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Plagiarism and Cheating Policy

Academic Integrity and Responsibility

Academic integrity and responsibility mean acting honestly, conscientiously, and honorably in all academic endeavors. Students are accountable for all that they say and write. Since trust is the foundation of an intellectual community, and since student work is the basis for instructors to evaluate student performance in courses, students should not misrepresent their work nor give or receive unauthorized assistance.

Academic Dishonesty

In contrast to academic integrity and responsibility, academic dishonesty takes the form of plagiarism and/or cheating.

Plagiarism

The word plagiarism comes from the Latin word "plagiarius," meaning kidnapper. Plagiarism is generally the taking of words, sentences, organization, and ideas from another source without acknowledging that source.

Plagiarism may include:

Submitting papers, examinations, or assignments written/completed entirely or in part by others
Directly copying portions of another's work without enclosing the copied passage in quotation marks for written work or without citing appropriately in an oral presentation and without acknowledging the source in the appropriate scholarly convention whether the work is presented in written or oral form
Using a unique term or concept without acknowledging the source
Paraphrasing or summarizing a source's ideas without acknowledging the source
Replicating a visual presentation, representation, or performance without acknowledging the source

Cheating

Cheating is similar to plagiarism in that it involves representing another's work as one's own. However, cheating often involves more overtly deceptive or fraudulent acts of academic dishonesty designed to gain credit for academic work that is not one's own.

Cheating may include:

Giving or receiving unauthorized assistance during an examination
Fabricating or altering a source of data in a laboratory or experiment
Collaborating with others when collaboration is not permitted, or when the contributions of others are not made clear
Using unauthorized materials or aids during an examination, including calculators, dictionaries, or information accessed via any electronic devices
Acquiring, without permission, tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the college faculty or staff