Students who cheat, cheat themselves and their fellow students most of all by destroying the atmosphere of trust that best enables learning and academic excellence. Below is some general advice that might help you avoid academic dishonesty or the appearance of it.
Knowing the Code
Knowing Instructors' Policies
Avoiding Dishonesty
If You're Accused
I. Knowing the Code
Students are responsible for knowing the Code of Academic Integrity. Familiarize yourself with it.
- Spend some time learning how honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility are all important for creating at atmosphere of integrity.
- Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the behaviors (plagiarism, cheating, false information, etc.) that are considered academically dishonest.
- Talk to your friends about academic integrity.
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II. Knowing Instructors' Policies
Students are responsible for knowing the integrity policies of their instructors. Read your syllabi and learn them.
- Faculty might fail you for the assignment or for the entire course.
- Faculty may ask you to sign an integrity pledge at the beginning of the semester or whenever you submit a written assignment.
- Just because a faculty member does not address explicitly academic integrity that does not mean you are exempt from the Code in that class.
- In cases of first offenses, penalties are set by your individual instructors.
- In cases of repeated offenses, the case may be directed to the appropriate Associate Dean or to the Community Standards Board, which could recommend sanctions of: notation on official transcripts, probation, suspension, or degree revocation.
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III. Avoiding Dishonesty
Students are expected to learn how to avoid academic dishonesty or the appearance of it. Follow this advice.
In general:
- Remember that you are in college, not high school, and you should expect that the standards for academic achievement and personal character are higher.
- Do all your work with integrity, even if some professors seem not to care much about it, so that you don't fall into the habit of imagining that because one might not seem to care that none of the others do.
- Learn the different expectations for research and citation in different disciplines and departments. Expect differences and pay attention to them.
- Don't procrastinate in preparing assignments and studying for exams. Desperation is no excuse for academic dishonesty.
- Don't share your work with other students; don't lend your work to help other students; don't leave unfinished assignemnts lying around for others to find.
- Protect your passwords and computer files; don't let others use your computer; don't e-mail your work to other students.
- When in doubt, ask your instructor about practices that might be seen as dishonest.
- Follow the rules of each course and especially those of any given assignment.
- Learn how to quote, how to paraphrase, and how to explain your use of others' ideas according to the research and citation standards of the discipline and department of the course you are taking.
- Acknowlegde when you have received the help of others, such as suggestions or proofreading, but do not work with another person to write your essay unless you have permission of your instructor.
- Keep photocopies of drafts and notes, including electronic files, as a record that you did, in fact, do the work on your own.
- When in doubt, ask your instructor for clarification.
- Do not sit near friends. Do not let someone look at your answers. Keep your eyes pointed in the vicinity of your own paper.
- Do not bring in notes or books except those expressly permitted by the instructor.
- Do not talk or communicate in any way with others in or out of the room.
- Report to the proctor or instructor immediately if others are giving information about tests and exams before or during them.
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IV. If You're Accused
If you are accused of academic dishonesty:
- You may feel angry at your accuser, even though he or she is just trying to make an honest and trusting academic environment. Try to contain your feelings so that you do not say something you will regret later.
- Accusers are obligated by the Code to investigate allegations of dishonesty. Just answer questions honestly.
- Determination of dishonesty is based on the facts of the incident and whether it is more likely than not that a person is responsible for the alleged violation(s).
- There is an appeal process.
- Students may seek the advice of the college ombudsman in appeals. Contact the Ombudsman at jdamico@canisius.edu.
- Records are manitained for five years after a student graduates from the college.
- Violations of academic integrity may be reported to schools to which students later seek entry.
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Click here to download a copy of Questions and Answers (Adobe Acrobat PDF) about what to expect if you are accused of academic dishonesty.
If you wish to appeal an case where you have been found responsible for academic dishonesty, you make seek the help of the college Ombudsman. Contact the Ombudsman at jdamico@canisius.edu.
If you have ideas for or comments about this site, please contact Barbara Porter at porterb@canisius.edu.