Akademik Dürüstlük

At Sabancı University, we expect all our students to pursue their academic studies with purpose and integrity. Integrity is being completely and consistently honest and truthful in one's work and overall conduct. Integrity matters in academic and professional life. Sabancı University endorses academic integrity as a fundamental value. All members and affiliates of Sabancı University take academic integrity seriously.  Academic Integrity Statement of Sabancı University is agreed upon by all partners of the University.

Some of you may not be familiar with or may not be clear about rules of academic integrity. This handbook is to guide all Sabancı University students how to be honest in their academic lives and to ensure that each student understands the high academic standards of the University.

This handbook outlines important information you will need throughout your studies at Sabancı University. It is written to make sure that all of your work, exams, research papers, reports etc., are honest. It provides guidelines on writing code and for collaboration on assignments, and information about what constitutes violations of academic integrity and the consequences of committing such violations. Please make sure that you are familiar with this material before you begin work in your classes. You will receive additional advice from the instructors of the courses you take throughout your education, which should be followed for those particular courses. At Sabancı University, we do not take ignorance as an excuse for academic dishonesty.

Academic integrity is based on six fundamental values: honesty, fairness, trust, respect, responsibility, and courage.[1]

Honesty is being truthful with yourself and with others. Honesty is vital for learning, teaching, research, and all kinds of service. All other values, including those pertaining to your personal life, are based on a foundation of honesty. Falsification of data, cheating, fraud, theft, lying, and other dishonest behaviors are not acceptable at Sabancı University.

Ways to demonstrate honesty:

• Be truthful
• Give credit to the owner of the work (i.e., researcher, musician, author, artist, speaker, writer, etc.)
• Keep promises
• Provide factual evidence
• Aspire to objectivity; consider all sides and one’s own potential preconceptions

Fairness involves being trustworthy and unprejudiced. Instructors are fair when they are transparent, treat students impartially, and set predictable and reasonable expectations from students. Research is fair when conducted transparently with a truthful and unbiased approach to the identification, collecting, and handling of data and resources. Students are fair when they complete original academic work with genuine engagement and display all of the values of academic integrity thoroughly. All members of Sabancı University, whether faculty, staff, administrators, or students, are expected to be fair and maintain the policies of the institution along with its good reputation.

Ways to demonstrate fairness:

• Apply rules and policies consistently
• Engage with others equitably
• Keep an open mind
• Be objective

Trust is reliance on truth of something or truthfulness of someone. Trust as such is a necessary foundation of academic work. Within the academic community, trust enables collaboration and information sharing and fosters new ideas through free communication of scientific knowledge without the fear of adverse consequences for individuals. The reliability of scholarly work, the value of teaching, and degree referral are based on the trustworthiness of academic institutions along with their staff, faculty, administrators, and students.

Ways to demonstrate trust:

• Trust others
• Give credence
• Encourage mutual understanding
• Act with genuineness
• Clearly state expectations and follow through
• Promote transparency in values, processes, and outcomes

Respect is accepting somebody for who they are, even when they are different from us or have different ideas from our own. Respect is reciprocal. Part of respect for oneself is to face one’s challenges with integrity; part of respect for others is to value and appreciate diversity. Respecting diverse and sometimes contradictory viewpoints, ideas, and theoretical and practical approaches within academic communities and taking others’ work seriously, including that of students, is essential to make progress and produce both rigorous and fair academic work. Acknowledging intellectual contributions of other scholars through proper identification and citation of sources shows respect for others’ work.

Ways to demonstrate respect:

• Practice active listening
• Receive feedback willingly
• Accept that others’ thoughts and ideas have validity
• Show empathy
• Seek open communication
• Affirm others and accept differences
• Recognize the consequences of our words and actions on others

Responsibility is taking over a requirement or work and owning the consequences of one’s actions. Responsibility includes standing up against wrongdoing, resisting peer pressure, and discouraging misconduct. It also means upholding institutional and classroom policies with tact, communicating expectations openly, in alignment with these policies and the vision of the university.

