MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): Plagiarism & Academic Integrity

Not Citing: This happens when material is copied verbatim (word-for-word) or paraphrased without an in-text citation, or when references are listed but not actually used. 

Misrepresenting a Direct Quote as Paraphrasing: This happens when you copy a source verbatim or only change one or two words and don't include quotation marks to show it's a direct quote. 

Copying Another Student: This happens when you copy from another student, or allow another student to copy from you. 

Recycling: This happens when you submit a previous assignment for more than one course. Your instructors expect your work to be original for each class you take. 

Penalities for Academic Dishonesty

Students who engage in academic dishonesty, including those who knowingly help or attempt to help another student engage in academic dishonesty, can expect an academic penalty to be determined by the instructor.

Additionally, academic dishonesty may result in disciplinary review. The disciplinary consequences of engaging in any form of academic dishonesty vary, but can include:

• Documentation
• Warning
• Probation
• Suspension
• Expulsion, and/or
• Withholding or revocation of a certificate or degree. 

Pillars of Academic Integrity

• Honesty is sincerity. All other pillars of academic integrity have some basis in honesty. Honest individuals take stock of individual abilities and represent their effort fairly.” As a student, you can expect your professors to be honest in their feedback and not mislead you about course content or your grade, and your instructors can expect you to be honest in all communication and assignments.

• Trust in other people and in your community eases working relationships. Trust is established in a system where all members are doing their best work, where structures and policies are fair and all will be treated fairly.” As a student, your instructors will trust that you are being honest and making sincere effort, and you can trust that your professors are being fair and honest.

• Fairness goes hand in hand with trust. Every individual should believe that they will be treated fairly and judged by the same standard as all others in the community. For example, you can trust that your professors will evaluate all work fairly and not favor one person over another. The best work comes out of a fair system.”

•  Respect allows for individual points of view and opinions to be shared. This includes both students and faculty. How they listen to each other, respect deadlines, and give honest feedback.” As a student, you are expected to be respectful to all members of the campus community by being polite and honest and adhering to policies and deadlines. Likewise, you instructors are expected to be respectful of you by providing instruction and feedback in a polite, honest, and timely manner.

• Responsibility means acknowledging your agency and accountability in daily actions and in your work. Everyone is personally invested in performing their work with integrity and encourages others to act with integrity too. Academic integrity starts with individuals and positively influences the entire community.” As a student, you are responsible for completing your own work and following policies and guidelines, and you will be held accountable if you do not. Likewise, your instructors are responsible for having clear policies, instructions, and deadlines and for adhering to their own and College policies. Instructors will be held accountable by you, the students, as well as their supervisors. 

Adapted from The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity Honesty, Trust, Respect, Fairness, Responsibility (1999). 

Student Integrity and Academic Dishonesty

• Students and instructors share responsibility in promoting and maintaining an environment that supports integrity and honesty.

• Academic dishonesty minimizes the learning process and threatens the learning environment for all students.

• As members of CBC’s learning community, students are not to engage in any form of academic dishonesty.

• Academic dishonesty is a violation of CBC’s Student Code of Conduct. Students who engage in academic dishonesty can expect to receive some academic penalty to be determined by their instructor.

• Additionally, students in violation of the Student Code of Conduct for academic dishonesty may face disciplinary action with the College. This includes students who knowingly help or attempt to help other students violate CBC’s academic dishonesty policies. 

Forms of Academic Dishonesty

Cheating

Any attempt to give or obtain assistance in a formal academic exercise that misrepresents what information a student has learned or mastered. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Copying from another student’s test or assignment or allowing another student to copy from your test or assignment;
• Collaborating during a test with any other person without instructor permission;
• Using the course textbook or other course materials during a test without instructor permission;
• Using prepared material (e.g., notes, formula lists), electronic devices, or websites/online resources during a test without instructor permission;
• Using instructor texts or other such material to complete an assignment without instructor permission;
• Sharing information about test questions or materials with another person without instructor permission;
• Failing to follow test-taking procedures (e.g., talking, laughing, failing to adhere to starting and stopping times, failing to take a seat assignment, or other disruptive behaviors/activities); and,
• Collaborating with other students on written assignments without instructor permission.

