Academic integrity

The writing you do in AWR classes must be your own. Presenting the work of others, whether it is used without attribution (plagiarism), submitted by you but written by someone else (cheating), or produced with inappropriate help (unauthorized editing) violates the university's policy on academic integrity.

The university has prepared several documents to help you understand this policy, what constitutes plagiarism and cheating, and how to avoid them.

• Plagiarism from the UVic Libraries website explains what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
• The University of Victoria's Policy on Academic Integrity, from the academic calendar, defines plagiarism and describes the university's procedures for dealing with allegations of plagiarism and the penalties.
• The University Ombudsperson offers an excellent discussion of how to prevent plagiarism.

Here are a few points about plagiarism to keep in mind when you write:

• The best way to avoid inadvertent plagiarism is to ask your instructor or a Centre for Academic Communication tutor for guidance. Some students end up plagiarizing because they aren't sure how to correctly incorporate the work of others into their writing. Your instructor can help you learn how to quote, paraphrase, and cite your sources correctly.
• Students who are found guilty of plagiarism or cheating face serious consequences. According to the university policy, "A largely or fully plagiarized assignment should result in a grade of F for the course."
• If a student is found guilty of violating the university's policy on academic integrity, the offence will be added to the student's record and will remain there for four years after the student graduates.