academic dishonesty assignment

• Teaching Tips

Cheating: Preventing and Dealing with Academic Dishonesty

Someday it will happen to you. A student will turn in such an excellent, well-written paper that you seriously doubt its authenticity. Or, during a test, you will look up and find a student copying from another student. The sinking feeling that immediately weighs in on you could be overwhelming as you realize you must decide how to deal with a suspected or actual case of cheating.

If it hasn’t happened to you yet, either you are new at the game, you have your head in the sand, or you have been incredibly lucky. Or, perhaps you have created a situation in which cheating is unlikely. Studies show that about 40 percent of students cheat in a given term.

An Ounce of Prevention

Communicate Policies on Cheating

My institution requests all instructors to state their policy on cheating in the syllabus. Believe it or not, students have argued that they should not be punished for cheating because they were never told they couldn’t do it. State clearly when students may cooperate and when they must work independently. Students who have been encouraged to use programmable calculators in math courses may naturally expect that they can use them in your class. (Many calculators permit considerable amounts of text to be stored in their memories. Either design the test so that calculators are not necessary, or insist that they push the erase button to delete text memory.)

Relate With Your Students: Avoid Adversarial Relationships

Students may cheat because they feel alienated from the system. Let your students know that you respect them and expect the best from them. I believe students are less likely to cheat if they feel they know and like the instructor. Learning and using students’ names in class may have a beneficial side effect of reducing cheating.

Teach Students What Plagiarism Is So They Can Avoid Doing It

The nature of cheating depends on the assignment. Written assignments run the risk of plagiarism. Some instructors may be surprised to learn that students sometimes plagiarize unintentionally because they do not know enough about what constitutes scholarship. Before giving written assignments, it is a good idea to discuss how to credit other people’s work. Some departments promulgate written guidelines on plagiarism.

We will discuss later what to do when you suspect cheating. But one technique that is particularly suited to written assignments is to ask a student whom you suspect of plagiarism to explain something in the paper in other words. More sophisticated techniques include blanking out key words and asking the student to fill in the spaces.

Structure Writing Assignments So Students Cannot Use Others’ Work

Having informed students what plagiarism is, you should structure the timing of the assignment in such a way that plagiarism becomes less likely. Several weeks before the final paper is due ask the students for a statement of their topic. Next ask for a preliminary list of references that they intend to consult. Then have them turn in a tentative outline. Any changes you may suggest at these stages will make it more difficult for them to turn in a paper previously prepared by someone else. The only clear case of plagiarism I have experienced occurred with a student who had missed several weeks of class and skipped these stages. Your guidelines should suggest that they keep all drafts of their work, notes, printouts of computer searches, etc. They should photocopy the first page of every article or book cited in their reference list. This way they can’t cite papers they haven’t at least laid eyes on. Some faculty also inform students that they keep a record of all papers written, or the papers themselves, for the preceding five years.

Take Control of the Test Situation

Arrange the classroom situation to suit the nature of the test. You may want students to sit in every other seat, take assigned seats to break up groups of would-be cheaters, or leave the front row open for latecomers, etc. Some instructors number all tests and have students leave completed tests face down on the desk. Then they may be picked up in order, and papers of suspected cheaters can be compared for similarities. (Be aware that papers can be similar if students study together. But hearing boards that review suspected cases of cheating can be skeptical of purely statistical evidence.)

I require students to reverse baseball caps because the bill makes it harder for you to monitor their gaze. (I do not ask for their removal: A student may be taking chemotherapy, or just having a bad hair day.)

You should resist their complaints to the contrary and efforts to put you on the defensive. You do not need to explain why they should follow your instructions. You may instruct a student who is behaving suspiciously to sit elsewhere without making an accusation or justifying yourself.

Opinions vary on how faculty members should dress. But) make a point to dress in a businesslike manner on test day because I believe it is important to convey to students that they should take the situation seriously and the professor’s appearance can make the point without making them uncomfortable.

