Academic Integrity
All students and faculty in the MS in Sustainability program at City College of New York are subject to the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity. Students who violate this policy may be subject to failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. The complete version of the CUNY policy (as revised effective July 1, 2011), is available via this AI Policy Link.
Following are part 1 (Definitions and Examples of Academic Integrity), and part 2 (Methods for Promoting Academic Integrity). For part 3 (Reporting), part 4 (Procedures for Imposition of Sanctions), and part 5 (Implementation), please see the complete policy.
CUNY POLICY ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York. Penalties for academic dishonesty include academic sanctions, such as failing or otherwise reduced grades, and/or disciplinary sanctions, including suspension or expulsion.
- Definitions and Examples of Academic Dishonesty
1.1. Cheating is the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise. Examples of cheating include:
a. Copying from another student during an examination or allowing another to copy your work.
b. Unauthorized collaboration on a take home assignment or examination.
c. Using notes during a closed book examination.
d. Taking an examination for another student, or asking or allowing another student to take an examination for you.
e. Changing a graded exam and returning it for more credit.
f. Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to more than one course without consulting with each instructor.
g. Preparing answers or writing notes in a blue book (exam booklet) before an examination.
h. Allowing others to research and write assigned papers or do assigned projects, including using commercial term paper services.
i. Giving assistance to acts of academic misconduct/dishonesty.
j. Fabricating data (in whole or in part).
k. Falsifying data (in whole or in part).
l. Submitting someone else’s work as your own.
m. Unauthorized use during an examination of any electronic devices such as cell phones, computers or other technologies to retrieve or send information.
1.2. Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own. Examples of plagiarism include:
a. Copying another person’s actual words or images without the use of quotation marks and footnotes attributing the words to their source.
b. Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source.
c. Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.
d. Internet plagiarism, including submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, or “cutting & pasting” from various sources without proper attribution.
1.3. Obtaining Unfair Advantage is any action taken by a student that gives that student an unfair advantage in his/her academic work over another student, or an action taken by a student through which a student attempts to gain an unfair advantage in his or her academic work over another student. Examples of obtaining unfair advantage include:
a. Stealing, reproducing, circulating or otherwise gaining advance access to examination materials.
b. Depriving other students of access to library materials by stealing, destroying, defacing, or concealing them.
c. Retaining, using or circulating examination materials which clearly indicate that they should be returned at the end of the exam.
d. Intentionally obstructing or interfering with another student’s work.
1.4. Falsification of Records and Official Documents. Examples of falsification include:
a. Forging signatures of authorization.
b. Falsifying information on an official academic record.
c. Falsifying information on an official document such as a grade report, letter of permission, drop/add form, ID card or other college document. - Methods for Promoting Academic Integrity
2.1. Packets containing a copy of the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and, if applicable, the college’s procedures implementing the Policy, and information explaining the Policy and procedures shall be distributed to all current faculty and, on an annual basis to all new faculty (full and part-time). These packets also shall be posted on each college’s website. Orientation sessions for all new faculty (full and part-time) and students shall incorporate a discussion of academic integrity.
2.2. All college catalogs, student handbooks, faculty handbooks, and college websites shall include the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and, if applicable, college procedures implementing the policy and the consequences of not adhering to the Policy.
2.3. Each college shall subscribe to an electronic plagiarism detection service and shall notify students of the fact that such a service is available for use by the faculty. Colleges shall encourage faculty members to use such services and to inform students of their use of such services. [For part 3 (Reporting), part 4 (Procedures for Imposition of Sanctions), and part 5 (Implementation), please see the complete policy at the above link.]
