Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity At Rowan: Your Education, Your Future

 Hear the Rowan community talk about the importance of academic integrity.
 
 
 
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What is Academic Integrity?

Academic Integrity starts with each student on Rowan’s campus.  We know that each of you have worked hard to get to where you are today and take pride in the time and effort you put into your studies.  As such, demonstrating Academic Integrity means that you embody values such as “honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage” (International Center for Academic Integrity, 2021).  This website is designed to provide you with resources and answers to frequently asked questions to help address situations you may encounter related to academic integrity with your studies.

Academic integrity is presenting your coursework in an honest and responsible manner. For example, in writing assignments, it means being clear regarding which ideas and words are your own versus those of others, such as from websites or scholarly articles. For research-based assignments, academic integrity also means being honest regarding your research methods and results. For course projects, quizzes, and exams, etc., academic integrity means that the work and answers are based solely on your own knowledge and work.  While collaboration with other students while studying can be very helpful for your learning, it is important that you understand when such collaboration is permitted or when your work must be yours alone. Talk with your instructor about when collaborating with others or using outside resources is permitted. 

We recognize that students may be faced with higher levels of stress and difficulties that can make it tempting to take actions that could lead to academic integrity violations.  These actions can include: working with other students on assignments that are supposed to be completed individually, copying and pasting material from the internet, borrowing a friend’s assignment with the intent to use it as a guide but copying it due to time constraints. You are probably aware that working on an exam with a classmate without permission is a violation, but did you know that posting course materials to websites (Chegg, Course Hero, StuDocu, etc.) can also be a violation (and can even be copyright infringement)?

Academic Integrity Tips and Tricks

Hear some great ways to avoid committing academic integrity violations.
 

Avoiding Cheating

Present work and provide answers that are your own, working independently. Using others’ work or answers is dishonest. For example, asking classmates for their work or answers is inappropriate, as is seeking work or answers from online resources such as Chegg or Course Hero. While such websites can provide useful help to students in the form of proofreading services or tutoring, seeking work or answers for projects, quizzes, and exams is improper. Posting your coursework, quizzes, and exams on such websites also is a violation of academic integrity. If you are not sure whether you can collaborate with others or use external sources for an assignment, discuss it with your professor. 

Best practices to keep in mind:

  • Do not share your work with others, even if they promise not to copy it. Numerous violations occur when others copy the work, even when the student who completed it did not intend that.
  • If you use Chegg or other sites for buying books or assistance with studying, ensure that you do not share your account with others, who may use it without your knowledge to cheat. Also, make sure you never click on these sites during exams or use them inappropriately.
  • When in doubt as to whether you can use external resources or collaborate with others, ask your professor up front. They will be glad to help you.
Hear about how plagiarism and fabrication are trickier than you might think. 

Avoiding Plagiarism

In courses in which you gain writing skills, your professors want to ensure you understand how to best present your ideas, as well as those of others, appropriately and professionally. To present the ideas of others properly, it is important to ensure you are citing and referencing the work of others according to the style appropriate for the various academic disciplines. Common style manuals include the APA Style Manual and the MLA Style Manual. It might be the case that some of your courses will require such a manual as one of your textbooks. Understanding such professional styles will be useful to you over the course of your college career, as well as your professional career. 

Failure to present your written work appropriately results in plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when individuals misrepresent the ideas of others as their own, as well as when the ideas, concepts, or results of others are not cited or referenced appropriately. Sometimes students plagiarize without realizing they have done so due to inexperience with proper citations or references included in their written products. In addition, sometimes negligence results in plagiarism as well. For example, students might understand how to properly cite and reference the ideas and results of others but fail to do so due to carelessness. Finally, sometimes plagiarism occurs intentionally such as when students copy verbatim the ideas or results of others intentionally.

Become familiar with the appropriate writing style expected within your courses. In addition to the manuals, many online resources are available that include such information. For example, Googling “how to properly cite a research article” will result in many websites to assist you. Your course instructor also can assist you when writing drafts of your paper. You can ask your instructor to provide feedback as to whether or not you are properly citing and referencing the material you are presenting. In addition, the Writing Center is an excellent resource for students. The Writing Center provides support for students in all levels of coursework, ranging from College Composition I courses to doctoral dissertations.

Hear from alumni about how academic integrity is important beyond the classroom.

Student Resources

If you find yourself struggling with coursework or running out of time to study and prepare for an upcoming exam, we encourage you to seek help from your instructors first.  They are there to help assist you and provide you with the best learning experience possible.  They will also be able to point you to resources that can help specifically with the course content. Often, students who commit academic integrity violations report that feeling overwhelmed or stressed in their lives led them to make a poor choice regarding their coursework. If you feel this way, please use these University resources for assistance:

Academic Support

Physical and Mental Health and Wellness Support

Financial Support

Academic Integrity FAQs

What is Rowan’s academic integrity policy? How can I learn more about it?

Official Full Academic Integrity Policy

Speak with your professors about how academic integrity applies in each course. In some courses, proper paraphrasing and citations for sources may be the most important element. In other courses, appropriate practices for taking exams may be more relevant. Each course is different, and your professor is the best resource to ensure you know how to maintain academic integrity. 

The Tutoring Center, Writing Center, Success Coaching, and the Campbell Library are also great resources. 

