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Academic Integrity

Academic integrity means doing your own work, not cheating, providing sources when doing research, and not violating copyright. Each student is responsible for the academic integrity of all work completed for a given course

Honesty in academic work is a central element of the learning environment. The presentation of another individual's work as one's own or the act of seeking unfair academic advantage through cheating, plagiarism or other dishonest means are violations of the College's Code of Conduct. Failure to abide by the terms and conditions of the Code of Conduct can result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the College.

Yavapai College's policy regarding academic integrity is in the Student Code of Conduct.


Plagiarism is defined as submitting any academic work which is not entirely the work of the student, deliberately or accidentally. This can include, but is not limited to, such practices as not giving proper credit to a source, expanding someone else’s work without giving proper credit, adopting another’s work as one’s own (including the copying of print or electronic media), directly using someone else’s ideas without giving proper credit, and deliberately changing selective words to misrepresent someone else’s work as one’s own.

There are serious consequences if plagiarism is found in your work. Not only could you receive an "F" in the class, you could be stripped of your degree!

Plagiarism can happen by mistake as well, but ignorance about plagiarism is no excuse. Plagiarism can be as simple as improperly citing sources! If you are unaware of how to properly cite your source, or need to learn more, watch this fascinating video to help you understand plagiarism. Take the quizzes provided in the video to better understand what it is and how it can affect you.

Avoid Plagiarism by providing credit when you use another person's ideas, images, words, theories or other tangible works.

Always give credit where credit is due and cite your sources.

Turnitin

Many instructors use software to check work for plagiarism called "Turnitin", which works within your online course. It scans your work, and provides results as to how much information is your own and how much is that of others.


Cheating

Cheating is defined as submitting assignments, examinations, or other work which is based on deception or misrepresentation of the individual’s own work. Cheating includes the furnishing of materials to another person for purposes of aiding that person to gain unfair academic advantage.


Violation of Copyright

The unauthorized reproduction or use of copyrighted material, whether print or electronic media, is considered an act of academic dishonesty. In addition, the violator may be subject to legal penalty since such practice is illegal.

The fair use doctrine in US Copyright law does allow for the use of copyrighted works in some academic situations. This document provides a good overview of how fair use works for students.


Penalties

The following penalties may be applied in instances of academic dishonesty:

  • A grade of “F” (Failure) may be awarded for the assignment in which academic dishonesty occurred or for the entire course regardless of the length of time the student has been in attendance. The grade of “F” will override or supersede any student-initiated withdrawal from the course.
  • Dismissal from the College may occur if a student is found to have committed an act of academic dishonesty. The length or time period of the dismissal will depend on the nature of the offense and may include permanent dismissal.
  • Legal measures may be taken by Yavapai College.