Library & Learning Services: Academic Integrity: Cheating (2024)

FAQs

Is sharing answers academic dishonesty? ›

It is never wise to share your work with others when collaboration is not allowed, and it is a violation of the Academic Honesty Policy to share completed assignments in a form that can be copied.

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 means acting in a way that is honest, fair, respectful and responsible in your studies and academic work. It means applying these values in your own work, and also when you engage with the work and contributions of others. These values are expected of both staff and students.

Academic dishonesty can take many forms, which can be broadly classified as follows (Whitley & Keith-Spigel, 2002; Pavela, 1978; Stern & Havelick, 1986): Cheating. Plagiarism. Fabrication or falsification.

Yes, sharing homework so that someone else can either copy answers or correct their own work based on yours is academically dishonest and meets the standards of plagiarism.

Professors may identify academic dishonesty by comparing your work to the assignment instructions, the internet, and the work of other students in class, or by seeing something during exam proctoring. If there is sufficient evidence, professors may reduce your grade on an assignment or in the class.

An employer can review a student's academic disciplinary record if the student authorizes as such. Educational records including disciplinary records and transcripts are protected under federal law, FERPA specifically, spelled FERPA. The federal law protects the disclosure of such records.

Colleges take academic integrity very seriously, so being caught cheating can be a significant setback in the admissions process. If the incident is noted on your academic record or disciplinary history, you'll need to report it when applying to most colleges.

Plagiarism on a minor assignment or a very limited portion of a major assignment. Unpremeditated cheating on a quiz or minor examination. Prohibited collaboration with another student on a homework assignment. Unauthorized sharing of course materials.

Teachers use various methods to check for plagiarism. These include manual checks, online plagiarism checkers, Google searches, citation analysis, and peer review. Plagiarism checkers are helpful for teachers. They save time, improve accuracy, provide detailed reports, deter students, and have educational value.

What happens when academic integrity is not upheld? ›

Legal consequences

These actions could include fines, loss of future projects to the university or lawsuits. Such actions have serious consequences, as they not only ruin the reputation of the university, but also result in loss of opportunities for other students in the future.

Academic integrity is the value of being honest, ethical, and thorough in your academic work. It allows readers to trust that you aren't misrepresenting your findings or taking credit for the work of others. Academic dishonesty (or academic misconduct) refers to actions that undermine academic integrity.

This could range from a reduced grade on an assignment or exam to failing the course. Instructors who impose grade penalties are required to submit an Academic Dishonesty Report (ADR).

It is possible that confessing to cheating will result in having to retake an exam, and it likely would be more difficult. Or you might receive a zero for the first test, and probably fail the class. If you are caught and the evidence is irrefutable, it will almost certainly be a zero, perhaps an automatic course fail.

Examples of cheating include: Copying from another student's test or homework. Allowing another student to copy from your test or homework. Using materials such as textbooks, notes, or formula lists during a test without the professor's permission.

Sharing course notes with a classmate can be ok, but not if the notes are copied and distributed widely or if they are distributed for profit.

Managing academic materials

Your instructors' notes, assignments and tests are their intellectual property. If you post them online or share them with a friend, you are committing theft of intellectual property.

Even if you don't know, or have no contact with, the people providing or accessing this information, the sharing of resources online and via social media platforms is also subject to the regulations regarding plagiarism and collusion.