Breaches of Academic Integrity

As a member of the SUNY Empire State College learning community, you will be called upon frequently to demonstrate and share your knowledge. It is through these written assignments and projects that you participate in the exchange and evaluation of ideas. The following list illustrates examples of behaviors that compromise the fundamental values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility that characterize a community of academic integrity.

Cheating

  • Submitting identical or similar work for which you have already received credit in another course or study without prior permission.
  • Allowing another to do one's work and submitting that work under one's own name.

Fabrication

  • Inventing data, information or citations in an assignment or project.
  • Gathering or collecting data outside of standard guidelines defining appropriate methods.
  • Failing to include an accurate account of data collection methods.

Misrepresentation

  • Making an intentional false statement or forging documents in an assignment, research project or an investigation.
  • Misusing data to draw conclusions that may not be warranted by the evidence presented.

Plagiarism

  • Submitting material, in part or in whole, that is not entirely one's own work, without proper attribution of the source.
  • Paraphrasing ideas, data, or writing without proper acknowledgement of the source.
  • Using another's data or code in completing a computer exercise. Follow this link to learn more about recognizing and avoiding plagiarism.

Unauthorized Collaboration

  • Submitting work for individual credit, after a group shares work on an assignment, without permission of the instructor.

Abuses of Confidentiality

  • Using personal or proprietary information without permission.
  • Appropriating unauthorized information from another's personal papers or a funded research project.

Damaging, Stealing or Misusing the Property of the College and Others

  • Obstructing, interfering or tampering with another's academic work with the intent of advancing one's personal position.
  • Misusing computer resources.
  • Making unauthorized use or distribution of software, text, electronic media or images without obtaining copyright permission.

Conflict of Interest

  • Allowing one's private interests (professional, personal, familiar, financial, etc.) to interfere with one's professional obligations as a member of the larger academic community.

Aiding and Abetting Academic Dishonesty

  • Providing material, information or assistance to another who commits a violation of academic integrity.

Note: SUNY Empire faculty and staff have access to a Plagiarism Comparison Tool .

Test Your Knowledge:  try a brief quiz to review some real-life situations.