Ways to demonstrate responsibility:

• Hold yourself accountable for your actions
• Engage with others in difficult conversations, even when silence might be easier
• Know and follow institutional rules and conduct codes
• Create, understand, and respect personal boundaries
• Follow through with tasks and expectations
• Model good behavior
• Take responsibility for your own actions

Courage is a capacity of character that can be developed. Courage is adhering to truth even when one fears the consequences. Courage, therefore, is needed to persevere integrally and to adhere to integrity whatever the circumstances and results might be. Courage is the power to resist wrongdoing under pressure while holding oneself accountable when one does so, resisting self-deception and deception of others.

Ways to demonstrate courage:

• Be willing to take risks and risk failure
• Be brave even when others might not be
• Take a stand to address a wrongdoing and support others doing the same
• Endure discomfort for something you truthfully believe in
• Be undaunted in defending integrity   

[1] Portions of the Fundamental Values are adapted extensively from the 2nd edition of The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity edited by T. Fishman and the 3rd edition by International Center for Academic Integrity. https://www.chapman.edu/academics/academic-integrity/_files/the-fundamental-values-of-academic-integrity.pdf

https://academicintegrity.org/images/pdfs/20019_ICAI-Fundamental-Values_R12.pdf

Sabancı University is committed to providing a positive learning, working, and living environment for all individuals. As a student at Sabancı University, you have the right and responsibility to be familiar and comply with all university policies and procedures, specifically those governing student life.

All students have the right to:

• Benefit from all university facilities and services on- and off-campus, where and when they are provided, without being subject to any type of discrimination (nationality, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, religion, language, role, age, etc.)
• Live in a nonviolent, safe environment
• Be acknowledged for any contributions they make to academic work
• Receive a syllabus—a binding “contract” between the student and instructor—no later than the first week of classes
• Be assessed fairly and to object to the results of assessments
• Consult faculty members and assistants during regularly scheduled office hours and/or by appointment, as outlined in course syllabi
• Expect all processes such as scholarship designation, dormitory placement, and part-time work management to be developed, announced, and applied based on the principles of equal opportunity and transparency  
• Expect all kinds of records, whether academic or personal, to be kept confidential; assume that these may only be released to authorized faculty and staff of SU, and upon the request of the formal authorities, or as otherwise permitted by law
• Be informed by the university through email or announcements—SUCourse and other means—about relevant information concerning academic and campus life

All students are responsible for:

• Respecting the rights of others, treating them without bias, and avoiding violence in all kinds of exchanges; students are encouraged to inform related committees and divisions of the university should there be a violation of these assets
• Maintaining academic integrity in all course work and research, knowing that academic support for one another need not breach academic integrity if provided according to the values above—no parties under any circumstances should seek financial or non-material benefit from academic work and/or support; students are encouraged to contribute to a mutually supportive and cooperative academic environment
• Adhering to all policies stated in the syllabi; attending classes; handing in assignments within the specified time frame; keeping records of their grades and academic standing; having knowledge of the academic calendar
• Being aware of and abiding by the administrative and academic processes and procedures of SU and the rules and regulations defined by the Higher Education Council (YÖK) as well any other legislative framework
• Protecting the environment they live in, keeping it clean and free of noise and visual  pollution; making efficient and fair use of limited resources
• Reading emails sent to their SU email accounts as well as reading mySU and SUCourse announcements

For sanctions for behavior against academic integrity, see Article 54 of the Higher Education Law No. 2547, titled "Disciplinary Affairs of Students."

Academic dishonesty is a serious offense and should not be considered a victimless crime. The following are some consequences of academic dishonesty in an academic institution.

