Definitions
What is Academic Integrity?
According to the International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI), Academic Integrity is the commitment from students, faculty, and staff to demonstrate honest, moral behavior in their academic lives. Academic honesty is essential to maintain the integrity of the university as an institution and to foster an environment conducive to the pursuit of knowledge. The Cleveland state university community values honesty and integrity and holds its members to high standards of ethical conduct.
What is Academic Misconduct?
Academic misconduct refers to any fraudulent actions or behaviors designed to affect the evaluation of a student's academic performance or record of academic progress.
What falls under the Academic Misconduct Policy?
Academic dishonesty is, unacceptable, and students who are found to have engaged in academic dishonesty, or knowingly facilitated academic dishonesty by another student, may be sanctioned as outlined in the procedures for charges of academic misconduct. Charges include:
- Cheating
- Plagiarism
- Fabrication
- Unauthorized collaboration
- Sharing CSU credentials with another person to login to an online learning management system
- Misrepresentation
- Gaining an unfair advantage
- Bribery
What is Contract Cheating?
Contract cheating is the "outsourcing of student work to third parties" (Lancaster & Clarke, 2016, p. 639). Contract cheating is against the CSU Academic Misconduct Policy and can fall under several different charges including cheating, unauthorized collaboration, sharing CSU credentials, and bribery. Contract cheating can occur through "family and friends; academic custom writing sites; legitimate learning sites (eg. file sharing, discussion and micro-tutoring sites); legitimate non-learning sites (eg. freelancing sites and online auction sites); paid exam takers; and pre-written essay banks" (Ellis, Zucker, & Randall, 2018, p. 2). Contract cheating undermines learning; erodes learning environments; damages learning relationships; places the student, the faculty, the educational organization, and society at risk from students who will graduate with knowledge gaps; undeserved academic awards; and a propensity to engage in dishonest behaviors in their professional careers (Guerroro-Dib, Portales, & Heredia-Escorza, 2020; Harding, Carpenter, Finelli, & Passow, 2004; Lancaster, 2020). In short, Contract Cheating is in opposition with all of our values at CSU.