Undergraduate Student Policies

Academic Honesty

Every student should be familiar with the UCI Aacdemic Integrity Policy. This text is also duplicated in the appendix of the UCI General Catalogue. The policies outlined for the campus also apply within the Bren School.

The Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct (AISC) oversees UCI's Code of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity Policy. 

 


» Academically Honest Conduct

To be academically integrous means holding to values such as honesty, fairness, respect, and accountability in your scholastic pursuits. Students are expected to follow the rules and guidelines established by instructors for assignments and exams, and to accept responsibility for his or her own work. Examples of academically honest conduct are:

  • Turning in work done alone or with the help of the course's staff (instructor, teaching assistant, or reader).
  • Submission of one assignment for a group of students if group work is explicitly permitted (or required).
  • Getting or giving help on how to operate the computer or terminal.
  • Getting or giving help on how to eliminate minor syntax errors.
  • High-level discussion of course material for better comprehension.
  • Discussion of assignments with the instructor or TA to better understand what is being asked for.
  • Seeking help from course staff and/or other campus resources if you do not understand the material or are feeling overwhelmed by your courseload.

 

» Academically Dishonest Conduct

Actions associated with academic dishonesty include cheating, lying, plagiarizing, forging, and stealing. Examples of such behavior in the classroom are:

  • Turning in someone else's work as your own (with or without his or her knowledge). Submitting a completely duplicated assignment is a flagrant offense, but even copying only a portion of the assignment and turning it in as your own is considered cheating.
  • Allowing someone else to turn in your work as his or her own.
  • Several people writing one program and turning in multiple copies, all represented (implicitly or explicitly) as individual work.
  • Using any part of some else's work without proper acknowledgement. This is plagiarism.
  • Stealing an examination or a solution from the instructor. This is an extremely flagrant offense.

For instance, an example of program plagiarism would be if an assignment that calls for independent development and implementation of a program (assignment intent and specified ground rules) results in two or more solutions so similar that one can be converted to another by a mechanical transformation. Or, cheating might be suspected if a student who was to complete an assignment independently cannot explain both the intricacies of his or her solution and the techniques used to generate that solution.

Any case in which academic dishonesty is suspected is given careful, individual scrutiny. The intent of an assignment, the ground rules specified by the instructor, and the behavior of the student are all factors considered before a decision is made.

Academic Integrity Violation Accusations are reported to the Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct (AISC). Students should reach out to AISC for questions regarding their case and the process that will be taken. 

» Penalties of Academic Dishonesty

  • Decisions of Penalties are made by AISC and may include one or more of the following:
    • Educational sanction (e.g., requirement to attend a workshop or consultation)
    • Warning
    • Disciplinary probation
      • While on disciplinary probation, students may continue taking classes but may be restricted from other activities and campus privileges. Violating the terms of the probation may result in further disciplinary action, usually suspension.
    • Suspension (1-3 quarters)
      • While on suspension, students may not take any classes at UCI or through UCI extension. Students will have a notation of the suspension placed on their transcript for the duration of the suspension.
    • Dismissal
      • When dismissed from the University, students will receive a permanent notation of the dismissal on their transcript. Students may not participate in any campus activities after they have been dismissed.
➤