St. Clair College

Academic integrity means applying the values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage in the way you approach your schoolwork and academic endeavours.

Academic Integrity: Honesty

Submit work for grading that only you have personally completed.
Provide references in your work: do not present other people's work, words, or ideas as your own.
Do not present artificial intelligence (AI) generated content as your own.

Academic Integrity: Trust

Use only authorized resources to complete your work: do not use unauthorized materials or sources, like online homework sites or homework-for-hire sites.
Do not allow anyone to impersonate you and do not pretend to be someone else.

Academic Integrity: Fairness

Provide your proper share of work when part of a group project: a student's name should only go on submitted work if they made a proper contribution to that assignment.
Do not attempt to gain an unfair academic advantage over others by cheating.

Academic Integrity: Respect

Safeguard the intellectual property of materials: do not upload or share course assignments, tests or any other resources without the instructor's permission.
Value your friends and classmates: do not put them in a difficult situation by asking them for a copy of their assignment or for answers to test questions.

Academic Integrity: Responsibility

Follow the requirements set out by your instructor for tests and assignments: if you are not clear about the requirement of an assessment, ask for help from your instructor.
Be accountable for your actions: do not be dishonest with your instructor when asking for deadline extensions or in addressing an incident of academic misconduct.

Academic Integrity: Courage

Be honourable: do not belong to group chats that violate academic integrity principles.
Stand up for what is right: say "no" to academic misconduct.

Remember that you are here to learn and that it will take hard work, time, and intention to accomplish your goals. The College has a responsibility to award credit only to students who have demonstrated their learning and it is your obligation to demonstrate it with integrity.

St. Clair College has a responsibility to hold students who violate the principles of academic integrity accountable: see Academic Integrity Violations & Consequences.

When you start your course, read the syllabus carefully. Use the syllabus to create a semester plan and add important dates such as tests and assignment deadlines to your personal calendar.
Never sign any attendance forms for anyone but yourself. Do not sign in for a friend who is “running late”.
Unless an instructor provides permission otherwise, you are expected to complete your course work independently.
Do not rely on other students for information about assignment or test requirements: if you have questions, ask your instructor.
Don’t share your work with others. When not authorized, sharing your work is a form of academic misconduct.
Never upload any course material to third party websites.
If you are working on a group project, ensure that you clearly understand the assignment requirements and what is expected from you.
Apply good time management skills to your course work:
- Read the assessment instructions as soon as it is assigned: start your plan even if you are not going to start your assignment right away.
- Do not wait until the last minute to start your assignment: completing work on time is one of the pressures that lead students to make poor choices that violate principles of academic integrity.
- Waiting until the last-minute means you may not be able to contact your instructor and get clarification or help in time if you need it.
If you are using the Internet to help you with an assignment, keep track of all the pages you visit as you go. You will need to reference any sources you use in your work, even if you change the words.
Use the Infographic: download the academic integrity checklist
Do not use online apps/hacks to reword or rewrite passages.
Do not use AI text generators without permission from your instructor.
If you cannot make a scheduled test, notify your instructor as soon as you know this and in advance of the test date. Do not provide dishonest reasons for any requests.
Do not falsify any documentation, records, data, or information.
If you cannot complete an assignment on time, talk with your instructor. Do not create false excuses: be honest in the reasons for any request.
If you request an extension on an assignment deadline and are refused, it is better to lose marks on an assignment than to commit academic misconduct.
Know the college policies on tests and exams. Unless you have specific permission from the instructor otherwise, here are some of those rules:
- Cell phones and all electronic devices are prohibited from the testing area: you cannot have your cell phone on you even if you don’t use it. Do not bring your electronic devices to the test or, alternatively, turn them off and put them in your backpack and away from the testing area. This includes smart watches.
- All resources and aids (books, papers, slides, calculators, etc.) are prohibited unless specifically authorized by the instructor.
- Communicating with anyone other than the instructor/proctor during a test is prohibited: if you have any questions (including wishing to borrow your neighbour’s eraser), put your hand up and ask the proctor.
Avoid sitting next to a friend during a test.
Keep your eyes on your own test.
Follow any special requirements and instructions for tests administered online.
Do not purchase subscriptions to online “homework” sites and do not pay anyone to complete any part of your course work.
Do not submit the same work for two classes unless you have permission from both instructors.

Students cheat, not because they are bad people but, rather, because they make bad decisions.

Reasons why some students cheat include lack of confidence in themselves, personal issues and pressures, poor study skills, feeling unprepared, and poor time-management skills.

There are many supports at the College to help you while you are going through your program. Being overwhelmed by schoolwork may signal time to look for some other supports that are available at the College.

Your Instructors

Your instructors are there for all your course-related matters. Seek their help and ask for assistance if you are struggling in your understanding of the course material. If you are not clear about the expectations or requirements of an assessment, if you are not clear whether you can work with someone else or whether it is an individual assessment, if you are not clear about what resources you can use to complete your work or how to reference those resources, ask your instructor for help.

Learning Strategists

Learning Strategists meet with students to discuss their academic goals and develop individual learning strategies and plans to achieve these goals. This is a free service available to students through Student Services.

Learning Strategists provide one-on-one learning support to students who may require assistance with organization, time management, study and note taking skills, test-taking, exam preparation, motivation, goal setting, and strategies for adapting to studying online.

Tutoring Services

The College provides free Tutoring Services for students, including one-on-one and small group tutoring. Tutoring services can help students build confidence in their own academic skills by assisting them with strategies in preparing for tests, understanding course material, writing assignments and how to reference external sources used in their work. Peer Tutoring provide study partners who share their knowledge about how to be academically successful.

Counsellors

Counsellors work with students who are experiencing accessibility, academic, career and personal issues. Counsellors help coordinate support services for students to promote a successful and positive environment.

Student Success Officer

A Student Success Officer provides guidance and information to help students navigate the various supports that are available to them at St. Clair College. Not sure what resources are available to you at the College and how to access them? Start here!

Some students turn to cheating because they lack confidence in themselves and their academic abilities or because they feel unprepared to meet the expectations that are set out in the course requirements.

Refer to services that are available to assist you at the College: Avoid Academic Misconduct: Get the Support You Need (Dropdown above)

Taking some time to build better time management and study skills can help address these underlying factors. Below are some resources to get you started.

Some students turn to cheating because of personal issues or stress.

Refer to services that are available to assist you at the College: Avoid Academic Misconduct: Get the Support You Need (Dropdown above)

Below are links to resources to help manage personal stress and attend to your personal wellness.

Note that some of these resources refer to writing papers or essays but plagiarism can happen in any type of assignment, including a short answer on a test. When using outside resources in your work, you must always reference them. If you are not sure what style of reference your instructor expects on an assignment, ask them. Remember that you must cite sources even if you are paraphrasing or summarizing them.

Click here to download the academic integrity checklist for assignments (infographic).

Learning With Integrity