How you manage the testing situation depends on factors such as the type of test, class size and whether you reuse the same test for different classes or across semesters. Because I seldom reuse tests, for example, I generally do not need to count the booklets as) pass them out, nor do I need to recover them. But once a student has left the room, I do not permit that student to reenter. In large classes, I use alternate forms of the exam (e.g., same items appear in three different orders) so that a student looking at a classmate’s answer sheet is not helped by doing so. Simply changing the order of pages is not nearly as effective as scrambling items within pages.

If your class is large enough that you don’t know all students, require them to show picture ID and sign their test (as well as print their name on the test). Be sure to have additional proctors in large classes. I try to have help in classes larger than 75, about one for every additional 100 students.

Be Prepared

After teaching for 30 years I thought) knew all the tricks students used. Then one term I was confronted by two new ones. So I sat down and compiled a list of over 40 different ways to cheat, and about the same number of ways to prevent cheating. I am sure there are more. My point is that we need to keep a very large number of variables and contingencies in mind on test day.

For example, what would you do if you entered your classroom and saw “Professor X’s test has been canceled” written on the blackboard and many of the students had left? Suppose the fire alarm goes off in the middle of the test. Suppose students go to leave the test and find the doors locked by computer. Then, when you use the emergency phone to call campus security you are advised that the only way to unlock them is to pull the fire alarm. Imagine running out of test booklets because the secretary miscounted. All of these have happened in my experience.

During the test, the student can cheat in two basic ways: refer to contraband materials or get help from another person. I have already mentioned the use of programmable calculators. Students occasionally wear earphone tape recorders to tests. I require them to give me the cassette. Less technologically sophisticated but effective is hiding written material under clothing, which is awkward to prove for obvious reasons.

A student receiving help from neighbors is probably harder to detect. Folklore tells of the “power wedge,” whereby a group of students arranges itself in the pattern of geese in flight with the one who knows the material in the lead position. Signaling methods can be ingenious; the “M&M” method indicates the correct alternative by the color of the candy. A simpler method is to point to the question with the pencil as if studying it and touching left ear for “a,” knee for “b,” etc. Be on the lookout for students who appear to be doing an impression of a third base coach.

One of the most clever methods includes a student bringing a friend who is not in the course to sit next to him or her. The friend takes an exam and works on it as if a registered student. The actual student copies the answers from the ringer. When they are done, the ringer can either walk away and leave the test at the seat or turn it in with a fake name. Alternatively, the ringer can walk out with the test, which could also wind up in a fraternity file.

When a Student Cheats

Know and Follow Your Institution’s Procedures

My institution has a written set of guidelines on dealing with cheating. Be familiar with your institution’s policies and know what steps are available to you before an incident arises. Have the student(s) read the guidelines so they become familiar with the alternatives and processes set forth.

Settling Matters Informally

Generally, you should first try to settle the matter informally. But you and the student need to know how to proceed if the student denies the charge, or refuses to accept your proposed penalty. If you are lucky enough to settle the matter informally, be sure to get the student to sign a statement admitting the offense and accepting the penalty. You should file this statement for possible future use and send a copy to the department chair or the dean. This student may be a repeat offender requiring more serious action.

Settling Matters Formally

Some cheating incidents will require resolution through formal institutional processes. Be aware of deadlines and what information must be submitted. Write memos to your file on incidents of cheating that you witness. Write down details of the case such as who sat next to the student. Have TAs or proctors write statements on what they witnessed. Get signed statements from all parties, including the student, if he or she confesses. In brief, keep a paper trail.

The Legal System and Cheating

We live in a litigious society and many situations that were once dealt with informally now wind up in court. The best way to avoid lawsuit is to know and abide by your institution’s policies and procedures. Many faculty look the other way when they see cheating because they believe that it is necessary to have evidence that would stand up in a court of law, or they believe the procedures are too bureaucratic and they do not want to deal with them.

Courts will generally not get involved in a case if the student has been accorded due process, which is a less stringent criterion that having to follow legal rules of evidence and procedure. Due process has been accorded when the student has had an adequate opportunity to be heard, established institutional rules and procedures have been followed, the student has been assumed innocent until proven guilty, and the burden of proof has been placed on the institution.

