Honor Code

Honor Code
SUNY Oswego, School of Business

Requirements 

All students must attest to having read and understood the Honor Code by earning an Intellectual Integrity badge (i.e., receive a 100% on the Intellectual Integrity Quiz within Blackboard) before the semester begins. Submitted work may not be accepted or graded until these requirements are met.

     I. What is intellectual integrity? 

Intellectual integrity is the basis of SUNY Oswego’s goal to enable meaningful exchange of ideas and develop new knowledge so that all members of our community, specifically students and faculty, can work with and trust one another. Intellectual integrity is built on a foundation of values including honest and ethical decision making that rejects the following: 

• Plagiarism - the practice of deliberately or inadvertently taking someone else's work or ideas, in part or in full, and passing them off as one's own. Plagiarism of any kind, including taking from either published or unpublished material, is contrary to the established practices of higher education. All members of the College are expected to acknowledge the intellectual work of others. In some cases, plagiarism may also involve copyright violations.

• Fabrication - a form of intellectual dishonesty in which a student invents or distorts the origin or content of information cited. 

• Cheating - an attempt to use unfair means to gain an advantage during an examination or on an assignment which gives the appearance of having the knowledge or a skill that a student has not actually obtained. 

• Deception - intentionally or inadvertently giving an instructor false information. This may include lying about attendance (saying one was in class when they were not) or claiming to submit work when work had not been submitted. 

• Sabotage - acting in a way that prevents others from completing their work. This includes disrupting course activities or destroying content shared virtually by instructors
  
  

     II.  Why is intellectual integrity important?

Being a citizen and student of integrity, honesty and ethical behavior will improve the rigor and societal contributions of our academic community. We hold ourselves and our students to the highest of standards to ensure employers and other stakeholders that our students have mastered the coursework in which they are enrolled. Failure to do so compromises the integrity of our program.

     III.  What is considered a violation of intellectual integrity? 

When one is violating intellectual integrity, they are committing academic dishonesty. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Plagiarism. It is required for students to properly cite ideas, words, sentences, data, or other intellectual property. It is dishonest to copy or take ideas from other students in the class, other sections, previous sections, or other sources. Information found from any sources, online or otherwise, should be cited both in-text or in-presentation (i.e., slides) and in the references/bibliography sections of a written document or presentation. APA (American Psychological Association) format is expected in the School of Business. Students should be familiar with how to properly cite. For example, quotes should be used when directly quoting unique words, phrases, or sentences. Paraphrasing or referencing ideas should be referenced with a citation that references the original source. For help with citations, please consult with your professor, the library, the writing center, or other sources. 

Cheating. It is dishonest to receive help from another party or source on any assignment for which you are expected to complete the work independently. For example, having someone take screenshots of an online exam or giving you a copy of a previously completed exam. It is also considered cheating if you use previously submitted or concurrently submitted assignments from your peers or other parties and submit the work as your own. 

Dishonest use of internet resources. Using internet resources to find information to solve problems or answer questions when you should be solving problems independently is dishonest. For example, it is considered cheating to use websites such as Chegg or Course Hero to find solutions to problems to then submit as your own work on homework or test assignments. 

Relying on other parties to complete your coursework. Having another party complete your assignments is dishonest irrespective of whether it is a paper, test, discussion, homework, or other given assignment. 

Uploading intellectual property without permission. Uploading course content to online sources without instructor permission is both dishonest and illegal. It is considered copyright infringement in the U.S. to share content created by an instructor without permission. 

Sharing intellectual property without permission. Sharing course content with others without instructor permission is a violation of intellectual integrity. For example, is it dishonest to share hard copies of exams without instructor permission, to take screenshots of online test questions to share with others or online sites, and to use the intellectual property of other students. 

Dishonest use of technology. Using technology in a way that is not permitted is a violation of intellectual integrity. For example, it is dishonest to use cell phones, watches, or other electronic devices to communicate with others or find information during assessments such as exams. 

Falsifying data. It is considered unethical to falsify data or other information in your coursework. For example, you should not create fake data when you are expected to collect your own for an assignment. 

Forging or falsifying documents. Forging or falsifying documents is dishonest and unethical. You should never sign a document for someone else or change document information without full acknowledgment. For example, you should never sign in for a student(s) when they are not in attendance. 

      IV.  Reporting violations of intellectual integrity 

In order to uphold the integrity of the School of Business at SUNY Oswego, it is important that we hold one another to these standards of integrity. Therefore, witnessing violations of intellectual integrity should be reported to the course instructor. 

      V.  Other 

Disclaimer/note. Academic dishonesty is not limited to the above-mentioned actions. If you have any doubts about whether or not something is considered a violation of academic integrity, please consult with your instructor, department chair, the associate dean, or dean of the School of Business. Ignorance of the provisions of the Honor Code is not an excuse to either its application or enforcement.

      VI.  Attestation 

By completing the School of Business Intellectual Integrity quiz and attesting to reading this document, I acknowledge that I understand the SUNY Oswego School of Business Honor Code. I agree to be a student of intellectual integrity, where my work is my own. I promise I will not plagiarize, give or receive unauthorized help on my assignments, share intellectual property without permission, or act in an academically dishonest or ethical way. 

This document was last updated 05/2020 by the SUNY Oswego School of Business Intellectual Integrity Task Force.