• People's ideas and writing are their intellectual property. Academic offenses such as plagiarism and cheating constitute the theft of one of the most important properties one can have.
• Research shows that people who engage in academic dishonesty are more likely to engage in unethical behavior in the workplace[1]. Cheating is habit-forming in nature; therefore, it can become a part of who you are.
• Academic dishonesty gives an unfair advantage to students who engage in it. The behavior can spread among students, devaluing hard work and integrity. This discourages students who have been able to maintain their honesty and decreases their morale.
• Academic dishonesty influences the teaching environment adversely in academic institutions.  It shifts the instructor's focus from teaching to policing the students and disrupts the teaching and learning experience.
• Academic dishonesty taints the reliability of the assessment process. Students who earn their grades through unethical means may get good grades but fail to acquire mastery of the topic. They cannot reach their full potential and can struggle in their careers due to their lack of competence.
• The degrees acquired from academic institutions convey to potential employers your skills, abilities, and knowledge. Every graduate appreciates or depreciates the value of the diploma taken from an institution. Academic dishonesty damages the reputation of the institution and could make it difficult to attract prospective students.

It may seem like academic dishonesty and its consequences would only impact you. Given this bigger picture, we ask you to consider the social, along with the personal, consequences of academic dishonesty before indulging in dishonest behavior.

[1]Sarath Nonis & Cathy Owens Swift (2001) An Examination of the Relationship Between Academic Dishonesty and Workplace Dishonesty: A Multicampus Investigation, Journal of Education for Business, 77:2, 69-77, DOI: 10.1080/08832320109599052

Academic writing is challenging in that you have to take some ideas, arguments or research output of others and incorporate them into your own work in an original way. You can only maintain your academic integrity and the standards of Sabancı University by acknowledging the ideas, work, or words of others that you have used[1].

During your academic career at Sabancı University, it is very likely that you will write many research reports and give presentations that require research in the Information Center and accessing electronic resources. Here are important rules of academic writing and a few tips how to avoid such acts that may constitute academic dishonesty.

1. Plagiarism

As stated in the Academic Integrity Statement of SU:

"At the evaluation and assessment stage -one of the most sensitive areas in terms of the integrity of the education process- the student is expected to base his/her exams, homework, reports, presentations, thesis and so forth on his/her own labor and ideas.”

Plagiarism is a breach of integrity.

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. Intentional or reckless plagiarism is a serious disciplinary offense. Some types of plagiarism are obvious and clearly considered cheating!

Most Common Types of Plagiarism

1. Cutting and pasting from the Internet without clear acknowledgement: Information derived from the Internet must be adequately referenced and included in the bibliography.
2. Word for word quotation without clear acknowledgement: Quotations must always be identified as such using quotation marks and with full referencing of the sources cited.
3. Self-Plagiarism: Reusing work from previous courses without getting permission from your current instructor first.
4. Contract Cheating: Utilizing a third-party (a professional, senior student etc.) to do/complete the assignments (for pay, for free, or in kind) and representing it as one’s own work

There are many ways to avoid plagiarism, and here are some key suggestions!

Golden Rule: “Original Thinking” is the antidote! Submit assignments that are completely your own work, composed of ideas built on attributed sources.

1. Cite your sources: Always cite other people's work, words, ideas, and phrases that you use directly or indirectly in your paper. (See guidelines about citing)
2. Use good paraphrasing: You can be sure that you paraphrase well when you genuinely use your own words to summarize a point or concept, and that you insert in quotes any unique words or phrases you use from the original source. Good paraphrasing requires that you cite the original source! (See guidelines about paraphrasing)
3. Be meticulous in your notetaking: Keep good records of the sources you use and the ideas you take from them. If you're writing a paper, you'll need this information for your bibliographies or references cited list; good organization is a key for writing with integrity.
4. Commit to doing your own work: If you don't understand an assignment, talk with your professor. Avoid using the "easy way" by asking your roommate or friends for copies of old assignments. Make sure you clearly understand when your professor says it's okay to work with others on assignments and submit group work on assignments, versus when assignments and papers need to represent your own work. (Please see “Collaboration”on p.27 for details of this.)

