• Purchase College believes that academic integrity is fundamental to the teaching, learning, and creative processes. Ethical behavior is the cornerstone of an academic and artistic community.

    All forms of academic dishonesty are considered serious violations of the Student Code of Conduct. Alleged violations of the academic integrity policy are handled by the faculty via the Academic Standards and Awards Committee (not the Office of Community Standards). Please see the Academic Integrity subsite for all forms, reporting, hearing, and appeal procedures. 

    Faculty members and professional staff are held equally to this standard in their work. Allegations of violations are handled through procedures outlined in the applicable collective bargaining agreement.

    The following is a list of some, but not all, types of prohibited behavior.

    Prohibited Behaviors

    1. Cheating on examinations and assignments, including:

      • Copying from another student
      • Allowing another student to copy from you
      • Using or attempting to use study aids, devices, “cheat sheets,” or other materials not expressly authorized by the professor
      • Unauthorized collaboration with another individual on take-home assignments or examinations
      • Buying, acquiring without permission, or selling copies of an examination, paper, written work, or creative work
      • It is the student’s responsibility to clarify with the professor what constitutes acceptable use of test aides or collaboration.

    2. Plagiarism:  Plagiarism is the appropriation or imitation of the language, ideas, and/or thoughts of another person and the representation of them as one’s own original work. It includes:

      • Buying, selling, or downloading papers, assignments, images, or creative works and submitting them as one’s own.
      • Copying sections of books or articles in one’s paper without proper citation.
      • “Copying and pasting” from online sources without proper citation.
      • Failing to properly cite quotations or ideas taken from external sources.
      • Using false citations or fabricating sources.
      • Receiving unauthorized assistance from another person on an examination, paper, written work, or creative project.
      • Self-plagiarism (submitting the same work for more than one course without permission of the instructor).
      • Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the definition of plagiarism and the acceptable methods of attribution.

    3. Submitting falsified data on lab work or research projects.

    4. Giving or offering inducements to professors for the purpose of affecting grades.

    5. Stealing, altering, or destroying the academic work of another student.

    Sanctions

    Violation of any of the above may lead to formal disciplinary action and assignment of the following academic or disciplinary sanctions:

    • Recommended Minimum Sanction: Failing grade on the assignment or examination
    • Maximum Sanction: Expulsion
    • Recommended Sanction (First Offense):  Failing grade on the assignment or examination.
    • Recommended Sanction (Second Offense): Permanent failing grade for the course.


    In cases that require a hearing, the Academic Integrity Committee may assign academic sanctions as outlined above or the disciplinary sanctions listed below, either alone or in combination. The number in parentheses at the end of each designated sanction identifies the minimum level of sanctioning authority required by the hearing officer/body in order for assignment of that sanction to be made. See definitions of Disciplinary Sanctions under the Office of Community Standards: Glossary and Sanctions.

    • Disciplinary Reprimand (I)
    • Educational Sanctions (I)
    • Disciplinary Probation (I)
    • Suspension (III)
    • Expulsion (III)