Definitions

Members of the Jacksonville University community are expected to foster and uphold the highest standards of honesty and integrity, which are foundations for the intellectual endeavors we engage in. To underscore the importance of truth, honesty, and accountability, students and instructors should adhere to the following standard:

I do not lie, cheat, or steal, nor do I condone the actions of those who do

The Jacksonville University Faculty have adopted an Academic Integrity Pledge:

As a student of Jacksonville University, I pledge to uphold the values of academic integrity.

I will be honest in all my dealings with faculty, staff and students,

I will cultivate an atmosphere of trust by being trustworthy,

I will treat all members of the community with fairness,

I will respect the dignity and value of all persons, and

I will take responsibility for my actions.

Academic misconduct occurs when a student engages in an action that is deceitful, fraudulent, or dishonest regarding any type of academic assignment that is intended to or results in an unfair academic advantage. In this context, the term “assignment” refers to any type of graded or ungraded work that is submitted for evaluation for any course. Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to cheating, collusion, falsification, misrepresentation, unauthorized collaboration on assignments, copying another student’s work, using or providing unauthorized notes or materials, turning in work not produced by the individual, and plagiarism. Furthermore, providing deceitful, fraudulent, or dishonest information during discussions of an academic manner with faculty are also examples of academic misconduct.

Specific examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to the following:

Using unauthorized notes or other unauthorized resources for an exam or assignment.
Sharing information about a test or quiz with others if you take the test or quiz earlier than other students.
Copying answers from someone else, such as on a test, quiz, lab report, assignment, etc.
Presenting any false material as genuine, such as falsified data, false resources, false citations, etc.
Turning in the same or significantly similar assignment to more than one class without first obtaining explicit permission from the instructors.
Falsifying class records or other materials submitted to comply with course requirements or to obtain course credit, including providing false information regarding class attendance, attendance at a required event or an event for which credit will be given, or attendance at an internship or other required service.
Misrepresenting the truth or lying in an effort to receive an extension of a due date, reschedule a test date, or any obtain any other unfair academic advantage.
Lying to a faculty member when approached about an incidence of academic misconduct. In this instance, lying about an instance of academic misconduct only compounds the dishonesty and is further disrespect to the faculty member and the academic system.
Facilitating any misconduct by another student. This includes helping another student engage in academic misconduct as well as pressuring or coercing another student into assisting in academic misconduct.
Substituting one person for another to take a course, test, or any other academic assessment.
Purposefully impeding others from academic progress.
Plagiarism centers on representing another’s work as your own.
- Copying someone else’s work and/or words without using quotes and proper citation.
- Paraphrasing someone else’s work and/or original ideas without proper citation.
- Using someone else’s train of thought, ideas, conclusions, logic, etc., without proper citation.

Ways to avoid academic misconduct:

Always do your own work.
Never “copy and paste” information into a document that you will end up turning in.
If you “copy and paste” information into a document, always put it in quotation marks and then put a citation.
Never lend your work to others, and do not borrow work from others.
If you are conducting a group project and a member of the group is not participating, contact the instructor and/or do not put that student’s name on the end product.
Ensure that any collaborative work adheres to the guidelines set by the instructor. If you are engaged in a collaboration that seems like it might be unauthorized, seek clarification from your instructor.
Review this section of the catalog (Academic Honesty) frequently.
Recognize the importance of communication and clarification. Understanding what does and does not constitute academic misconduct is the responsibility of each individual and thus each individual should seek clarification on matters of academic integrity and misconduct.
- Clarify with your instructor what is authorized and what is not authorized regarding use of materials, collaboration, etc.
- If you have any questions regarding whether something is considered academic misconduct, consult your instructor if it is class or assignment specific, or your academic advisor.
- Certain types of plagiarism are not as obvious as other types. However, unintentional plagiarism is still plagiarism, so actively work to understand what does and does not constitute plagiarism.