Academic integrity is expected of every student. It is my expectation that submission of any graded material means that you neither gave nor received unauthorized aid. Cal Poly requires me to report any instance of plagiarism or academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: cheating on assignments or exams (for example, students are not to collaborate on the take-home final - those who do, it will be obvious, so do not risk it), plagiarizing (misrepresenting as your work any work that has been written by another author), and submitting the same paper or substantially similar paper to meet the requirements of more than one course without the approval and consent of all the instructors concerned. ___________________________________________ Learning takes place within an atmosphere of trust and respect. The following behaviors erode academic integrity, and thus create barriers to your ability to learn: spending less than the time necessary to do an adequate job; skipping readings or non-graded activities; clicking through course information without taking the time to review resources. While these behaviors can affect your grade and your learning experience, they are personal choices. Other behaviors, however, move beyond 'choices' and breach academic rules and regulations, and even laws. These include: plagiarizing text by copying and pasting from web sites, blogs, other discussions, or published texts; re-using an essay or project you already turned in for another class; cheating on a test or project; copying directly from another student or another source without crediting the source; buying or copying an essay or project from an internet source. Let's discuss two things: prevention and consequences: I'd like to discuss the positive side first - prevention! I've often found that students who have broken the rules are legitimately confused. I'm here to help clear up that confusion. If you are not sure how to cite a source, integrate a quote, or acknowledge someone when you summarize, let me help you. We can arrange a short phone conference or in-person meeting, or I can give you feedback on a draft. Writing rules can be confusing - let's clear it up! But now the negative. The college really doesn't care if you break the rules on purpose or by accident - the consequences are the same. In my class, the first time you misquote, misrepresent, or copy/paste, you will have to re-do the work, and meet with me for a one-on-one. The second time, we meet again, but you are not allowed to re-do the assignment, and get a zero for that grade. The third time, you will not pass the class. So let's be proactive! If you are not sure how to cite, ask! It's important for you to know the rules, and to know your rights. Please take a moment to review Cal Poly Academic Integrity Policy