

Classroom Honesty Powerpoint

This one-slide PowerPoint prepared by Professor John Werren can be used as is or modified to show in class and/or to post to Blackboard.

Guidelines for Group Projects and Reports

These “ Academic Honesty Guidelines for Group Projects and Group Reports ” can be used as is or modified to fit your specific assignments.

Use in any format (class handout, post to Blackboard, incorporate into a PowerPoint presentation).

More Information

For more information about academic honesty in the classroom contact the board chair .

Can You Pay Someone (Or AI) To Do Your Homework?

• Smodin Editorial Team
• Updated: May 20, 2024

Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed with homework and wondering if there’s an easier way?

This is where homework assistance services come in handy. These services offer to complete your assignments for a fee. Yes, you read that correctly. You can indeed pay someone to do your homework. This could mean a potentially lightened load and boost your grades.

Whether tackling complex math problems or crafting detailed essays, these services can offer the help you need. This guide covers everything you need to know about paying someone or AI to do your homework.

Can You Pay Someone To Do Your Homework?

Legally, the marketplace for academic assistance operates in a gray area. While it is not illegal to offer or seek homework help, the ethical boundaries and academic rules at various educational institutions classify these services as violations of academic integrity.

Despite this, the availability of such services is extensive, ranging from platforms where students can hire individual experts in specific fields to advanced AI technologies that can draft essays, solve mathematical equations, or conduct extensive research.

Many students turn to homework assistance services as a viable solution to manage their time effectively and alleviate academic pressure. This is often seen not just as a way to keep up with coursework but as a strategic move to enhance academic performance and secure better grades.

Reasons for Seeking Homework Assistance

Technology has transformed modern education, which is why so many online platforms offering homework assistance services are popping up. These platforms range from websites where students can hire experts to complete assignments to sophisticated software using AI to provide educational support.

Many people (particularly older generations) label this approach “lazy.” But, there are several valid reasons why students might need some extra help with their homework. Take a look at these reasons below and see if anything sounds familiar.

Academic Pressure

According to a 2014 research , a whopping 56% of high school students considered homework to be a primary source of stress at the time.

This is why many college students seeking academic assistance turn to online services. The pressure to excel academically is immense. The competitive nature of modern education systems pushes students to seek help to keep up or improve their grades. This happens a lot in programs where the coursework is intense, and the stakes are high.

Time Management Challenges

Students often juggle many assignments and responsibilities like part-time jobs and extracurricular activities. Commitments like these can make it difficult to find enough time for all their coursework. Homework online services offer a practical solution. They handle assignments and let students manage their time more efficiently.

Lack of Understanding

Sometimes, students might not fully understand a topic or subject. This makes it challenging to complete it accurately and in good time. Online homework assistance can provide the necessary guidance and explanations. This helps students understand complex concepts and succeed in their courses.

Desire for High-Quality Submissions

Online platforms often hire experts in various academic fields, ensuring that homework is not only completed but is done to a high standard. This is key for students who aren’t confident in their writing skills or subject knowledge.

Access to Resources

Homework assistance services often have access to a vast array of resources, incuding research databases, educational tools, and professional literature. These often aren’t readily available to all students. Utilizing these resources can do a lot to enhance the quality of assignments.

Advantages of Homework Assistance Services

Here’s a breakdown of why homework assistance services can be advantageous:

• Improved academic performance . By outsourcing challenging homework assignments, students can achieve better grades. Homework writing services ensure that assignments are completed accurately. They also ensure they are of high quality, which can impact a student’s overall academic performance.
• Expert guidance . Many services use professionals with expertise in specific academic fields. Access to professional help means that students can get guidance that’s accurate and aligned with academic standards.
• Time management . These services are particularly beneficial for students who are balancing coursework with other things like family responsibilities. Delegating homework tasks can free up time. This allows students to focus on other aspects of their lives without shirking their academic responsibilities.
• Stress reduction . Handling multiple assignments at the same time can be a real headache. By using homework help services, students can reduce their workload. This can then decrease stress levels and improve overall well-being.
• Customized help . Whether it’s a complex math problem or an elaborate essay, homework assistance services can provide personalized support tailored to a student’s specific needs. This bespoke approach ensures that the support provided is the most effective for the student’s needs.
• Enhanced learning opportunities . Although some argue that using homework help can take away from learning, many services offer detailed explanations and step-by-step guidance on how to tackle similar assignments in the future. This encourages a deeper understanding of the subject matter rather than just giving the student a complete assignment and nothing else.
• Access to resources . The sad reality is that scholarly materials are often not readily available to students. Thankfully, homework help services have extensive libraries of scholarly documents. Using these resources can enrich the quality of academic assignments, ensuring that all work submitted is well-researched and informative.

