VI. Academic Integrity
Overview
Academic integrity means doing academic work honestly.
Oakridge College expects students to complete their own work, give credit to the work of others, follow course rules, and avoid cheating, plagiarism, false records, or dishonest claims of academic achievement.
Academic integrity protects the value of Oakridge courses, programs, certificates, and degrees.
The Details
Students are expected to learn, practice, make mistakes, ask questions, and improve.
Academic dishonesty interferes with that process. It gives a false picture of what a student knows, what they can do, and what work they have actually completed.
A student does not need to be perfect. A student does need to be honest.
General Academic Integrity Expectations
Students are expected to:
- Complete their own work unless collaboration is allowed
- Give proper credit when using another person’s words, ideas, images, research, or work
- Follow assignment instructions
- Follow examination or assessment rules
- Submit truthful academic records
- Avoid false claims of completion, attendance, credit, or achievement
- Ask the instructor when unsure what is allowed
- Correct mistakes honestly when they are discovered
If a student is unsure whether something is allowed, they should ask before submitting the work.
Cheating
Cheating is using dishonest or unauthorized help to complete academic work.
Cheating may include:
- Copying another student’s work
- Letting another student copy work
- Using unauthorized notes, answers, or materials
- Receiving answers during an exam or assessment
- Giving answers to another student during an exam or assessment
- Having another person complete work for the student
- Completing work for another student
- Submitting work the student did not do
- Using unauthorized digital tools, scripts, generators, or outside services
- Bypassing assignment rules or course systems
Cheating may happen even when the student believes the assignment is small or informal.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is using another person’s words, ideas, structure, images, research, or creative work without proper credit.
Plagiarism may include:
- Copying text without credit
- Rewriting someone else’s work too closely
- Using another person’s idea without credit
- Submitting someone else’s work as one’s own
- Using images, charts, music, scripts, designs, or other creative work without permission or credit
- Copying from websites, books, articles, notes, messages, or other student work without credit
- Presenting generated or assisted work as entirely original when the instructor has not allowed it
A student may use sources when the assignment allows it. However, the student must be honest about what came from a source and what is their own work.
Unauthorized Collaboration
Some assignments allow students to work together.
Some assignments require students to work alone.
Students are responsible for knowing which rules apply.
- Working with another student when individual work is required
- Sharing answers before an assignment is submitted
- Dividing individual work among several students
- Reusing group work for an individual assignment without permission
- Letting another student edit, rewrite, or complete work beyond what the instructor allows
- Claiming full credit for work done mostly by others
Students may study together unless the instructor says otherwise. However, studying together is not the same as submitting the same work.
False Academic Records
Students may not create, change, hide, or submit false academic records.
False academic records may include:
- False attendance claims
- False completion records
- False grades or credits
- Forged signatures or approvals
- False course registration information
- False certificate or degree claims
- False excuse notes
- False statements during an academic review
- Altered screenshots, messages, forms, or records
Academic records must reflect what actually happened.
Misuse of Assignments or Course Systems
Students may not misuse assignments, course systems, or academic tools.
Misuse may include:
- Sharing restricted course materials without permission
- Accessing another student’s assignment or account
- Submitting work under another student’s name
- Attempting to change assignment settings or records
- Exploiting technical errors to gain unfair advantage
- Using a class activity in a way that defeats the purpose of the assignment
- Avoiding required steps while claiming completion
A student who discovers a problem with a course system should report it instead of exploiting it.
Use of Digital Tools and Outside Help
Students may use digital tools, tutoring, proofreading, research help, or outside support only when allowed by the instructor or course rules.
Allowed help may include:
- Spelling or grammar checking
- Library research help
- Tutoring
- Instructor-approved collaboration
- Peer review when assigned
- Approved accessibility tools
- Approved software required for the course
Students should not use outside help to replace their own learning or falsely present work as their own.
When in doubt, the student should ask the instructor what level of help is allowed.
Creative, Practical, and Performance Work
Academic integrity applies to more than essays and exams.
It also applies to:
- Art projects
- Design work
- Performances
- Laboratory work
- Field observations
- Clinical or health preparation exercises
- Legal studies assignments
- Education assignments
- Technical work
- Presentations
- Research projects
- Student portfolios
- Capstone work
Students should be honest about what they created, observed, performed, researched, or completed.
Proper Credit
Students should give credit when using the work of others.
This may include credit for:
- Direct quotations
- Paraphrased ideas
- Images
- Music
- Designs
- Data
- Research findings
- Class notes from another student
- Public materials
- Digital or generated assistance, when disclosure is required
- Any other source used to complete the work
The exact citation style may depend on the instructor, department, or assignment.
The important rule is simple: do not pretend someone else’s work is your own.
Reusing Previous Work
Students should not submit the same work for more than one course or assignment unless the instructor gives permission.
This includes:
- Reusing an old paper
- Reusing a project from another class
- Resubmitting a previous assignment
- Slightly editing old work and presenting it as new
- Submitting group work from another course as individual work
A student may build on earlier work if the instructor approves it.
Honest Mistakes
Not every mistake is academic dishonesty.
A student may misunderstand a citation rule, forget a source, submit the wrong file, or make another honest error.
When this happens, the student should correct the mistake as soon as possible.
The instructor, Department Chair, or academic authority may decide whether the issue was an honest mistake, careless work, or academic dishonesty.
Repeated careless mistakes may still become an academic concern.
Reporting Academic Integrity Concerns
Academic integrity concerns may be reported to the instructor, Department Chair, Dean, Registrar, Student Affairs, or another appropriate college authority.
A report should be factual.
It should include:
- The student or students involved
- The course or assignment involved
- What happened
- When it happened
- What evidence exists
- Whether the concern affects grades, credit, completion, or records
Reports should not be used for gossip, retaliation, or personal conflict.
Review of Academic Integrity Concerns
When an academic integrity concern is reported, the college may review the matter.
A review may include:
- Speaking with the student
- Speaking with the instructor
- Reviewing the assignment
- Reviewing course records
- Reviewing messages, files, or other evidence
- Consulting the Department Chair or Dean
- Referring the matter for disciplinary review when needed
Minor concerns may be corrected by the instructor or department.
Serious or repeated concerns may be referred to the disciplinary process.
Possible Academic Consequences
Academic integrity violations may result in academic consequences.
Possible consequences include:
- Warning
- Required correction or resubmission
- Loss of credit for the assignment
- Loss of credit for the course
- Removal from a course
- Loss of certificate or completion eligibility
- Required advising or academic support
- Referral to the Department Chair or Dean
- Referral to Student Affairs
- Disciplinary hearing
- Other sanctions approved by the college
The consequence should reflect the seriousness of the violation.
Student Rights During Review
A student accused of academic dishonesty has the right to respond.
The student should have a chance to explain what happened, provide relevant information, and ask questions about the process.
A student may disagree with an academic integrity finding and may request review or appeal when allowed by college procedure.
Retaliation Is Prohibited
Students may not retaliate against someone for reporting academic dishonesty, participating in a review, serving as a witness, or refusing to help someone cheat.
Retaliation may be treated as a separate conduct violation.
General Rule
Students should do their own work, give credit when using the work of others, follow course rules, and be honest about what they have completed.
Academic integrity is not only about avoiding punishment. It is part of learning seriously and protecting the value of Oakridge College’s academic life.