Keep a Sense of Humor

Finally, do not take yourself too seriously. One instructor was trying to get the last stragglers to turn in their final exams. He announced that he would not accept any more papers after a certain time. Still, one student kept on working. When she ignored his final ultimatum, he refused to accept her paper. She walked up to the desk, looked him in the eye, and said, “Do you know who I am?” Thinking that she might be the daughter of a trustee, he warily said, “No.” Whereupon, she slipped her paper into the middle of the pile, squared it up, and strolled out. Sometimes there is nothing we can do.

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About the Author

Donald McBurney received his PhD from Brown University in 1964 and has proctored exams and read term papers for more than 30 years, first at the University of Tennessee, and now at the University of Pittsburgh where he is professor of Psychology. He works in sensory processes and perception, specializing in psychophysical work on taste and smell. He is the author or coauthor of three textbooks, Introduction to Sensation/Perception (2nd ed.), Prentice-Hall, 1984; Research Methods (3rd ed.), Brooks/Cole, 1994, and How to Think Like a Psychologist, Prentice-Hall (forthcoming).

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Academic Integrity

At Arizona State University, we place great value on the research and scholarship of our students and faculty and are committed to a culture of academic integrity and scholarly ethics. We welcome you into our culture of academic excellence and integrity and hope you will help foster and promote ethical and honest behavior in connection with your scholarly work and interactions with your peers.

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What is Academic Integrity?

No matter what stage of your educational or professional career pursuits, acting with integrity is a cornerstone of leadership and good citizenship. Integrity is a character-driven commitment to honesty, doing what is right, and guiding others to do what is right. Arizona State University students and faculty are expected to act with integrity in their educational pursuits.

Academic dishonesty falls into five broad areas that include but are not limited to:

• Cheating on an academic evaluation or assignment.
• Plagiarizing .
• Academic deceit, such as fabricating data or information.
• Aiding academic integrity policy violations and inappropriately collaborating.
• Falsifying academic records.

It is important that you understand what constitutes a violation of academic integrity. The ASU community is here to help you stay informed and to provide resources to avoid these kinds of violations. Please read ASU’s academic integrity policy found here and visit the student resource page found here.

Mostly importantly, if you are not sure if something is really cheating, ask your professors, academic integrity officers, T.A.s or academic advisors.

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Causes of Academic Dishonesty

Literature on academic dishonesty cites a number of factors that contribute to dishonest academic practices (Whitley & Keith-Spiegel, 2002). Contributing factors include:

Peer pressure

Performance anxiety, excuse making.

• Inability to manage the demands of student life

Situations that encourage academic dishonesty

Self-justification habits, unfamiliarity with what constitutes academic dishonesty.

• Lack of understanding about consequences

Check Your Understanding

What is one common cause for academic dishonesty?

Reveal Answer

A lack of familiarity with what constitutes academic dishonesty is one common cause.

Students can pressure other students to commit acts of academic dishonesty in many ways: pressuring others to work together or split assignments when course policies prohibit collaboration, seeing other students cheat and then joining them, engaging in academic dishonesty as a group and helping friends on assignments or exams when the professor has prohibited collaboration.

Anxiety about academic performance can cause some students to cheat in academic activities. Students may cheat to avoid failing a course or receiving a bad grade. Some students may use cheating as a way to cope with poor test-taking skills.

Some students blame their professors for their cheating, complaining that the professors expect too much or are too difficult to understand. Students also may use the excuse that the exams were unfair or a course was not in their major. Occasionally, students reason that other students are cheating, so they have no alternative but to cheat as well.

Inability to manage demands of student life

One of the most common reasons for academic dishonesty is students' inability to manage the pressures of their social and academic lives. Students who cannot plan and manage their workload and other activities and are usually behind in meeting their deadlines and can at times resort to cheating or plagiarism as an easy solution.

