Academic Integrity Notes for the Winter Term…
Posted February 5th, 2010 by pearsonhWe are finishing the fifth week in our term and by now many of you are probably surrounded with lots of exciting tests and papers. As you work to successfully navigate the remainder of this term, we want to start a conversation about academic dishonesty and provide some tips for avoiding academic dishonesty in your work.
First and foremost, some definitions… Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 576-015-0020 (1.a) defines academic dishonesty “as an intentional act of deception in which a student seeks to claim credit for the work or effort of another person or uses unauthorized materials or fabricated information in any academic work.”
At Oregon State, through OAR 576-015-0020 (1.b), academic dishonesty is broken up into five different parts.
- Cheating: intentional use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information, or study aids
- Fabrication: intentional falsification or invention of any information
- Assisting: intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another commit an act of dishonesty
- Tampering: altering or interfering with evaluation instruments and documents
- Plagiarism: intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another person as one’s own
So what does this mean in a college classroom? There are a variety of different actions that could be considered being academically dishonest beyond the old image of looking for answers on another person’s test. It is important to be mindful in your coursework and if you are unsure about what you are doing to clarify with questions.
TIPS!!!
- Talk to your professors. Ask them questions if you are unsure about an assignment or test.
- Time Management: look at your syllabi and make a plan to provide ample time to complete any work required for class. Also, it will help you to see if you have any questions for your professor to address before something is due.
- Utilize campus resources such as the Center for Writing and Learning or Academic Success Center in Waldo Hall. If you have a question about citing, they can look at your paper and address your citation questions to help you avoid plagiarism. Not to mention they can help you with your writing!
WHEN IN DOUBT, ALWAYS ASK!
Good luck with the rest of the term and Go Beavers!
Campus Resource Information:
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) Programs
5th floor, Snell hall
541.737.2131
http://oregonstate.edu/counsel/
Academic Success Center
102 Waldo Hall
541.737.2272
http://success.oregonstate.edu/
Center for Writing and Learning
123 Waldo Hall
541.737.2930
Disability Access Services
A-200 Kerr
541.737.4098
http://ds.oregonstate.edu/home/
International Education
444 Snell
541.737.3006