Academic Integrity and Student Conduct

What is Academic Misconduct?

Class Handout on Student Academic Misconduct (pdf)
Form for Informal Resolution of Academic Misconduct  FORM in pdf  FORM in Word 

"Academic Misconduct" is what the university calls cheating. The Regulations on Student Academic Misconduct  of the University of Saskatchewan Council provides the following list of academically dishonest behaviour:

1. Providing false or misleading information or documentation to gain admission to the University or any University program;
2. Theft of lecture notes, research work, computer files, or academic materials prepared by another student or an instructor;
3. Using work done in one course in fulfillment of the requirements of another course unless approval is obtained from the instructor involved;
4. Passing off the work of someone else as one's own;
5. The supply of materials prepared by the student to another student for use by that student as the work or materials of that student;
6. Alteration or falsification of records, computer files, or any document relating to a student's academic performance;
7. Violation of the university's policy on misconduct in scholarly work:
   

   Excerpt from the Policy on Misconduct in Scholarly Work
   8. Definition of Deceit and Misconduct in Research
   Definitions of deceit and misconduct in research include, but are not limited to:
   (i)The intentional fabrication or falsification of data, research procedures, or data analysis; misappropriation of data; plagiarism; or other fraudulent or improprieties in proposing, conducting, reporting, or reviewing research;
   (ii) Failure to comply with federal, provincial or University guidelines for the protection of researchers, human subjects, or the public, or for the welfare of laboratory animals, or failure to meet other legal requirements that relate to the conduct of research;
   (iii) Failure to reveal to the sponsors any conflict of interest when asked to undertake reviews of research grant applications or to test products for sale or distribution to the public;
   (iv) Failure to reveal to the University any financial interest in a company that contracts with the University to undertake research, particularly research involving the company's products, or to provide research-related materials or services.  Financial interest means ownership, direct or indirect beneficial interest, substantial stock holding, a directorship, significant honoraria or consulting fees, but does not include minor stock holding in publicly traded corporations.

8. Fabrication or invention of sources;
9. Failure to observe any stated rule with regard to the procedure used in an examination or any other form of exercise undertaken for academic credit which could result in the student gaining relatively greater credit;
10. Altering answers on a returned examination;
11. When prohibited, removing an examination from the examination room;
12. Seeking to acquire or acquiring prior knowledge of the contents of any examination question or paper with the intention of gaining an unfair advantage;
13. Possessing or using notes or other sources of information or devices in an examination not permitted by the course instructor;
14. Consulting or seeking the assistance of others when writing a "take home" examination unless permitted by the course instructor;
15. Providing false or misleading information with the intent to avoid or delay writing an examination or fulfilling any other academic requirement;
16. Failing to observe the terms of any undertaking of non-disclosure given in connection with an examination;
17. Misrepresenting or conspiring with another person to misrepresent the identity of a student writing an examination or engaging in any other form of assessment;
18. Knowingly doing anything designed to interfere with the opportunities of another person to have his or her contribution fully recognized or to participate in the academic program;
19. Preventing others from fair and equal access to University facilities;
20. Using or attempting to use personal relationships, bribes, threats or other illegal conduct to gain unearned grades or academic advantages;
21. Knowingly assisting another person engaged in actions that amount to academic dishonesty;
22. Plagiarism: the presentation of the work or idea of another in such a way as to give others the impression that it is the work or idea of the presenter.
    

    There is an onus on every student to become informed as to what does or does not constitute plagiarism. Ignorance of applicable standards of ethical writing is not an acceptable excuse. The critical consideration is the impression created in the mind of the others, not the subjective intent of the student. This determination involves an objective evaluation of the manuscript. No intent to deceive is required to establish plagiarism.

    Adequate attribution is required. What is essential is that another person have no doubt which words or research results are the student's and which are drawn from other sources. Full explicit acknowledgment of the source of the material is required. Examples of plagiarism are:

    1. The use of material received or purchased from another person or prepared by any person other than the individual claiming to be the author. [It is not plagiarism to use work developed in the context of a group exercise (and described as such in the text) if the mode and extent of the use does not deviate from that which is specifically authorized].
    2. The verbatim use of oral or written material without adequate attribution.
    3. The paraphrasing of oral or written material of other persons without adequate attribution.

For information on other student problems, see Student Conduct in Non-Academic Matters and Student Appeals in Academic Matters.