You can watch a video explain plagiarism, including a quiz.

2. Citations

Whenever you rely on information from a source, whether that source is published on paper, presented in a lecture, or broadcast, or made available online, you must tell your reader where the information came from; that is, you must cite your source.

What does it mean to “cite” a source?

In writing a paper, it means:

• You show, in the body of your paper, where the words or information came from, using an appropriate format. Here is an example of in-text citation in APA (“APA” stands for the American Psychological Association. This is often the standard format used in the social sciences.): Smith (2005) found that “many students regard copying small amount of work without citing as a trivial matter” (p.29).
• You provide complete information about the source (author, title, name of publication, date, etc.) at the end of your paper, in the bibliography (also called the works cited or references page, depending on the referencing style you use).Here is an example of bibliography citation in APA: Smith. L. G. (2005). University students’ perceptions of plagiarism. The Journal of Higher Education, 76(6), 632-650.

Is there a standardized way of citing?

A range of different referencing styles exists. Different disciplines and institutions may adopt different forms of citation. However, the way of citing is fixed within each style of citation. For example, Sabancı University SPS course asks the students to use the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) as a citation style, while the AL course prefers The American Psychological Association (APA style). If you are unsure which citation style to use, check with your instructor or research supervisor. If there are no rules, you are advised to stick to one type of style throughout your work.

Why do you need to cite your sources?

It is important to cite the sources you have used in your research for several reasons:

• To be a responsible student and/or prospective scholar by giving credit to other researchers and acknowledging their ideas
• To avoid plagiarism
• To validate and increase the credibility of your arguments
• To help readers trace the origin of ideas and locate the works

When do you need to cite?

When you use an idea from another source, you must cite it regardless of its type.

• Print sources: books, journal articles, newspapers – any material published on paper
• Electronic sources:  

1. Articles retrieved from databases such as Lexis-Nexis and ProQuest 
2. Personal and organizational websites; government and institutional websites 
3. Blogs 
4. Email messages 
5. Social media, such as Tweets and Facebook pages
6. Computer source code

In short, any material or idea taken from any source, whether published or unpublished, whether available on the Internet or not, must be cited.

• Data: geospatial (GIS) data, census data, economic and other types of data published by governments, data from surveys, economic indicators, bioinformatics data
• Images: charts, graphs, tables, illustrations, architectural plans, photographs
• Recorded material: television broadcasts, podcasts, or public speeches
• Spoken material: personal conversations, interviews, information obtained in lectures, poster sessions, or scholarly presentations of any kind

3. What Is Common Knowledge? | Definition & Examples

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, common knowledge is something that “many or most people know”. In academic writing, common knowledge “refers to information that the average educated reader would accept without needing a source citation to back it up.”

Common knowledge is categorized into two main categories:

• Information that most people know
• Information that is shared by a specific group of people such as academics in a particular field of study 

In academic writing, it is normally essential to cite your sources, but statements that are considered common knowledge do not need a citation.

To help you decide whether information can be considered common knowledge, ask yourself: 

• Who is my audience? 
• What can I assume they already know? 
• Will I be asked where I obtained my information? 

Common knowledge or NOT?

1. The Big Bang theory posits that the universe began billions of years ago with an enormous explosion.
2. According to the Big Bang theory, the initial explosion was produced when an infinitely hot, dense center referred to as a singularity began to expand, giving rise to the particles that eventually formed into our universe.
3. Contrary to what Einstein was advocating at the time with his Cosmological Constant, Alexander Friedmann's work showed that the universe was likely in a state of expansion.

#1 is common knowledge; the Big Bang theory is widely accepted among scientists, and the term is used regularly in everyday speech.

#2 would not need citation to an audience of physics students but would need citation in a paper for a non-expert audience.

#3 needs citation; this information is very specific and may even be unknown to some physicists.

