Academic Dishonesty

Academic Dishonesty or academic misconduct is an assault upon the basic integrity and meaning of higher education and it constitutes any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic exercise. Review of current literature reveals that academic dishonesty is somewhat epidemic across most college campuses (Baird, 1980; Davis, Grover, Becker, & McGregor, 1992; Eskridge & Ames, 1993). It has been reported that between 40 and 70 percent of all college students have reported cheating sometime during their academic career (Aiken, 1991; Davis, Grover, Becker, and McGregor, 1992, Williams, 1964).

What constitutes academic dishonesty?

• Cheating—Any attempt to gain an unfair advantage by using external assistance during an examination or an unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparation of academic assignments.

• Deception—Providing false information concerning a formal academic exercise.

• Fabrication—The falsification of data, information, or citations in any formal academic exercise.

• Falsification— Alteration of official or unofficial records.

• Plagiarism—The use of ideas or words or statements of another person without due acknowledgment.

• Sabotage—Preventing others from completing their work (e.g., removing pages from library books).

University policies and resources regarding academic dishonesty

Students at USC are considered to be maturing adults, capable of making their own decisions as well as accepting the consequences for those decisions. In cases involving alleged academic integrity violations, the appropriate action is initiated by the course instructor or appropriate university official.

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According to the office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards (http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/academicreview.html), if the instructor has reasons to believe, based on observation or other evidence, that a student has violated the university academic integrity standards, he or she should make reasonable attempts to meet with the student and discuss the alleged violation and the evidence which supports the charge. The instructor must also report the action to the office for Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards, and he or she may recommend additional sanctions. The student should be given the opportunity to respond to the complaint. If the violation is discovered during the final exam period, the instructor should assign a mark of “MG” until he/she has had an opportunity for such a meeting. Likewise, if the instructor’s grade penalty is a grade of “F” for the course, a mark of “MG” should be assigned if the student does not admit responsibility for the violation and accept the grade penalty. Also, because the student may contest the allegation, he or she must be allowed to attend all classes and complete all assignments until the complaint is resolved.

Possible consequences and penalties

Sanctions and consequences of academic dishonesty include but aren’t limited to a grade penalty on an assignment, failure of the course, dismissal from an academic unit, revocation of admission, suspension from the university, revocation of degree and expulsion from the university. Click here for more information.

Tips for preventing academic dishonesty

There are many preventive measure that you can adopt to combat cheating and plagiarism.

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• In your planning meeting with the course instructor before the course begins, clarify the procedures that will be used in response to academic dishonesty.

• Inform students of academic standards for scholarship and conduct. Announce the first day of class what your policies are for handling cases of academic dishonesty. Make clear the consequences of cheating.

• Minimize the opportunities for cheating during exams.
  • Make certain that you are in the room at all times during all exams.
  • Prohibit all conversation once students enter the exam room.
  • Recommend that students not sit near anyone they know or studied with.
  • Use several forms of the exam, and alternate exam forms for seats in a given row and seats in adjacent rows.
  • Count the exams that are copied and that are passed out.
  • Count the exams that are collected at the end of the exam.
  • Spend time in the back of the exam room

• Minimize the opportunities for plagiarism.
  • Require students to submit first drafts of major written assignments.
  • Request that final version of papers is turned in electronically so it can be checked for originality with online plagiarism prevention software (e.g., TurnItIn).

• Take visible actions to detect dishonesty so that students know you will not tolerate cheating.

• If cheating occurs, respond swiftly with disciplinary measures and formal action. Instructors have a contractual obligation to report allegations of academic dishonesty to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards.

Additional Links

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