Deception

Deception is providing false information to an instructor, administrator, or staff member in an academic exercise or manipulating or misusing documents, electronic media, or procedures to circumvent College policies, rules, or regulations. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Taking more time on tests or assignments than allowed;
• Giving a dishonest excuse when asking for a deadline extension or other advantage;
• Falsely claiming to have submitted work; and,
• Any forgery, alteration, unauthorized possession, or misuse of College documents pertaining to academic records including, but not limited to:
  • Late or retroactive change of course application forms
  • Late or retroactive withdrawal forms
  • Altered or misused documents or College records by means of computer resources or other equipment.

Fabrication

Fabrication is the falsification of data, information, citations, research, or other findings with the intent to deceive for academic gain. Examples include, but are not limited to;

• Altering numbers to make experiments “work”;
• Making false claims about the research performed;
• Selective submitting of research or survey results to exclude inconvenient data;
• Inventing data or source information for research or other academic exercises;
• Citing information not taken from the source indicated; and,
• Listing sources in a bibliography not actually used in the academic exercise.

Grade Tampering

Grade tampering involves altering or being an accessory to the changing and/or modifying of a grade. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Influencing or attempting to influence any College official, instructor, employee, or student through the use of bribery, threats, intimidation, or any other means of coercion in order to affect a grade or evaluation; and,
• Altering or changing a grade, a grade form, or any other official academic record.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the uncredited use (intentional and unintentional) of somebody else’s words or ideas in your course exams, papers, and assignments. Students are not guilty of plagiarism when they try in good faith to acknowledge others’ work but fail to do so accurately. However, students must make an honest attempt to credit another's words or ideas. The typing of a student’s paper by another person is permissible with accommodations, but the content, corrections, and rephrasing must be the student’s own.

Sabotage

Sabotage is when a student prevents others from completing their academic assignment or work. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Hiding or destroying books, reference material, class resources, or electronic files/data that other students may need to complete assignments or academic work;
• Willfully disrupting the use of learning resources or equipment; and,
• Willfully disrupting experiments or work of other students. 

Misuse of Computers and Other Electronic Technology

CBC computing and telecommunications facilities and equipment are provided for the use of students in fulfilling their academic needs. Individuals using these resources have the right to work in an electronic environment free of harassment and the right to expect that their data's integrity and security will be maintained. The College reserves the right to inspect the electronic files and accounts of those using its computing resources. Students using their own electronic devices for academic purposes will also be held accountable to the CBC Student Code of Conduct. Examples of academic dishonesty through computer/technology use include, but are not limited to:

• Unauthorized access or manipulation of computer files, facilities, networks, systems, programs, or data;
• Copyright violations such as copying, transmitting, or discharging data, software, or documentation without proper authorization;
• Using a CBC computer for solicitation for charity or other benefits;
• Using a CBC computer for personal profit, personal advertisements, or illegal purposes;
• Using offensive or abusive language on the network or any electronic communication;
• Promoting and sending chain letters;
• Harassing students or employees at the College or other institutions;
• Sexual harassment comments directed to another person;
• Discriminatory comments directed to another person;
• Unauthorized copying of computer software or data, removal of computer equipment without authorization, or deliberate behaviors to avoid being billed/charged for computer usage;
• Attempted or detected alteration of user system software, data, or other files on CBC computers/systems; and,
• Unauthorized and time-consuming recreational game playing on CBC devices.

"Academic dishonesty minimizes the learning process and threatens the learning environment for all students. As members of the CBC learning community, students are not to engage in any form of academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of information, research, or other findings for the purpose of fulfilling any assignment or task as part of the student's program of instruction. Any student who commits or aids and abets the accomplishment of an act of academic dishonesty will be subject to disciplinary action."

For more information, or if you have any questions about academic dishonesty, please contact your instructor or CBC’s Office of Student Conduct.

Ralph Reagan, Assistant Dean for Student Conduct and Activities

Dear CBC Students,

I want to welcome you all to Columbia Basin College, where we are dedicated to providing you with a safe and great experience being a Hawk on our campus. At CBC, we pride ourselves on having a wonderful community where our students can pursue their goals in a positive educational environment. The Office of Student Conduct believes in supporting our students as a resource and correcting behaviors that do not align with the mission and values of the College. Our office works with those students and provides educational opportunities to help them make better decisions that line up with their academic and personal development goals. I want to encourage each of you to read our Student Code of Conduct and understand that my office and our staff are here to assist you as you join our CBC community.

I look forward to seeing you on our campuses and wish you all the best.