Disadvantages of Homework Assistance Services

Although homework assistance services have a lot to offer, they aren’t without their drawbacks.

• Potential for dependency . Relying heavily on homework help or assistance for writing assignments can lead to a dependency that might inhibit a student’s ability to tackle similar tasks with no support. This could be quite challenging when progressing to a higher academic level where more self-sufficiency is expected.
• Cost factor . Although some services can offer immense value, they tend to come with a hefty price tag. Regular use of academic writing services can become a significant financial burden for students, especially for those already managing tight budgets.
• Questionable ethical implications . There’s an ongoing ethical debate about whether or not using homework help constitutes cheating. While services can be used ethically, there’s always potential for misuse, which can compromise academic integrity.
• Limited development of critical thinking skills . If students rely too much on assistance, they might miss out on developing critical thinking skills. These skills can be important for solving complex problems and thinking analytically – crucial for academic and professional success.
• Variability in service quality . The quality of help provided can vary significantly between different providers. There’s always a risk of receiving subpar assistance that might not meet the required academic standards or expectations.

The Best Homework Assistance Services (including AI tools)

There are so many online homework services – it’s hardly surprising that choosing one specific writing service is difficult. But, before you sign up, here are some quick examples of trustworthy services, what they can offer you, as well as their limitations:

Smodin has a premier AI-powered homework assistance tool. It leverages advanced technology to support students across many academic fields. The platform itself has an extensive suite of tools to help with writing, plagiarism, and even complex problem-solving. This makes it a great resource for both students and working professionals.

By combining AI with a user-friendly interface, Smodin ensures that users can easily access high-quality academic support at a reasonable price.

Smodin’s unique approach to academic assistance, focusing on technology-driven solutions, is why it’s one of the top choices for students who value reliability and academic integrity. Plus, its ability to integrate seamlessly with academic research and writing processes makes it particularly appealing in digital educational environments.

• AI-powered efficiency . Unlike other services that rely solely on humans (who are naturally prone to error), Smodin uses advanced algorithms to provide fast and accurate homework solutions. This significantly reduces time spent on assignments.
• Plagiarism-free assurance . Offers advanced plagiarism-checking tools to ensure all submissions are original and of high quality.
• Comprehensive support . Covers a wide range of subjects and assignment types, providing help from simple essays to complex research papers.
• Cost-effectiveness . Provides immense value and high quality for the price. Significantly more accessible and worth the investment.
• Accessibility issues . Although very effective, the advanced features may require a slight learning curve or access to stable equipment.

2. HomeworkFor.Me

HomeworkFor.Me is another pretty popular service designed to offer students custom homework help. The platform emphasizes affordability and quality, ensuring that students can access reliable academic support when they need it most.

It’s a practical option for students looking to alleviate their academic load. However, for those prioritizing cutting-edge technology, consistency, and speed, this might not be ideal. This is mainly on the basis of their reliance on human writers.

• Affordable service . It is known for its competitive pricing, making it a nice choice for college students on a budget.
• On-time delivery . They put a guarantee on the timely delivery of assignments, which is crucial for students working with tight deadlines.
• Quality variability . Although the service aims for high quality, the dependence on freelance writers can lead to variability in the standard of work delivered.
• Ethical concerns . Like many human-based homework services, using HomeworkFor.Me may raise ethical questions about academic honesty.
• Little technological integrations . Unlike AI-driven platforms, HomeworkFor.Me relies more on human expertise, which can be less consistent and slower in comparison.

3. SpeedyPaper

SpeedyPaper is well known for its swift and reliable essay-writing services. The platform ensures that even the most urgent assignments are handled with precision and professionalism. Their service offerings are also quite extensive. But, once again, they rely primarily on human writers, and the main issue with that is that there’s no real guarantee that the writer you get is up to the task.

