Academic Integrity
All course submissions, whether in draft or final form, to meet course requirements (including a paper, project, exam, computer program, oral presentation, or other work) must either be the student’s own, original work, or must clearly acknowledge any other source used. This includes any use of generative artificial intelligence (AI).
DEFINITIONS OF PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING
1) Definition of Plagiarism - Plagiarism is defined as the act of using the ideas or works as one’s own without giving credit to the source, including artificially-generated content. Such an act is not plagiarism if it is ascertained that the ideas were arrived at through independent reasoning or logic or where the thought or idea is common knowledge.
Acknowledgment of an original author or source must be made through appropriate references, i.e., quotation marks, footnotes, or commentary. Examples of plagiarism include but are not limited to, the following: the submission of work, whether in part or in whole, completed by another; failure to give credit for ideas, statements, facts, or conclusions that rightfully belong to another; in written work, failure to use quotations marks when quoting directly from another, whether it be a paragraph, a sentence, or even a part thereof; close and lengthy paraphrasing of another's writing or programming. A student who is in doubt about the extent of acceptable paraphrasing should consult the instructor.
Students are cautioned that, in conducting their research, they should prepare their notes by (a) either quoting material exactly (using quotation marks) at the time they take notes from a source; or (b) departing completely from the language used in the source, putting the material into their own words. In this way, when the material is used in the paper or project, the student can avoid plagiarism resulting from the verbatim use of notes. Both quoted and paraphrased materials must be given proper citations.
2) Definition of Cheating - Cheating is defined as the act of obtaining, attempting to obtain, or aiding another to obtain academic credit for work by the use of any dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means. Examples of cheating during an examination include, but are not limited to, the following: copying, either in part or in whole, from another's test or examination; discussion of answers or ideas relating to the answers on an examination or test unless the such discussion is specifically authorized by the instructor; giving or receiving copies of an examination without the permission of the instructor; using or displaying notes, "cheat sheets," or other information or devices inappropriate to the prescribed test conditions, as when a test of competence includes a test of unassisted recall of information, skill, or procedure; allowing someone other than the officially enrolled student to represent the same. Also included is plagiarism as defined and altering or interfering with the grading procedures.
Generative AI
Absent a clear statement from a course instructor, use of or consultation with generative AI shall be treated analogously to assistance from another person. In particular, using generative AI tools to substantially complete an assignment or exam (e.g. by entering exam or assignment questions) is not permitted. Students should acknowledge the use of generative AI to develop any content of an assignment and should default to disclosing such assistance when in doubt.
Individual course instructors have the authority to set their own policies regulating the use of generative AI tools in their courses, including allowing or disallowing some or all uses of such tools. Such policies will be identified in the course syllabus and clearly communicated to students in their course orientation materials. Students who are unsure of policies regarding generative AI tools are encouraged to ask their instructors for clarification. Students determined to be using generative AI tools inconsistently with the course syllabus will be subject to the college’s student conduct policy.
