Definition of Academic Dishonesty Academic dishonesty is defined as any action or practice that provides the potential for an unfair advantage to one individual or one group. Academic dishonesty includes misrepresenting facts, fabricating or doctoring data or result, representing other’s work or knowledge as one’s own, disrupting or destroying the work of others, or abetting anyone who engages in such practices. [1]

Examples of Academic Dishonesty
1. Copying during examinations and quizzes.
2. An attempt to copy, including bringing unauthorized chits to examination hall, writing on dress, body or furniture.
3. Helping another person to copy from ones answer book or assignment.
4. Doing class assignments for someone else.
5. Obtaining an unauthorized copy of a test in advance of its scheduled administration including unauthorized attempts at breaking into faculty machines.
6. Asking for a revaluation after making changes to the graded answer sheet.
7. Destroying files or documents of other students.
8. Aiding another person in committing an academically dishonest task.

It is very difficult to own another person’s code. Therefore, if you are not clearly permitted to use third party code/software, it is highly recommended to write ones own code. Copying, understanding, and editing someone else’s code is a lot more difficult than writing ones own. Unless clearly permitted, you are expected to be writing every single line of your code, and hence you are expected to know every detail of the same. Unable to explain and defend the code submitted by you will be a clear indication of the fact that you do not own it and hence will be treated as a dishonest attempt.

A seminar report or project report is expected to be a documentation of ones own ideas and effort. References, acknowledgements, footnotes and quotation marks are to be used wherever there is a dependence on another document or source. Submitting works published elsewhere, copying documents from the internet, failing to provide references are all considered as dishonest.

Consequences for Academic Dishonesty
1. If a student is suspected of academic dishonesty, he/she will be called for a meeting by the instructor.
2. If the instructor concludes that an act of dishonesty is committed, he/she could decide on a punishment ranging from zero marks for that work to a failing grade in the course.
3. Any action taken against a student should be reported to the class committee for recording.
4. Punishments given for academic dishonesty will be reflected on the documents issued by the department including conduct certificate.
5. Serious offences and repeated acts of dishonesty will be reported to the office of the Dean for institute level disciplinary measures.

[1]Academic Integrity - Perdue