When course policies do not spell out clearly what students can and cannot do, or when an instructor is not careful in enforcing academic integrity standards, some students may use the situation to commit acts of academic dishonesty. If the penalties for violating academic integrity standards are minimal, some students may consider cheating to be worth the risk of being caught.

Some students engage in self-talk in order to justify their actions to themselves, even though those actions may not be appropriate. For example, they justify cheating by telling themselves that they were cheating:

• Only in one academic activity
• Because they were sick and couldn't catch up
• "This particular assignment is not very important"
• "I do not need this particular course for graduation, so it's okay"
• "No one will get hurt by this"
• "I had to help a friend in need"
• "The instructor doesn't really care"
• "Everyone cheats in this class"

When a course policy is not clear, what can I do to ensure my academic integrity?

Request from the instructor clarification on that course policy.

Some students genuinely may not know what constitutes cheating or plagiarism and may not ask the course instructor for clarification. Some instructors may assume students understand the guidelines already. As a result, students can unintentionally commit acts of academic dishonesty. Further, uncertainty about technological issues and, particularly, international students' unfamiliarity with American standards of academic integrity, can also lead to problems involving questions of academic integrity.

It is also important to mention that many students resist committing acts of academic dishonesty for a variety of reasons. These reasons include the recognition of the fact that it is wrong, desire to earn their grades, genuine interest in learning, concern about how they would feel in the long run if they cheat, fear of getting caught and the associated embarrassment and penalties, respect for course instructor and classmates, ability to manage their workload well, and religious beliefs.

Academic dishonesty can not be justified under any circumstances. A damaged academic reputation may take many years of ethical behavior to repair.

Take Quiz 2

• Definition and Types
• Consequences
• Cheating, Falsification, Fabrication and Sabotage
• Protecting Yourself

Academic Dishonesty: 5 Methods of Identifying Cheating and Plagiarism

One aspect of teaching that can make an instructor feel pessimistic and disheartening is when a student attempts to gain an unfair advantage.  Most of the time, this is labeled simply as cheating , defined as intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials on any academic exercise , or plagiarism , the appropriation or use of another person's ideas, results, or words without giving appropriate credit , but we see instances of fabrication and other acts of dishonesty.  What can you do to combat acts of academic dishonesty?  This article is meant to help faculty members at any level, even teaching assistants, identify possible occurrences of academic dishonesty.

Know Your School’s Policies & Be Transparent with Your Students

When you become a faculty member at a new institution, take a more extensive teaching role at your current institution, or even a long-time teacher implementing new curriculum changes, you must identify and know the school’s policy and rules regarding academic honesty and creating a fair classroom environment.  Each faculty member may enforce the rules differently, but it’s critical that the students know your classroom rules and expectations upfront. A few key items to consider:

• Do you want them to work with other students on their homework?
• What rules and procedures do you have for assignments, reports, and exams?
• Put this information in your syllabus and discuss this with them on Day 1 of your course with transparency. 

If one of your students performs an act of academic dishonesty in your course, this will allow you to enforce the sanctions professionally.  If you don’t know where to find this information, ask your faculty mentor or your university’s appropriate administrative office.  These offices are usually the academic honor office, the department or college office, or the Dean of Faculties office, depending on the institution.

2. Watch for the Methods Students Use to Cheat and Plagiarize

The reasons why students cheat have not changed, but how students cheat has changed dramatically.  Typically, there is an assumption that most cheaters are bad or failing students, but students cheat for a multitude of reasons: poor time management skills, a tough class schedule, stress, and anxiety, or poor communication of the rules by their faculty members.  The use of social media and other electronic resources has changed academia over the last 20 years. A few examples of some cheating methods to watch out for include:

• Social Media Communication: Students discuss test questions and individual assignments via social media and other chat apps to give their friends and colleagues academic advantages. 
• Smartphones: Many students take pictures of their answers with their smartphones and send them to others using text messages.
• Smartwatches: Recently, smartwatches have become more prevalent and allow communication and internet browsing without the use of a cell phone.  They allow students to access study files and answers that were not authorized by the faculty member. 
• Groups that Share Tests: Many student organizations have tests and assignments from previous semesters that allow students to look up questions from a faculty member or specific class. 
• Unauthorized Help: Tutoring services will discuss how to “beat a test” or “write the perfect paper” by giving students unauthorized aid. This can also include groups or individuals who may offer to write a paper or take a test for a fee on behalf of the student.