• Rapid turnaround . Known for its fast delivery, SpeedyPaper helps students meet even the most pressing deadlines while still delivering passable quality.
• Potential for high cost . Urgent assignments can be quite expensive, which might not be feasible for all students.
• Ethical considerations . Much like with HomeworkFor.Me, SpeedyPaper’s use of human writers raises concerns about the ethical implications of outsourcing academic work.

Factors To Consider

Before you rush to enlist the services of a homework help service, there are some things you might want to consider.

Ethics and Legality

Paying someone to complete a homework assignment may raise ethical questions about fairness and authenticity. The legality of these services can also vary by jurisdiction, putting students at risk if they breach academic policies. When we compare human services to AI, the ethical dilemma shifts.

Human services involve another person completing a homework assignment on a student’s behalf, whereas AI services offer tools to assist in the process, mitigating some ethical concerns.

Quality of Work

The quality of work provided by homework help services can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, professional services, whether human or AI, often produce high-quality work. This work can improve a student’s performance, especially with challenging tasks like math homework.

But, there’s a risk that relying on such services could lead to big gaps between the student’s actual abilities and the work submitted. This could affect their ability to perform independently. This is especially true in assessments or situations where outside help isn’t available (not so much essay writing).

This is why it’s important for the work to align with a student’s actual capability. Plus, nowadays, these services, especially the AI-driven ones, offer explanations of how the work was completed. This ensures that students are still learning in the process.

Cost and Accessibility

The decision to use homework help services often involves considerations of cost-effectiveness. These services can be a significant financial investment, especially for students who need ongoing support across several subjects.

But, for those who struggle with specific aspects of their coursework, like complex essay writing or detailed research paper preparations, these services can offer valuable support.

Accessibility also varies, with some services offering more affordable options through subscription models or discounted rates for many assignments. This can make them a lot more accessible to a broader range of students.

Academic Integrity and Learning

Outsourcing academic work poses significant concerns regarding academic integrity. It can also raise questions about the overall learning process. Yes, such services can provide almost instant relief from academic pressure. But, they may undermine a student’s development of critical skills needed for growth.

Dependence on external help for completing academic writing or other tasks can prevent students from engaging with the material. In the long term, this reliance could affect their academic success or career trajectories. This is why it’s vital to balance the use of these services with genuine personal effort and learning.

What To Look for in a Homework Service

Let’s be honest – most of these services aren’t cheap. So, if you invest your trust and hard-earned cash in one of these services, you’ll want to know that you’re getting the best possible service. But how do you tell which one is worthwhile? Here are a few pointers to help you out:

Quality and Expertise of Professional Writers

Ensure that the service only employs professionals who are expert writers in their respective fields. This pretty much guarantees that the homework meets academic standards and is well-researched. Smodin, for example, has powerful AI research tools to ensure the answers you get are both accurate and comprehensive.

Support and Communication

A strong support team is crucial for any service. Academics work within tight deadlines. So, a service’s support team should be responsive and capable of addressing queries and concerns quickly. This is why Smodin is committed to offering exceptional customer service. Smodin’s support team has been praised for its responsiveness and effectiveness.

Commitment to Plagiarism-Free Content

Academic dishonesty is a serious offense. So, the service must provide plagiarism-free content to uphold academic integrity. Because Smodin uses AI, academics can get original content and reputable references. This gives students extra confidence in the work they submit.

Flexibility and Range of Services

Look for a service that offers a wide range of assistance, from simple homework help to more complex project support. Once again, Smodin excels in this regard, offering various tools, like a rewriter and plagiarism checker. Smodin also offers an AI writing tool that can generate content for various academic disciplines.

Option for Free Revisions

It’s always good for a service to offer free revisions. This ensures that the final product meets all the students’ requirements and expectations before they hand it in. Free revisions can show their commitment to customer satisfaction and quality.

Smodin ticks many boxes in this regard. So, perhaps it’s time to stop thinking it over and start now,  for free .

Final Thoughts

So, can you pay someone to do your homework? Absolutely!

Should you pay someone to do your homework online? Well, if you’re seeking cost-effective solutions and need support to manage your workload, a homework service might be right for you. Whether you have to catch up on homework assignments or need something broken down for you in simpler terms. These services offer practical help.

Did someone just say “Smodin”?