Academic Honesty

 

Academic Honesty

Intellectual honesty is a cornerstone of all academic and scholarly work. Therefore, the Graduate Program in Public Health views any form of academic dishonesty as a very serious matter. The Program treats each suspected case of academic dishonesty on a case-by-base basis. The course instructor may choose to handle an incident or bring it to the Executive Committee for review and recommendations. In this case, the Director will make the final determination of action, based on the recommendations of the Executive Committee. The student may appeal the decision of the course instructor or the Director, following the guidelines of the Program’s Academic Appeal Policy (See Graduate Program in Public Health Student Handbook). Penalties for misconduct may vary according to the circumstances of each particular case. Penalties may range in severity from verbal warning to expulsion from the University with the reason recorded on the student’s permanent transcript.

The Stony Brook University Academic Judiciary Committee defines academic dishonesty as follows: Academic dishonesty includes any act that is designed to obtain fraudulently, either for oneself or for someone else, academic credit, grades, or other recognition that is not properly earned or that adversely affects another's grade. The following represents examples of this and does not constitute an exhaustive list:

  • Cheating on exams or assignments by the use of books, electronic devices, notes, or other aids when these are not permitted, or by copying from another student.
  • Collusion: two or more students helping one another on an exam or assignment when it is not permitted.
  • Ringers: taking an exam for someone else, or permitting someone else to take one's exam.
  • Submitting the same paper in more than one course without permission of the instructors.
  • Plagiarizing: copying someone else's writing or paraphrasing it too closely, even if it constitutes only some of your written assignment, without proper citation.
  • Falsifying documents or records related to credit, grades, status (e.g., adds and drops, P/NC grading, transcripts), or other academic matters.
  • Altering an exam or paper after it has been graded in order to request a grade change.
  • Stealing, concealing, destroying, or inappropriately modifying classroom or other instructional material, such as posted exams, library materials, laboratory supplies, or computer programs.
  • Preventing relevant material from being subjected to academic evaluation.
  • Presenting fabricated excuses for missed assignments or tests.

Some ways that student can protect themselves from involvement in academic dishonesty are as follows:

  • Prepare thoroughly for examinations and assignments.
  • Take the initiative to prevent other students from copying exams or assignments (for example, by shielding answers during exams and not lending assignments to other students unless specifically granted permission by the instructor).
  • Check the syllabus for a section dealing with academic dishonesty for each course. There may be requirements specific to the course.
  • Avoid looking in the direction of other students' papers during exams.
  • Use a recognized handbook for instruction on citing source materials in papers. Consult with individual faculty members or academic departments when in doubt.
  • Use the services of the Writing Center for assistance in preparing papers.
  • Discourage dishonesty among other students.
  • Refuse to assist students who cheat.
  • Do not sit near students with whom you have studied.
  • Do not sit near roommates or friends.

Many cases of plagiarism involve students improperly using Internet sources. If you quote an Internet source, you must cite the URL for that source in your bibliography. Copying (or closely paraphrasing text) text or figures from a website without citing it and placing it in quotation marks is plagiarism. It is no different from doing the same thing with a printed source.
Professing ignorance of this rule will not be accepted as a legitimate basis for appealing an accusation of academic dishonesty.

For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, please refer to the academic judiciary website at https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/academic_integrity/.