You can take this common knowledge test to decide whether the information you will use is common knowledge or not. If you are unsure whether something is common knowledge or not, it is best to simply cite it.

4. Incorporating the Words and Ideas of Others

Several options exist for incorporating the words and ideas of others into your own work:

• Quote directly: Put quotation marks around the words and identify the source.
• Paraphrase: Put the information into your own words and identify the source.
• Summarize: Take the key ideas and paraphrase them and identify the source.

Quoting

When the words of an expert, authority, or relevant individual are particularly clear or expressive, you may want to quote them. Using quotes can provide a “support system” for your ideas and arguments.  When using quotes:

• The exact words of an author must be copied directly from a source, word-for-word.
• These words must appear with quotation marks “……………..”
• Each quote must be cited with in-text citation and on your reference page.

If you fail to do this, it is plagiarism.

How You Integrate a Quote into Your Essay Depends on Three Factors:

• What you want to quote;
• How much you want to quote; and
• How that quote will fit into your text.

1. Quote ideas and arguments that are too ‘well-said’ to change.
2. Use quotations when you want to add the power of an author’s words to support your argument.
3. It must have a specific and conscious function, so

- Don’t randomly add quotations

- Don’t use irrelevant quotations

- Avoid overloading your text with quotations

A tip: Shorter quotes are more powerful (e.g., single-worded and/or short phrases).

When do you think using quotations will be useful in your essay?

1. When discussing specific arguments or ideas.
2. When it is statistical information that cannot be paraphrased.
3. To add emphasis to a particularly important source on your topic.

Paraphrasing

While writing papers & assignments you are expected to use paraphrasing more than direct quotations andreplacing a few key words with their synonyms does not count as sufficient paraphrasing.

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing means restating the ideas in another source by using your own words. Paraphrased text must include a proper citation. It is one of the main ways to avoid plagiarism.

Why Paraphrase?

• Establish credibility
• Create an alternative to direct quotes
• Strengthen your writing
• Avoid plagiarism
• Maintain academic integrity

When to Paraphrase?

• Simplify complex text
• Eliminate less relevant information
• Change organization of ideas

A good Paraphrase… 

• restates the sentence or passage in other words
• does not change the meaning
• does not leave out any essential information
• does not add any extra information
• cites the source with an in-text citation

How to paraphrase well

For a proper paraphrase, please follow these steps:

1. SKIMthe source (article, book chapter, etc.) to get the general picture of the topic.
2. READ & REREADto obtain main ideas, supporting details, subjects, and meaning.
3. SCAN the source, look through the text again, and identify specific keywords/ concepts. Look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary to help you understand what those words mean.
4. TAKE NOTES; be selective and clear about what information you have obtained. record the main ideas and subjects.
5. REWRITE the text by writing the meaning in your own words by using your notes. Try not to look at the original text at this stage. Consider how you can change the sentence structure or voice and vocabulary, or rephrase the sentence in new ways.
6. CITE the initial author with a proper citation style after your paraphrased text.
7. COMPAREwith the original text.

A good general rule of thumb to follow is: Read, Think, Restate in your own words.

When paraphrasing, you can:

• Use synonyms for all words that are not generic. Words like world, money, or science are very basic, so it is difficult to find a synonym. 
• Change the structure of the sentences.
• Change clauses to phrases or vice versa.
• Change parts of speech (For example, Noun → Verb, Adjective → Noun, etc.)

Paraphrasing Checklist

You can review your paraphrased text and ask yourself these questions:

• Did I compare the original text with my writing to make sure they are different?
• Did I keep the same meaning as the original passage?
• Did I include the main idea and important details?
• Did I credit the original author by including a citation?
• Did I use language and word choice appropriate for my reader?

BEWARE! Overreliance on freely available translation and proofreading software is listed among the top reasons for plagiarism; please always rely on your skills and make it your authentic work.

You might need to use sources in your native language. Keep in mind: Translating does not mean paraphrasing; always follow the steps above for successful academic writing.

Paraphrasing in a second language is not easy. You can always ask for help from your professors, tutors, instructors, and academic support services on our campus. Don’t forget: Finding your own voice in writing is a great academic achievement!

Using Multiple Strategies to Paraphrase[2]

Summarizing

Summaries are significantly shorter than the original material, and they communicate a broad overview of the source material as a whole.

A good Summary:

• Identifies the writer of the original text.
• Synthesizes the writer’s key ideas.
• Presents the information objectively.

Use summarizing when:

1. You want to establish background or offer an overview of a topic
2. You want to express the main ideas of a single source
3. You want to express the most essential points in the source passage

An important note: Summary must be cited with in-text citations or footnotes depending on the referencing style you use, and your sources must be on your reference page.

Summary Sample: The following paragraph is a concise summary of this article[3], which scientifically investigates the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

Example of a concise article summary:[4] Using national survey data, Davis et al. (2015) tested the assertion that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and did not find statistically significant evidence to support this hypothesis. While people who consumed apples were slightly less likely to use prescription medications, the study was unable to demonstrate a causal relationship between these variables.

After summarizing, check the summary against the article.

In the final step, read through the article once more to ensure that:

• You’ve accurately represented the author’s work
• You haven’t missed any essential information
• The phrasing is not too similar to any sentences in the original.

Taking Careful Notes to Avoid Plagiarism

In some cases, writers have taken information from another source without using quotation marks due to poor note-taking practices; failure to note down the source at the time of selecting or copying text and later forgetting has resulted in the mistaken belief that certain text belonged to them although it was in fact based on a source they had used.

Therefore, in order to avoid such unintentional plagiarism and the burden of spending hours trying to retrace your steps to locate the source from which you obtained your information, you are strongly advised to take timely action and keep track of your sources as you progress in your writing assignment.

You can use the guidelines below to help you: 

• Write down the author, title, and page number of each source every time you quote directly, paraphrase, or jot down useful facts and figures.
• Paraphrase accurately (see the guidelines for paraphrasing.)
• Keep a running list of all sources: articles, books, online sources, and their URLs.

Note that, programs like Mendeley, RefWorks or EndNote to keep track of your citations might be helpful in this process.

[1]Adapted from: TLI_RL_AcadIntegLessonIdeas_EducatorGuide_US_1021, Turnitin 2021.

[2]Adapted from: Overview and Contradictions, Purdue University OWL Online Writing Lab.

[3]The article that was used: Davis, M. A., Bynum, J. P. W., & Sirovich, B. E. (2015). Association Between Apple Consumption and Physician Visits. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(5), 777. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.5466

[4]This summary sample is taken from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/how-to-summarize/ 

Plagiarism or breaches of academic integrity not only include copying/pasting others’ ideas or works without citing the source; with new technologies there are a number of forms that are considered plagiarism. Please examine the following chart[1] very carefully.

Guidelines on the acceptable level of collaboration vary from class to class, but all Sabancı instructors agree on one principle: copying from other students or from the old course “notes” is considered cheating and is never permitted.

Although copying is the most common form of cheating, there are various dishonest behaviors that have come to the attention of the professors over the years. Here are some examples based on real cases:

• Changing the answers on an exam for re-grade.
• Misrepresenting a family or personal situation to get an extension. 
• Using prohibited resources during a test or other academic work.
• Forging a faculty member’s signature on a permission form or add/drop form. 
• Falsifying data or claiming to have done research you did not do.
• Claiming work of others as your own by deliberately not citing them. 
• Assisting another student in doing any of the above.

[1]Taken from https://www.turnitin.com/resources/plagiarism-spectrum-2-0 

AI tools vary and their ethical use may be discussed with your instructors and within your programs at SU. Students should not use AI tools, such as text-based generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) as a substitute for their own writing to complete their course assignments (e.g., papers). Misuse of AI tools is a form of academic dishonesty that goes against the six principles of academic integrity. If permitted by the instructor, to quote or reproduce the text created by ChatGPT in your paper, use APA guidelines on how to cite ChatGPT. 

Collaboration is the process of a group working together to accomplish a goal. In the academic setting, this may include jointly working on problems, sharing resources, checking each other’s work, etc. As a university student, you will be encouraged to discuss concepts and ideas with your peers. Working in groups will probably be a required skill for both your courses at SU and your jobs in the future. Collaboration, in theory, leads to better engagement with material and helps collaborators gain a deeper understanding, but you should be careful when engaging in collaborative activities to avoid unintentional cheating.

Why are there limitations on collaboration?

Although collaboration may help students’ learning process, if conducted inappropriately, it could hinder the process instead. If you lean on your peers instead of doing the necessary work yourself, you will not master the concepts. Inappropriate collaboration gives students that are involved an unfair advantage while preventing their learning. Your assignments, exams, and projects are designed to assess your understanding and proficiency of the material. Your grades should demonstrate your performance accurately, so your degree has value.

Some examples of collaborative activities are as follows:

Appropriate

• Working together on a group project
• Discussing the problems from online assignments of MATH 10X/NS 10X and then solving the questions individually
• Discussing concepts from the assignment together and then working on the assignment separately
• Studying together and sharing the main ideas from the reading material before an exam

Inappropriate (Unintentional)

• Working on an individual assignment with another student, not realizing it is unauthorized
• Incorporating ideas of another student on an individual assignment
• Sharing your assignment with another student without knowing they would use it in their work
• Leaving your assignment unattended where others can see it
• Academic dishonesty conducted by a teammate in a group project

Inappropriate (Intentional)

• Working on an individual assignment with another student, knowing it was not allowed
• Working on an online or take-home exam with another student
• Getting part or all of an assignment from another student
• Using graded assignments from previous semesters

We should remind you that whether intentional or unintentional, all inappropriate collaboration cases are breaches of academic integrity.

How to maintain academic integrity in collaboration

• Learn the rules of collaboration and understand what inappropriate collaboration in your courses is. Not knowing the rules will not excuse you; it is your responsibility to know them.
• What constitutes an inappropriate collaboration may differ from course to course. Check the syllabi and follow the SUCourse pages and guidelines provided by the instructors to understand the expectations. If you are not sure whether you are allowed to work with other students, do not assume so. Talk to your professor/instructor and be sure.
• Be sure to go over all the reports and material that you submit as a group in your projects.
• Make sure the work you submit is a result of your honest effort and completely yours.

Check out the academic integrity collaboration quiz.

Studying at the university is an exciting and promising new step of life that you reach after years of hard, stressful work. You have expectations of how your academic and social life will be. However, the transition from high school to university is not always straightforward and may even be challenging at times.

Your studies will no longer be organized by your teachers. It is your responsibility to figure out the requirements of your courses and follow up on your progress. You are now entirely responsible for your own learning process.

The expectations at a university are higher than those at a high school, and studying methods that were effective in high school may not be enough. It will probably take you longer to finish your assignments and prepare for your exams.

The following are some challenges you may face throughout the semester:

• Balancing social life, academic life, and other commitments; not having enough time to complete the assignments and prepare for the exams
• High expectations imposed on you by your parents, other relatives, or yourself; anxiety about failing
• Not having enough confidence in yourself due to low English proficiency or background knowledge
• Seeing other students cheat

Such challenges might put you under pressure, which sometimes leads students to consider an easy way out of their situation, including academically dishonest activities.

How to stay academically honest under pressure:

• Ask for help from your instructors and TAs/LAs. Use their office hours. Do not wait; be proactive.
• Manage your time and sharpen your study skills.
• Attend Academic Support Program (ASP/ADP) activities.
• Contact your CIAD counselors.
• Always allocate time for self-care; give your brain a break from time to time.

Learn about the resources that SU provides and use them.