Academic
Integrity
Module
FAQ's
Do you only get an XF if you cheat on a big assignment?
No. You can get an XF if you cheat on any academic assignment - including extra credit and things that don't count toward your grade.
Are professors the only people who can report cheating?
Any member of the University of Maryland community can report an act of dishonesty - especially TA's, who submit the vast of majority of referrals.
Correct work is supposed to look the same, anyway. Can instructors really tell if you are copying?
Yes, they certainly can. Every student has a unique way of solving problems, and your instructors can easily tell when you are doing something suspiciously different from how you usually do it. Some also have computer programs that can scan documents to check for similarities.
If I plagiarize just a sentence, would I be better off than someone who plagiarizes an entire 20 page paper?
No. Plagiarism is plagiarism, and you can get an XF for it, no matter how much or how little you do it.
Someone caught me trying to cheat before I actually cheated. Am I still in trouble?
Yes. Attempts at academic dishonesty are still considered to be acts of academic dishonesty.
I didn't realize what I was doing would be considered cheating. Am I still in trouble?
Yes. As a member of the University of Maryland community, you are responsible for knowing the University's policies - including the Code of Academic Integrity - and upholding them.
My professor never said what is or isn't appropriate. Should I just use my own judgment?
No. Every professor has different ideas of what constitutes academic dishonesty, so you shouldn't try to guess what they are. No matter what though, they all have their own specific idea of what academic dishonesty is, and they deeply care about it. Never take the risk of assuming what is or isn't appropriate, and be sure to ask your professor whenever you need clarification.
