Academic Integrity

The UCSD Policy on Integrity of Scholarship must be followed under all circumstances. Below are some things to keep in mind:

Academic Misconduct Defined

Academic misconduct encompasses any conduct engaged by any student that violates the UCSD Policy on Integrity of Scholarship. That policy states in part:

Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to:

1. Cheating - such as using "crib notes" or copying answers from another student during the exam, modifying a graded exam and returning it for a new grade, or submitting the same paper or assignment for two or more different courses unless authorized by the Instructors concerned.
2. Plagiarism - such as using the writings or ideas of another person, either in whole or in part, without proper attribution to the author of the source.
3. Collusion - such as engaging in unauthorized collaboration on homework assignments or take home exams, completing for another student any part or the whole of an assignment or exam, or procuring, providing or accepting materials that contain questions or answers to an exam or assignment to be given at a subsequent time.

Responsibilities of Students

Students are expected to complete the course in compliance with the Instructor's standards. The standard of academic conduct for UCSD students requires that students shall not engage in any conduct that involves the attempt to receive a grade by means other than their own honest effort.

Students are expected to complete their own work, without unauthorized aid of any kind. They are expected to refrain from cheating, plagiarism and collusion as described above.

Students are also expected to notify their Instructor or appropriate administrative officials, such as their college Dean, about any incident of dishonesty they observed.

Students acting as instructional assistants (IA's), such as TA's, tutors, readers, etc., have a special relationship to the Instructor and the students in the course. IA's are apprentice Instructors who have access to and responsibility for sensitive course materials such as exam questions and answers. They are also asked to help evaluate class assignments and grade term papers and exams. Thus, it is essential that IA's conduct themselves in a manner that ensures they will not compromise their role and that they be especially careful not to make any unauthorized material related to tests, exams, homework, etc., available to any student.

Jacobs School Student Honor Code

We, the members of the Jacobs School of Engineering, have a responsibility as students, faculty and staff to ensure the highest level of integrity in our academic and social practices.

As Jacobs School engineering students, we are creating the foundation for our futures as engineers. We must look to pursue knowledge justly, fairly, and honestly. The value of our education is in understanding that learning is a lifelong commitment. The experiences that we share and the skills that we learn are all the more valuable if we hold ourselves to high ethical and moral standards.

The Jacobs School must promote leadership, honesty and integrity. The Jacobs School community must work together to ensure that these qualities are valued. We must also make a conscious effort to provide our students with the instruction that will prepare them for a professional career. Instructors will honor their teaching responsibilities, and in turn students will reflect this commitment by pursuing leadership, honesty and integrity in their own academic endeavors.

This is a personal and professional commitment that we all share as members of the Jacobs School of Engineering. We pledge ourselves to these ideals and promise to be honest in our hearts, minds and our actions.

     - Triton Engineering Student Council, 2003

Ethical Standards of the Engineering Student

The principle of honesty must be upheld if the integrity of scholarship is to be maintained by the academic community. The University of California expects that both faculty and students will honor this principle and in so doing protect the validity of academic evaluations and grading. This means that all academic work will be done by the student to whom it is assigned, without unauthorized aid of any kind. Instructors will exercise care in planning and supervising academic work so that honest effort will be encouraged. No engineering student shall engage in any activity that involves attempting to receive grades by means other than honest effort. Academic violations consist of the following three categories:

1. Cheating: Cheating includes the actual giving or receiving of any unauthorized aid or assistance or the actual giving or receiving of any unfair advantage on any form of any academic work, or attempts thereof.
2. Plagiarism: Plagiarism includes the copying of the language, structure, ideas, and/or thoughts of another and passing off same as one's own original work, or attempts thereof. This includes all code associated with computer programs.
3. Falsification: Falsification includes the statement of any untruth, either verbally or in writing, with respect to any circumstances relating to one's academic, or attempts thereof. Such acts include, but are not limited to, the forgery of official signatures, tampering of official records, fraudulently adding or deleting information on academic documents such as add/drop request, or fraudulently changing an examination or other academic work after the testing period or due date of the assignment.

The course instructors should state the objectives and requirements of each course at the beginning of the term, clearly informing students what kinds of aid and collaboration, if any, on assignments, projects, and examinations are permitted. Students are expected to complete the course requirements in compliance with standards described above. A student who has doubts about how the academic honesty principle applies to any graded assignment is responsible for obtaining specific guidance from the instructor before submitting the assignment.

Although all students, faculty and staff are partners in maintaining the highest level of academic integrity in the Jacobs School community, the primary responsibility for maintaining the standards of academic integrity rests with the university faculty and the university administration. Details of the procedures for the disposition of academic dishonesty cases is fully described in the UCSD General Catalog.