Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is an essential part of the pursuit of truth, and of your education. We are all responsible for maintaining academic integrity in the BA/MD Program– it is the rock on which the value of your degree is built.

If a student cheats on a test or plagiarizes by using someone else's work or ideas, they defeat the purpose of the educational process. In addition, academic dishonesty is prohibited by both the BA/MD Program through this policy and the University through the Student Code of Conduct. Academic dishonesty could result in: failing grades from the faculty member, disciplinary action by the CCSP, and/or disciplinary action by the Dean of Students under the Student Code of Conduct.

If any incidents of academic dishonesty are reported to the Program, the student(s) will be required to appear before CCSP Eligibility & Professionalism subcommittee, even if the student has no prior record of professional lapses. In addition, the Program will request the faculty member to report the incident to the UNM Dean of Students Office who handles and records such allegations for the University. The incident will be recorded in the students’ permanent file in both the Program and UNM Dean of Students office.

Definitions and Examples of Academic Dishonesty

Cheating is the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during academic exercise. The following are some examples of cheating, but by no means is it an exhaustive list:

  • Copying from another student during an examination or allowing another to copy your work.
  • Unauthorized collaboration on a take home assignment or examination.
  • Using notes during a closed book examination.
  • Taking an examination for another student, or asking or allowing another student to take an examination for you.
  • Changing a graded exam and returning it for more credit. 
  • Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to more than one course without consulting with each instructor (also known as self-plagiarism). 
  • Preparing answers or writing notes in a blue book (exam booklet) before an examination. 
  • Allowing others to research and write assigned papers or do assigned projects, including use of commercial term paper services.
  • Giving assistance to acts of academic misconduct/dishonesty.
  • Fabricating data (all or in part).
  • Submitting someone else’s work as your own.
  • Unauthorized use during an examination of any electronic devices such as cell phones, palm pilots, computers or other technologies to retrieve or send information.

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own. The following are some examples of plagiarism, but by no means is it an exhaustive list:

  • Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes attributing the words to their source.
  • Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source.
  • Using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source.
  • Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.
  • Internet Plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and “cutting and pasting” from various sources without proper attribution.
  • Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to more than one course without consulting with each instructor (also known as self-plagiarism).

“Obtaining Unfair Advantage” is any activity that intentionally or unintentionally gives the student an unfair advantage in their academic work over another student. The following are some samples of obtaining an unfair advantage but by no means is it an exhaustive list: 

  • Stealing, reproducing, circulating, or otherwise gaining advance access to examination materials.
  • Depriving other students of access to library materials by stealing, destroying, defacing, or concealing them.
  • Retaining, using or circulating examination materials which clearly indicate that they should be returned at the end of the exam.
  • Intentionally obstructing or interfering with another students’ work.

“Falsification of records and official documents.” The following are some examples of falsification, but by no means is it an exhaustive list:

  • Forging signatures of authorization.
  • Falsifying information on an official academic record.
  • Falsifying information on an official document such as a grade report, letter of permission, drop/add form, ID card, or other college documents.

 

This policy is based in part on Policy on Professionalism and Professional Conduct College of Health Related Professions University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The Academic Integrity definition and examples are derived from The City University of New York (CUNY).