Being smart as a faculty member is knowing that these outside resources are available and to identify when they are being used improperly.

3. Be Proactive, Not Just Reactive

For some instances of academic dishonesty, the origin of the problem comes back to the faculty member not taking a proactive role in combating the acts.

• Full Established Boundaries: The first place for immediate improvement is the discussion of unacceptable acts on the first day of class and syllabus.  Many faculty members will only include the minimum required statement in their syllabus.  This does not properly set student academic honesty boundaries.  Establishing such boundaries might be informing students of the use of plagiarism detection software, describing acceptable behavior and communication about assignments on social media, or acceptable help on homework, essays, and reports.
• Variety in Assessment: Another place where faculty can improve is writing different assignments or multiple forms for exams.  Changing up how you ask questions, what essay question prompts you to use, and creating different forms for exams can be time-consuming. However, this effort will reward students with a fair and objective assessment.  If you are concerned with academic dishonesty in your course, putting in some work early will benefit your course in the long run.

4. Grade Assignments, Reports, and Essays Attentively

Most of the time, trust your own feelings when looking for possible occurrences of academic dishonesty.  When grading assignments, if the work seems more advanced than the student’s level or that they do not seem to follow the question prompt, this can be a strong indication of plagiarism. A few ways to validate these concerns and provide either “proof” or deterrents of this behavior include:

• Show Your Work: Require multiple drafts of a paper and give feedback regarding citation standards throughout the writing process. 
• Side-by-Side Grading: If you have research papers or lab reports in which students worked with a partner or in a group, grade the assignments side-by-side.  While the data or general content may be the same, direct copying will be more apparent. 
• Online Plagiarism Checkers: Technology has been developed to help identify plagiarism.  Websites such as Turnitin.com , Unicheck , PlagarismSearch , and others have students upload their essays/reports then compare all submissions to other online resources and papers turned in for other courses or at other institutions.  Many schools have licenses for this technology and you should utilize it on any type of critical thinking or writing assignment.

5. Manage Exam Administration and Proctoring

Most attention is focused on deterring cheating is during exams.  A few methods that can specifically help discourage academic dishonesty during these high-stake assessments include:

Assigned Seats: A good first step is to assign seats for each exam. While this might be challenging for a large lecture hall, it minimizes the chance of friends and study partners sitting next to each other; thereby limiting the student interaction.  It also allows faculty or proctors to know who is present to take the exam.

• Variety & Alterations by Section: As mentioned before, having multiple forms of an exam can be a great preventive for cheating.  Having different exam forms with the same questions mixed in a different order, or similar questions about the same are all small, minor changes that can promote an honest testing environment.

One topic of test administration that does not get enough attention is proctoring.  In a small classroom, there may be only one adult in a 20-40 student class.  For larger lectures containing 200-400 students, teaching assistants help faculty make sure students are taking their exams honestly.  How can proctors create an honest environment? 

• They must proctor actively:  Many proctors distribute exams and then ignore the students to grade other assignments, work on their computers, look at their cell phone or possibly leave the room.  After you pass out the exams, you should walk around, checking for anything suspicious, and watching for students looking at other exams.  If you spot any of these behaviors, make an immediate change. 
• Reminders About the Rules: Announcements about looking at their own paper can only help so much, so moving students to correct behavior might be necessary.  Having another set of eyes and having another presence in the room, even for a brief time, can correct behavior. 
• Instructor Collaboration: Faculty members that do have test proctors should meet with them before the exam, explain to them the correct protocols, and describe past experiences or issues that occur during exams.  This five-minute discussion will help a test proctor during a situation they have never faced and keep them actively involved during the exam session.

