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Academic Integrity

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY STATEMENT OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

Academic integrity is taking responsibility for one’s own work, being individually accountable, and demonstrating intellectual honesty and ethical behavior. Academic integrity is a personal choice to abide by the standards of intellectual honesty and responsibility. Because education is a shared effort to achieve learning through the exchange of ideas, students, faculty, and staff have the collective responsibility to build mutual trust and respect.  Ethical behavior and independent thought are essential for the highest level of academic achievement, which then must be measured. Academic achievement includes scholarship, teaching and learning, all of which are shared endeavors. Grades are a device used to quantify the successful accumulation of knowledge through learning. Adhering to the standards of academic integrity ensures that grades are earned honestly and gives added value to the entire educational process. Academic integrity is the foundation upon which students, faculty, and staff build their educational and professional careers.

Integrity Matters

Texas Tech is committed to creating an exciting university atmosphere that is free of academic dishonesty. All members of the university community, including faculty, students, and staff, are upheld to the standard of having integrity in the work they produce. The standard is for all members of the Texas Tech community to contribute to the campus environment in an ethical, fun, and honest manner. Integrity matters because student success matters.

The following is designed to provide useful data, helpful web links, and practical information to assist in understanding academic integrity issues better at Texas Tech.

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What is Academic Dishonesty?

"Academic dishonesty" includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student (such as, but not limited to, submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor) or the attempt to commit such an act.

Texas Tech Student Handbook, 2008-2009, Code of Student Conduct, Part IX, Section B, Item Number 3.

Cheating

"Cheating" includes, but is not limited to:

Plagiarism

"Plagiarism" includes, but is not limited to:

Collusion

"Collusion" includes, but is not limited to:

Falsifying Academic Records

"Falsifying academic records" includes, but is not limited to:

Misrepresenting Facts

"Misrepresenting facts" to the University or an agent of the University includes, but is not limited to:

Disciplinary Outcomes For Academic Dishonesty Violations

If a student is involved in any form of academic misconduct and it is proven that the action took place, the following disciplinary outcomes will occur:

FIRST VIOLATION:
The professor can issue a grade of "F" for the assignment. In addition to this, the professor has the option to issue a grade of "F" for the entire course. Students are allowed to file an appeal for the entire course grade at the end of the semester, but not the individual assignment. This first time instance should be documented by the course instructor with copies going to Student Judicial Programs and the appropriate chain of command structure within the individual College. For particularly egregious instances, the Dean of the College or Department Chairperson may refer the student to Student Judicial Programs for disciplinary proceedings to begin.

SECOND VIOLATION:
All actions listed above in the "First Violation" consequences can apply to a second violation, as well. In addition to those, the professor should again send written documentation of the academic misconduct to Student Judicial Programs. If a second referral is made to the Student Judicial Programs office regarding a violation of the academic dishonesty policy, it will then be viewed as habitual abuse of the academic standards held at Texas Tech and disciplinary proceedings will begin.

It just isn't worth it students! The stakes are too high. We are talking about things that will go on your transcript, ruin your credibility with the professor, the individual College, and compromise your integrity.

Take the high road that earned your admission into Texas Tech in the first place.

How To Paraphrase Properly

The following links will connect you with proper and correct ways to paraphrase.

Fast Facts and Stats on Cheating and Plagiarism

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