Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest, and responsible manner. This ideal is the basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and it is integral to our Penn State Values. Use the following tips to avoid potential academic integrity violations. You can also learn about academic integrity resources offered by the University. Remember, integrity is not just what you do, it’s who you are.
Academic integrity is responsibility
Even though we are in a pandemic, our standards of academic integrity haven’t changed. It’s your responsibility to know what is expected of you.
- Take the academic integrity quiz to see where your knowledge currently stands.
- Start a conversation with your instructor to find out what forms of collaboration and what resources are appropriate.
- Need help in your classes? If remote learning is an additional challenge for you, take responsibility for your success and check out these resources.
- Do you know the academic, professional, and ethical standards for your major and future career? Learning about these in advance can be invaluable.
- Using the Internet for Classwork (Video)
Academic integrity is excellence
Avoid these common forms of academic integrity violations:
- Cheating and copying on examinations
- Inappropriate or unauthorized collaboration on assignments
- Plagiarism
- Tampering with another person’s work
Enhance your knowledge of violation scenarios:
- Academic Integrity Violation Example: Copying (Video)
- What types of activities count as a violation of academic integrity? (DOC)
Academic integrity is respect
Penn State expects you to respect the work of others through:
- Proper citation
- Avoiding plagiarism
- Using course recordings and material for personal use only
- Sharing library resources
- The Penn State University Libraries share many resources for students for free. Depriving other students of access to library materials by stealing, destroying, defacing, or concealing them is disrespectful, and it is also considered a violation of Penn State’s academic integrity policy.
Academic integrity is community
A commitment to academic integrity is important because it protects our community.
- Your actions impact not only your own success, but the success of other Penn Staters.
- Academic integrity includes a shared commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation, or deception. Your commitment protects the reputation of a Penn State degree. Penn State has rescinded bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees because of academic integrity violations.
- Why is Academic Integrity Important at Penn State? (Video)
Discover the consequences of an academic integrity violation
At Penn State, the consequences of an academic integrity violation can range from a failed assignment to removal from your degree program.
Find out more about what happens when you are accused: