Academic integrity resources for students

Academic Integrity: the fundamental ethics of scholarship and knowledge creation and transmission, including the principles of honesty, respect for truth and knowledge, fairness, responsibility, and courage.

All students should familiarize themselves with the Academic Integrity Policy and the Academic Integrity Procedures

During your first semester at Douglas, you will be asked to complete the Academic Integrity module on Blackboard. Use this opportunity to learn more about academic integrity.

For questions about the module and access, contact aie@douglascollege.ca

Any act that breaches one or more of the principles of academic integrity identified in the definition of Academic Integrity, or the policy statement. Acts of academic dishonesty may include but are not limited to Fraud, Cheating, Plagiarism, Self-Plagiarism.

Maintaining academic integrity in your work requires understanding the Academic Integrity Policy at Douglas College and how this policy applies to your academic work.

Plagiarism: presenting or submitting as one's own, or misrepresenting the work, research, words, ideas, artistic imagery, arguments, calculations, illustrations or diagrams of another person or persons, or presenting such work without explicit or accurate citation or credit; this includes submission of purchased material as well as material in which the student has permitted someone else (a fellow student, tutor, mentor or teaching assistant, friend, etc.) to contribute unacknowledged

This Douglas College Library video has more information about what is considered plagiarism and how to avoid it in your course assignments.

Any act that breaches one or more of the principles of academic integrity identified in the definition of Academic Integrity, or the policy statement. Acts of academic dishonesty may include but are not limited to Fraud, Cheating, Plagiarism, Self-Plagiarism.

The possession or provision of unauthorized aids, assistance or materials in the preparation of assignments, during examinations or in the completion of practical work (in clinical, practicum or lab settings), including but not limited to the following: 

• Copying or attempting to copy the work of another during an examination 
• Communicating work to another student during an examination 
• Possession of unauthorized aids, notes or electronic devices or means during an examination 
• Unauthorized possession of an examination or answer key 
• Submission of a substantially similar assignment / test by two or more students, except in the case where such submission is specifically authorized by the instructor. 
• Misuse or misrepresentation of sources: presenting source material in such a way as to distort its original purpose or implication(s); misattributing words, ideas, etc. to someone other than the original source; massaging or manipulating research findings or data; suppressing aspects of findings or data in order to present conclusions in a light other than the research, taken as a whole, would support.

• Taking unauthorized possession of the work of another student (for example, intercepting and removing such work from a photocopier or printer, or collecting the graded work of another student from a stack of papers) 
• Falsifying one’s attendance in a course 
• Modifying graded, returned material, then submitting it for re-grading 
• Deliberately disrupting an examination or assessment, such as by causing a false fire alarm 
• Assisting or attempting to assist another person to commit any breach of academic integrity
• Posting or sharing graded materials

The Dean, Associate Dean, Director or other supervisor responsible for the Faculty or Academic Division area in which the alleged violation of this policy arises.

Students are responsible for conducting themselves honestly and ethically and for becoming familiar with and adopting the principles of academic integrity in their studies. This responsibility includes being vigilant with the use of sources and documentation to avoid plagiarism.

Student may appeal all penalties assigned by the Responsible Administrator under this policy, in accordance with the procedures and timelines outlined in the Appeal of Educational Decisions policy.

Self-plagiarism: submitting one’s own work for credit in more than one course without the permission of the instructors, or re-submitting work, in whole or in part, for which credit has already been granted.

This Douglas College Library video has more information about what is considered plagiarism and how to avoid it in your course assignments.

Typical penalties for first and second offenses may include (but are not limited to) one or more of the following:

• completion of a replacement assignment / test (the same or a substitute) 
• a reduction in the grade earned for the assignment / test (e.g., a 50% reduction) 
• a grade of zero on the assignment / test, which may or may not lead to failure in the course
• failure of the course and a notation on the transcript of “FD” 
• non-mastery of the course and a notation on the transcript of “NMD” 
• suspension of the student, effective immediately and for a minimum of one additional semester 
• a recommendation to the President to expel the student from Douglas College 

For a third offense, the Responsible Administrator (typically the Dean of Faculty) will recommend to the President that the student be expelled from Douglas College. 

Note: Where a student is expelled from Douglas College for reasons of academic dishonesty, a notation such as “Expelled for violation of the Academic Integrity Policy, effective (date or date range)” will be placed on the student’s permanent file and transcript.

Students who have been accused of a violation of academic integrity will be contacted by an instructor or college administrator at the various stages of an investigation of an alleged violation, according the flowchart found in the Academic Integrity Policy.

Students who have been accused of violation of academic integrity should review the College’s Academic Integrity Policy and the Academic Integrity Procedures.

Students may wish to request the support/guidance of a Support Person such as a Counsellor, an Accessibility Specialist, the DSU Ombudsperson or the Indigenous Student Coordinator.

Students are welcome to bring a support person to meetings with administrators investigating a violation of academic integrity however there are rules concerning the role a support person can play in the investigative process.  Students are strongly advised to consult with the responsible administrator prior to the meeting regarding the role of the support person or choose a representative from the DSU or counselling services who is familiar with the role.

• Evaluate your own abilities honestly. Ask yourself where you are confused or nervous about your skills or knowledge, then work toward addressing those questions.
• Outline your goals for the courses you are taking. Every course will teach skills that form the foundations of your learning experience. How will the learning you are doing change you? How will you apply those skills beyond college?
• Whenever you include information you found somewhere else, ask yourself if it needs to be credited. 
• Keep track of your sources as you use them so it is easy for you to add in correct in-text citations.
• Use the resources found at the Library’s Cite Your Sources pages to find out how to properly cite including the Avoid Plagiarism page to find out how to properly cite a variety of sources both in-text and on your reference page.
• One easy change to make is to always provide credits for images in PowerPoint presentations and or use sites like unsplash.com that provide attribution information.
• Develop and use a scheduling and planning system for your assignments so that you schedule appropriate time to complete the work and are not rushed at the last minute.
• Reach out for help when you are unsure, whether it be from your instructor, a peer tutor or a librarian.

Sometimes you need more practice with the new skills you are learning, including an awareness of expectations, as well as the ability to cite, paraphrase and use sources correctly.

For student-to-student help learning about the principles and concepts behind academic integrity, plagiarism, and intellectual property book an appointment with a peer tutor from the Learning Centre.

Use the resources found at the Library’s Cite Your Sources pages, including the Avoid Plagiarism page to find out how to properly cite a variety of sources both in-text and on your reference page. You can also ask a librarian for help if you get stuck or cannot find the answer in one of the guides. Additionally, meet with your instructor to clarify expectations and/or understand particular requirements.

Once you understand expectations, the next step is to ensure you have the skills to credit sources appropriately in your assignments. These resources will help you recognize appropriate use.

The Learning Centre has guides available for you to learn these skills:
Writing with Sources – Douglas College Learning Centre

For student-to-student help learning how to paraphrase and quote effectively, without plagiarizing book an appointment with a peer tutor from the Learning Centre.

Use the resources found at the Library’s Cite Your Sources pages to find out how to properly cite a variety of sources both in-text and on your reference page. You can also ask a librarian for help if you get stuck or cannot find the answer in one of the guides.

Schedule an appointment to speak with an English Language Learning Specialist in the Learning Centre to identify and improve English language reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. English Language Learning Specialists work with you on the English skills you need in the Douglas College courses you are currently taking.

Check out Douglas College Library's citing help playlist in YouTube. Video topics include when to cite, elements of a citation, how to use style guides, and citing Canadian statutes. You can also check out the resources on the Douglas College Library’s Avoid Plagiarism page to find more help.

This resource from Purdue University also explains in more detail:  Understanding Plagiarism as an ESL Writer

Different fields require sources being used and recognized in different ways. Librarians can support you in both understanding the whys and the hows for correct citation of sources in a variety of styles.