What happens if I am reported for a violation?
  • Your professor will follow the Academic Integrity Policy and will inform you that you are suspected of committing a violation. Ensure you have a productive conversation with your professor. Discuss why the professor alleges you have committed a violation. Such conversations can be very informative if you are unsure in what manner you are suspected to have violated policy. 
  • The professor will file a Report of an Academic Integrity Violation with the Office of the Provost, and you will receive an official notification and a copy of the report via Rowan email, typically within one week. 
  • If Level 1 or 2, your professor decides and applies the sanction. If you wish to appeal the violation and sanction, you have the right to request an appeal hearing with the Academic Integrity Review Board.
  • If Level 3, you will be scheduled for a hearing with the Academic Integrity Review Board. The final determination as to whether you are found responsible for the violation will be issued by the Office of the Provost. You also have the option to accept responsibility and have a sanction issued by the Office of the Provost without a hearing. Please make this decision carefully; while it may seem expedient to accept responsibility and avoid a hearing, in some cases it can be in your best interest to have a hearing and be able to state your case if you don't believe you are responsible or believe the violation is a lower Level than reported.
  • If Level 4, a hearing is required.
If I appeal an Academic Integrity Violation, could it be raised to a higher level?
  • No, it could not be raised to a higher level. The possible outcomes of a hearing to appeal a Level 1 or 2 violation are that (A) the appeal is not supported and the student is found responsible for the violation, (B) in the case of appeal of a Level 2 violation, that a student is found responsible for a Level 1 violation; or (C) that the appeal is supported and the student is found not responsible.
  • Please refer to Attachment 2 in the academic integrity policy for full details.
What happens in an academic integrity hearing?

  • At this time, hearings are held virtually on WebEx.
  • The hearing is attended by the student, the professor, up to 6 members of the Academic Integrity Hearing Board (including students, faculty, and administrators), and a facilitator from the Office of the Provost.
  • All of the participants in the hearing have a copy of the Report of an Academic Integrity Violation and all relevant documents. Students and instructors may submit any documents or evidence relevant to the facts of the case prior to the hearing. Be sure to review the policy regarding the issue of relevance. 
  • The facilitator will explain the charge, review possible sanctions if the student is found responsible, and provide instructions on how the hearing will be conducted. The instructor and student may make opening statements in which they explain their view of the alleged violation and explain any evidence that pertains to the allegation. The Board members may then ask questions to the student or to the instructor. The instructor and student then have the opportunity to make a closing statement. The Board members deliberate in private and provide a recommendation and rationale to the Vice President for Student Affairs in the Office of the Provost, who then makes the final determination. 
  • You will be notified of the outcome of your hearing via a letter to your Rowan email account.
What are the possible sanctions for an academic integrity violation?
  • Academic integrity violations are serious and can have an impact on your course grade and your future opportunities. Sanctions can include a reduction of a grade or failure on an assignment; a failing grade in the course; a notation on your transcript; academic integrity probation; and in extreme or repeated cases, suspension or expulsion from Rowan. Because part of the academic integrity process is to provide education to help students avoid repeated violations, students are also assigned educational sanctions appropriate to their violation to help prevent them from committing violations in the future. 
  • Some employers and professional/graduate schools require students to disclose if they have had an academic integrity or student conduct violation. Please be aware that a violation can have lasting consequences for your future opportunities. 
  • However, while an academic integrity violation can have serious consequences, Rowan is committed to supporting your learning and continued education to achieve your goals. That’s why in virtually all cases, students are able to move on with their educational and career goals after an academic integrity violation.
Will the violation be on my academic transcript?
The violation will only appear on your official Rowan transcript if you have been assigned a transcript notation as a specific sanction when also assigned a failing grade in the course as a result of the violation. Normally this notation will be assigned with a specific time interval (such as one year) after which students may request its removal. Students who receive a sanction of suspension or expulsion would also have this noted on their transcript. 
Who will be notified about my violation?
A copy of your determination letter explaining the violation and any assigned sanction will be shared with the course instructor, the Chair/Head of the Department, and the Dean’s office in which the course is housed. If you are in the Honors College, their deans office will also be notified as they have additional sanctions that may be imposed separately. It will not be disclosed to your parents, advisor, other professors, or anyone else at Rowan with few exceptions on a strictly need-to-know basis and subject to appropriate student privacy laws and policies.
What process do I follow for reporting an academic integrity violation on a graduate school, professional program, or job application?
If you have received an academic integrity violation during your time at Rowan it is your ethical duty to report the violation if requested on an application. If you wish, Rowan can provide additional information to include in your application to clarify the nature of the academic integrity violation.  If you find yourself in this situation, you should reach out to the Office of the Provost about obtaining a letter that describes the violation and your standing at Rowan University since the time of the violation.
Who can I contact with questions about academic integrity?
  • Your professor can be a great resource for information on how academic integrity applies in the specific course and academic discipline.
  • Many University resources to support your learning can help you learn about academic integrity, such as the Tutoring Center, Writing Center, and the Reference Librarians at the Campbell Library.
  • In the Office of the Provost, the Provost and Faculty Fellow for Academic Integrity, can address questions related to the policy and process in the event of an alleged violation. They can be reached at academicintegrity@rowan.edu. 
Can I post prior course materials on sites like CourseHero or Chegg?
Posting of any prior course materials without the explicit permission of the instructor of the course is considered to be an academic integrity violation.  For this reason, you should never post materials to any contract solution sites regardless of when you may have completed the coursework.
How can generative artificial intelligence (like ChatGPT) impact academic integrity?

As with any resource or tool, it is important to follow the guidelines given by your instructor. Your instructor may include ChatGPT or similar generative artificial intelligence tools in your class discussions or allow them on assignments. However, your instructors might also limit or forbid the use of such tools in their course.

Using ChatGPT or a similar content generator in a course without the permission of the instructor may lead to an academic integrity violation and have serious sanctions attached. Be sure to clarify with your instructor whether they allow the use of such tools in their course, and what limitations apply.

Notably, ChatGPT is a predictive language model that does not “think”. It may confidently state false information, make up facts or quotations, or provide inappropriate responses. Even if you elect to use it as permitted within your courses, be sure to engage carefully and thoughtfully with the content it generates.