Academic Integrity

Cheating can be defined as action taken by a student to gain assessment marks. 

Examples:

• Using a prohibited device, applications or aids during completion of an assessment.
• Not following appropriate testing procedures.
• Improper or disruptive behaviour during an assessment.

Honesty is a fundamental value of academic integrity and requires that all students act in an honest behaviour at the College. If you remain organized with good time management skills, you will not find yourself in a position to make this mistake. In the event you do fall behind or need help, all you need to do is ask from your faculty or the services available at the college.

Contract Cheating

Contract cheating is considered a separate form of cheating that has become prevalent in many institutions. It can come in a variety of forms where there is monetary or non-monetary exchange for work. Watch the video below to understand the perils of contract cheating.

Examples:

• Having another person provide original work (ghostwriters).
• Having another person provide other academic work (labs, homework, reflective posts, presentations).
• Having another person complete online or in-person assessments or attend mandatory classes on your behalf.
• Having another person provide professionally edited versions of your work for submission.

Copyright Infringement is the reproduction of a work which is protected by copyright, in whole or a substantial proportion of, without expressed permission or legal authority.

Examples:

• Photocopying or scanning of significant portions of written materials (such as textbooks) beyond that which is acceptable for personal use or study.
• Creation of digital copies of protected materials, including movies, music, and books.
• Selling of copies of protected materials to others.
• Uploading College owned course materials to on-line "study sites", such as CourseHero.

Always make sure you are purchasing/using legitimate copies of materials. While students do have limited rights to copy excerpts of materials for their own personal study, it is important to know there are limits and penalties for going beyond those limits. If in doubt, library staff can assist you in navigating through what materials and portions of materials can be copied.

False Identity is any act in which a person participates in an assessment or mandatory activity in the place of a student.

Examples:

• Logging in to a student's account and completing an assessment for them.
• Attending an exam in lieu of the registered student.

Forgery is defined as an act of producing a copy of a document or signature for which you are not legally entitled to create/sign, and in some cases could be considered a criminal offense.

Examples:

• Creating and/or submitting false documents such as employer co-op/placement/applied project feedback.
• Creating and/or submitting medical notes, reports, and/or signing another person’s name.

Ensure you keep track of all documentation required for your program and the applicable deadlines. Proper time management and organization are sure ways to keep ahead of deadlines and prevent you from making a mistake like this that could come with significant consequences.

Plagiarism is defined as taking someone's work or ideas and attempting to submit as your own.

Examples:

• Submitting material that is paraphrased or copied verbatim from a source without citations.
• Submitting an assignment copied from another student with or without their knowledge.
• Submission of an assignment written by a third party and submitted as your own.
• Submission of a group assignment, where one member has not provided proper citations.
• Resubmitting your own work that has already been submitted for grading in another course or program.

Whether or not the action is done intentionally or unintentionally there are severe consequences that may occur. Always give credit where credit is due!

Sabotage can be defined as any act that intentionally hinders the academic success of another student or group of students. 

Examples:

• Preventing another student from completing their assignment.
• Destroying or deleting someone's work or files.
• Removing or destroying materials needed by others.

Violations made with intent, such as sabotage, may come with higher-level sanctions that will affect your own academic success and progression in your program.

Unauthorized Collaboration can be defined as working with one or more individuals to complete required coursework without the permission of your faculty.

Examples:

• Splitting up assignment questions among a group and sharing the answers to decrease your workload.
• Talking with a classmate during a test or exam.
• Completing an independent assignment with the help of classmates or friends.

Collaboration Online

With the increase of social media platforms and venues, it is important to recognize what is considered appropriate academic behaviour in an online environment. Before posting, commenting, or sharing information about your academic work, be sure you understand the potential risks involved in doing so. 

• Has your faculty member told you it is okay to collaborate on the assignment with classmates?
• If you post parts of your assignment details online, are you infringing on the copyrights of the College or the course faculty?
• If you post specific examples/questions will this leave a footprint online that would give future students an unfair advantage?
• If you answer someone's questions about an assignment will you be aiding academic dishonesty by helping them complete their work?

These are all tough questions, and you may not always have the answers. First and foremost ensure you understand the assignment and ask your faculty member if it is okay to seek help from others, or for you to give help to others in your class.