While cheating and plagiarism can cause many faculty members to become frustrated, being able to give your students a fair testing environments and objective assignment is the goal of all successful educators. 

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Plagiarism & Academic Integrity

• Academic Integrity

Types of Academic Dishonesty

• How to Avoid Plagiarism: Citing
• Citing Direct Quotes
• Paraphrasing
• Summarizing
• Try It! Identifying Plagiarism
• Understanding a Turnitin Report

There are many types of academic dishonesty - some are obvious, while some are less obvious.

• Misrepresentation ;
• Conspiracy ;
• Fabrication ;
• Collusion ;
• Duplicate Submission ;
• Academic Misconduct ;
• Improper Computer/Calculator Use ;
• Improper Online, TeleWeb, and Blended Course Use ;
• Disruptive Behavior ;
• and last, but certainly not least, PLAGIARISM .

We will discuss each of these types of academic dishonesty in more detail below. Plagiarism is the most common type of academic dishonesty, and also the easiest type to commit on accident! See the plagiarism page for more info about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it in your work.

Cheating is taking or giving any information or material which will be used to determine academic credit.

  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.
• Collaborating on an in-class or take-home test without the professor's permission.
• Having someone else write or plan a paper for you.

  Bribery takes on two forms:

• Bribing someone for an academic advantage, or accepting such a bribe (i.e. a student offers a professor money, goods, or services in exchange for a passing grade, or a professor accepts this bribe).
• Using an academic advantage as a bribe (i.e. a professor offers a student a passing grade in exchange for money, goods, or services, or a student accepts this bribe).

Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation is any act or omission that is intented to deceive an instructor for academic advantage. Misrepresentation includes lying to an instructor in an attempt to increase your grade, or lying to an instructor when confronted with allegations of academic dishonesty.

Conspiracy means working together with one or more persons to commit or attempt to commit academic dishonesty.

Fabrication

Fabrication is the use of invented or misrepresentative information. Fabrication most often occurs in the sciences, when students create or alter experimental data. Listing a source in your works cited that you did not actually use in your research is also fabrication.

Collusion is the act of two or more students working together on an individual assignment.

Duplicate Submission

A duplicate submission means a student submits the same paper for two different classes. If a student submits the same paper for two different classes within the same semester, the student must have the permission of both instructors. If a student submits the same paper for two different classes in different semesters, the student must have the permission of their current instructor.

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct is the violation of college policies by tampering with grades or by obtaining and/or distributing any part of a test or assignment. For example:

• Obtaining a copy of a test before the test is admisistered.
• Distributing, either for money or for free, a test before it is administered.
• Encouraging others to obtain a copy of a test before the test is administered.
• Changing grades in a gradebook, on a computer, or on an assignment.
• Continuing to work on a test after time is called.

Improper Computer/Calculator Use

Improper computer/calculator use includes:

• Unauthorized use of computer or calculator programs.
• Selling or giving away information stored on a computer or calculator which will be submitted for a grade.
• Sharing test or assignment answers on a calculator or computer.

Improper Online, TeleWeb, and Blended Course Use

Improper online, teleweb, and blended course use includes:

• Accepting or providing outside help on online assignments or tests.
• Obtaining test materials or questions before the test is administered.

Disruptive Behavior

Disruptive behavior is any behavior that interfers with the teaching/learning process. Disruptive bahavior includes:

• Disrespecting a professor or another student, in class or online.
• Talking, texting, or viewing material unrelated to the course during a lecture.
• Failing to silence your cell phone during class.
• Posting inappropriate material or material unrealted to the course on discussion boards.
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What is Academic Dishonesty?

Students are expected to take responsibility for their learning. To assist students in understanding scholarly expectations, the following actions are examples of violations of the Student Academic Integrity Policy . Please note that this list is not exhaustive .

