Academic Integrity: FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Cheating and Plagiarism

Cheating:

Cheating involves soliciting or receiving unauthorized assistance on an assignment, quiz, test, etc. This assistance could originate with an individual, group of individuals, print or digital source. Responsibility for knowing a professor’s policy on assistance lies with the student.

What happens to me if one of my professors finds me to have cheated?

You are responsible for knowing your individual professor’s policy on cheating. Check with him or her before the assignment is due if you feel there might be relevant cheating concerns.

What can I expect the procedure to be if the matter is brought before the Council on Academic Integrity?

Learn about the steps that follow an act of academic dishonesty.

View the rights of the accused, the accuser, and the witness.

What sort of penalties have can be brought to bear in cases where the Council on Academic Integrity brings charges of cheating?

Level One Penalties (for first-time offenders) can include oral reprimand and warnings, written reprimands, failing grades, papers and presentations, and/or probation.

Level Two Penalties (for very serious infractions and/or repeat offenders) can include suspension and expulsion.

Level Three Penalities can include other penalties in place of or in addition to those listed above.

For additional explanation of Level One, Two and Three Penalties, please refer to Article XVI of the Constitution of The Council on Academic Integrity.

What should I do if I suspect I know of a case of cheating?

A student suspecting that he/she knows about an instance or instances of cheating in an academic context must inform the relevant professor(s) of all pertinent details.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism involves using another’s words or ideas without proper attribution. Proper attribution involves citation in accordance with your professor’s specifications. Responsibility for knowing what these specifications are lies with the student. However, research assistance is provided by both the RBC Library staff and the RBC Writing Lab...please don't hesitate to ask for help! Visit the RBC Library's Research Help page for additional information.

How do I know if I have plagiarized another’s words?

Avoid reproduction of three or more consecutive key words verbatim from un-cited or improperly attributed source material. “Key words” are defined as any words that are nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, or adjectives as they are used in the paper. If you follow this rule of thumb, you will not plagiarize another’s words.

How do I know if I have plagiarized another’s ideas?

You do not need to cite:

Facts, dates, cultural commonplaces
Other information that is considered to be “common knowledge.” Common knowledge is familiar information in a discipline; information likely to be found in a textbook.
Common sense observations

You do need to cite:

Opinions or arguments that deviate from that considered to be common knowledge in a field. This includes an original “take” on a subject, original idea, or at least an idea that is not replicated elsewhere in source material

What happens to me if one of my professors finds me to have plagiarized?

You are responsible for knowing your individual professor’s policy on plagiarism. Check with him or her before the assignment is due if you feel there might be relevant plagiarism concerns.

What can I expect the procedure to be if the matter is brought before the Council on Academic Integrity?

Learn about the steps that follow an act of academic dishonesty.

View the rights of the accused, the accuser, and the witness.

What sort of penalties can be brought to bear in cases where the Council on Academic Integrity brings charges of plagiarism?

Level One Penalties (for first-time offenders) can include oral reprimand and warnings, written reprimands, failing grades, papers and presentations, and/or probation.

Level Two Penalties (for very serious infractions and/or repeat offenders) can include suspension and expulsion.

Level Three Penalities can include other penalties in place of or in addition to those listed above.

For additional explanation of Level One, Two and Three Penalties, please refer to Article XVI of the Constitution of The Council on Academic Integrity.