The Foundation of Meaningful Learning

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's work, ideas, expressions, or data as your own without proper attribution. Plagiarism includes:

• Copying text from any source (published works, websites, course materials, other students' work) without citation
• Paraphrasing another person's ideas without acknowledging the source
• Using images, data, charts, code, or other content created by others without proper attribution
• Self-plagiarism: Resubmitting your own prior work from another course or institution as if it were new work, without instructor permission
• Purchasing, downloading, or otherwise obtaining pre-written work and submitting it as original

Cheating

Cheating encompasses any attempt to gain an unfair academic advantage through dishonest means, including:

• Using unauthorized materials, resources, or assistance during a closed-book assessment
• Collaborating on work that was assigned to be completed individually without instructor permission
• Sharing your completed assignments with other students for them to copy or adapt
• Having another person (human or AI) complete your work for you
• Obtaining or sharing advance access to examination questions or answers

Misrepresentation & Fabrication

Misrepresentation involves falsifying or fabricating information in an academic context, including:

• Fabricating citations, references, or sources that do not exist or that do not say what you represent them as saying
• Falsifying qualifications, credentials, or prior learning in enrollment materials or program work
• Misrepresenting extenuating circumstances to obtain an extension, accommodation, or grade change
• Claiming completion of work that was not completed

The Core Principle

AI tools may be used in ways that support and extend your thinking. They may not be used in ways that replace your thinking. The question is always: Did you engage with the material? Did you develop an understanding? Does this work represent your intellectual effort?

Submitting AI-generated content as your own work — without disclosure, without meaningful engagement, and without transformation through your own critical thinking — is a form of academic dishonesty. It violates the same principles as any other form of misrepresentation.

Generally Permitted AI Uses

The following uses of AI tools are generally permitted unless an instructor specifies otherwise for a particular assignment:

• Using AI to brainstorm, explore ideas, or generate initial outlines — provided your final submission represents your own thinking and writing, not the AI's
• Using AI as a research starting point, then verifying sources independently and engaging critically with the material
• Using AI to help improve grammar, style, or clarity in writing you have already produced — similar to using a writing assistant or proofreader
• Using AI to understand difficult concepts when studying, as a form of supplemental instruction
• Using AI tools as the subject of study or analysis in assignments where such use is assigned

Prohibited AI Uses

• Submitting AI-generated writing, analysis, or responses as your own without disclosure, regardless of how much you edited it
• Using AI to complete an exam, quiz, or assessment that requires your individual knowledge
• Using AI to fabricate citations, references, or factual claims (AI tools are known to "hallucinate" false citations — submitting these is both an integrity violation and practically harmful)
• Using AI to circumvent the learning objectives of an assignment in a way that means you engage with neither the content nor the cognitive process the assignment was designed to develop

Disclosure Expectations

When you use AI tools in a meaningful way in completing an assignment, you are expected to disclose this to your instructor. Disclosure should describe what AI tools were used and how. Transparency about AI use is not penalized — undisclosed AI use is.

Individual instructors may impose more specific AI use restrictions for particular assignments. Those assignment-level policies take precedence. When in doubt, ask your instructor before submitting.

Reporting

Instructors who observe or suspect an academic integrity violation are obligated to report it to the academic affairs office. Students who observe academic dishonesty are encouraged (though not required) to report it through the institutional complaint or reporting channel.

Investigation

Upon receiving a report of an academic integrity violation, the institution will:

• Notify the student of the allegation and provide them an opportunity to respond
• Review the submitted work, communications, and any other relevant evidence
• Make a determination regarding whether a violation occurred and, if so, its severity
• Notify the student in writing of the determination and any consequences

Possible Consequences

Consequences are scaled to the severity and nature of the violation and may include, individually or in combination:

• Required resubmission of the work in question, with grade penalty
• Failure of the specific assignment (zero points)
• Failure of the course or module
• Required completion of an academic integrity course or reflection
• Suspension from the institution for a defined period
• Permanent dismissal from the institution without refund, for the most serious or repeated violations

Appeals

Students who believe an academic integrity finding was made in error may appeal the decision through the Student Complaint Policy within 15 business days of receiving written notification of the determination.