Example violations

• Submitting shared work as individual
• Submitting assignment or paper more than once
• Using unauthorized source to receive or share information during the exam
• Submitting a purchased assignment or essay
• Falsifying doucments (eg. doctors note) to gain an advantage
• Access exam information from an unauthorized source (pay to pass)

1. Plagiarism

It is your first term at SFU and you have to write a ten page final paper for your History course. You find yourself pushed for time as you juggle completing your paper, studying for your final exams, and completing your volunteer work at your local charity. As you write the outline for your paper, you cut and paste sections from the internet that you find will be helpful in supporting your thesis statement. As you finish your papers, you realise that you have forgotten where you got the information from. Since your paper is due, you do your best to cite what you can remember but do not make mention of all the sources you used when you submit the paper.

By not providing accurate citations, you have failed to acknowledge the work of another author, which devalues the work of that author. S2.3.1

Good academic writing consists of researching information from relevant sources, giving credit for those previous ideas through proper citation, and assembling them in a manner that conveys your original interpretation, opinion or idea.  Moreover, good study habits require good time management skills. Take the plagiarism tutorial to find out how to avoid academic misconduct. The Student Learning Commons has excellent information on Time Management as well as staff who can help you develop your writing practice.

Likely penalty : Consideration given for first offense by new student.

• Paper needs to be re-done with proper citations.
• Attendance at the SLC workshop entitled “Using Sources in Your Paper?”
• Reduction of final grade by one letter grade.

2. Submitting shared work as individual work (Collusion)

You have enrolled in an economics course with several friends who are in your program. The course instructor has specified that all the online exams must be completed individually. Since you and your friends have found that collaborating has worked well in other courses, you text each other during the exam to check on how you are answering the questions.

Collaborating on assignments without the permission of the instructor is considered to be collusion and is an academic integrity offense as per s. 2.3.6. Unauthorized access of information pertaining to the examination is considered cheating and using a mobile phone or any other device without permission is prohibited under s.2.3.3.

It is important to learn the difference between collusion and collaboration. Collusion is a form of cheating that occurs when work is submitted as individual work even though the work was not done individually. Collaborating on assignments is encouraged and permitted when the instructor has assigned a team project. Collusion during exams provdes an unfair advantage and is counter to the fundamental premise of academic integrity.

Likely penalty : Zero on the exam.

3. Submitting an assignment or paper more than once (Cheating)

You are in your second year in the Criminology program. You are assigned a final essay for the class, and you realise that you have already written an essay on a very similar topic for your Health Sciences course in a previous term. Your Health Sciences paper was well researched, had proper citations, and received a very good mark. You modify the introduction and conclusion and make minor changes so that the paper can be submitted with a new title for your Criminology course. You decide re-submitting your assignment will give you more time to focus on your other courses, and you do not check with your instructor if this is allowed.

Students cannot re-submit the same (or substantially the same) essay, project, presentation, or other assignment more than once, unless prior approval has been obtained from the instructor. You are receiving additional credit for a new course without engaging in a process where you will learn new material. In addition, this is not fair to the other students in your class who are producing an original paper. S 2.3.2

SFU encourages students to take courses from different disciplines so that each graduating student has been exposed to a broad range of perspectives. Each course is an opportunity to build your existing knowledge base. Speak to your instructor during office hours about your previous assignments if you wish to discuss how previous work can be used as a building block for future work, and remember to cite yourself in the new paper.

Likely penalty : Zero on the work

4. Using any unauthourized source to receive or share information during the exam

You have found it difficult to remain interested in an elective course during remote instruction and are having difficulty staying focussed with online assignments. You have done poorly on the mid-term and do not know what to focus your attention on when studying for the final exam. Even though you know it is prohibited, you decide to visit online websites during the exam as you feel the instructor has demanded an unreasonable amount of information to be memorized. 

Unauthorized access of information pertaining to the examination is considered to be cheating and accessing web pages during online exams or using a mobile phoneor any other device without permission is prohibited under S2.3.3. By cheating in an exam, you are gaining an unfair advantage in the course compared to the other students in the class.

Speaking to your instructor or TA during office hours is a valuable opportunity to understand an instructor’s expectations and clarify any confusion you have on the course material. Poor time management leads to unnecessary stress and exam anxiety. Meet with someone at the  Student Learning Commons  to discuss your concerns and learn tools for effective time management.

