Academic Dishonesty: Cheating and Plagiarism
PHSC faculty and staff have developed some definitions and examples of two types of academic dishonesty: cheating and plagiarism.
Cheating is defined as the use or attempt to use unauthorized study aids, materials, or information in any academic exercise.
Plagiarism, or literary theft, is defined as representing the words or ideas of another as one's own in any academic exercise without providing proper documentation of source.
Some examples of cheating and/or plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following items:
- Either impersonating another student during a test or having another person assume one's identity during a test.
- Copying from another student's examination, research paper, case write-up, lab report, homework assignment, computer program, or other academic assignment or exam.
- Stealing, possessing, or using unauthorized notes, text, or other aids during an examination, quiz, or other assignment.
- Looking at someone else's exam before or during an examination.
- Handing in the same assignment for more than one course without the explicit permission of the instructors.
- Possessing or using an electronic device that contains unauthorized information for a test or assignment such as programming one's computer or calculator to gain an unfair advantage.
- Soliciting, obtaining, possessing, or providing to another person an exam or portions of an exam prior or subsequent to the administration of the exam.
- Talking, whispering, or using a cell phone during an exam for the purpose of obtaining answers to questions.
- Using materials or technology devices prohibited by the instructor during a test.
- Changing answers on a previously graded test to have a grade revised.
- Students who use generative artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT and similar tools, must do so following their instructor's classroom policy, outlined in the course syllabus. Students who do not follow instructor policy on the use of these tools are violating the academic integrity rules of the college. If your professor allows you to use ChatGPT, and you use it as permitted, then you are not committing academic dishonesty.
- Copying information word for word from a source without using quotation marks and giving proper acknowledgement by way of footnote, endnote, or proper citation.
- Paraphrasing or putting into one's own words information from a source without providing proper acknowledgement or citation.
- Reproducing without proper citation, any form of work of another person, such as a musical phrase, a proof, experimental data, laboratory report, graphic design, or computer code. Taking credit for work not done.
- Allowing someone else to compose or rewrite a student's assignment.
- Stealing, buying, selling, or otherwise providing research papers.
- AI generated content must include the proper citation. Content generated by generative AI, such as ChatGPT, includes inherent risk that the output may infringe on copyright of others to the extent that the content generated copied the works of others that was subject to copyright.
Cheating and/or plagiarism may result in disciplinary action.
See Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Policy section.