Likely penalty:  FD grade imposed by Chair for second offense

5. Submitting a purchased assignment or essay (Contract Cheating)

In your first year, you received a warning for improper citation, and a report of academic dishonesty for plagiarism was placed on your file. You are now in your third year in the Faculty of Science and are enrolled in a Philosophy course to satisfy your Writing/Breadth Humanities requirement. You have done well in all of your science courses but have done poorly on the Philosophy assignments. The final paper required for Philosophy is worth 50% of the grade and you need a good mark in the essay to pass the course. You search online for essay writing tips and come across a website that offers originally written essays with a “plagiarism-free guarantee” for a reasonable price. You decide that it is in your best interest to purchase an essay for the Philosophy course as it is outside of your major and you cannot afford to fail a course.

Submitting work as one’s own when it has been purchased or acquired from another source is a very serious academic integrity violation. Even though you are paying for the purchased work, you are presenting yourself to be the creator of work that you did not contribute to. S. 2.3.4. Furthermore, this behavior is unfair to the other students in the class who have invested their time into completing the work themselves.

Good academic writing is a valuable skill in academia and in the work place. Being able to communicate in writing in a variety of styles and to a range of audiences is a highly prized skill, and is one of the hallmarks of a well-educated person. Purchasing an essay is a short-term solution to a larger problem of knowing how to write well. Fortunately, there are many excellent resources to develop your writing. Remember, good writing is not learned in just one course but develops over time. The  Student Learning Commons  offers free writing consultations and workshops to develop and improve effective academic writing. Students with English as an Additional Language can also receive in-person support through the Academic English Coaching program.

Likely penalty: FD grade imposed by Chair for second offense

6. Falsifying documents ( eg , Doctor’s note) to gain an advantage

You are in your final year of your degree program. For the past two years you have supported yourself with a part-time job and student loans. You have applied to graduate school and need to get an A  in a required course in order to be competitive for the graduate program. You have been very stressed during the final exam period. As you head into final exams, you believe that you are not prepared enough. A friend offers to create a fake medical note to buy you some time. You decide that a one week extension will make a big difference and inform your instructor that you cannot write the exam due to illness. You submit a forged medical note.  

Engaging in misrepresentation, including falsifying documents, to gain an advantage in a course, is a serious offense of the Academic Integrity policy under s. 2.3.10. By misrepresenting your situation, you are attempting to unfairly get an advantage (more time to study) in a course that the other students in the class do not have. Remember that any type of document alteration violates the Academic Integrity policy, such as altering test answers after you have received your test back, or submitting a falsified documentation to excuse an absence.  

Speaking to your instructor or TA about your concerns is always a better approach than misrepresenting your situation. Lying to an instructor or staff is considered a very serious offense and forging documentation is fraud. If you are worried about managing your course load, seek out help early on from your academic advisor, your instructor, or contact the  SFU Health and Counselling  team for support.

Likely penalty: FD grade imposed by Chair – FD grades remain on transcript for two years after graduation and limits chances of acceptance to graduate school.

7. Accessing exam information from an unauthorized source (Pay to Pass)

You have to take a required course in statistics for your major. You are worried because you have not done well in your previous quantitative courses and are concerned you may fail the course. You see an advertisement from a company that promised to offer tutoring services that guarantees a B+ grade if you attend a tutorial on preparing for that course’s final exam. At the tutorial, you are provided you with a list of exam questions previously used for the course along with answers to the test questions.

Obtaining unauthorized examination material is a serious violation of the academic integrity policy. Sharing, selling or using an instructor’s proprietary instructional, examination or other course materials is listed as an offense under s. 2.3.15. Furthermore, an instructor course materials (PowerPoint slides, lecture notes, exams, etc.) are all protected by Copyright law. Sharing or selling an instructor’s proprietary work is strictly prohibited.

By engaging in the services of a Pay to Pass company, you put yourself at risk of being sanctioned by the University. More importantly, you will not learn the material needed to be successful in your academics of future career.