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Academic integrity is a commitment to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. When these values are not fulfilled, it's known as academic misconduct.

The two most common forms of academic misconduct are: 

• Plagiarism
• Cheating

At JIBC, we have an Academic Integrity Policy all students must comply with. Familiarize yourself with the policy to learn what is expected of you while studying at JIBC and the procedures followed if a student is alleged to have engaged in academic misconduct.

So… what does that mean for me?

You are expected to create and express your own ideas for assignments. When you use ideas or information from someone else's work, you must acknowledge ownership by giving credit to the original creator. This is usually done through a citation. 

You are also expected to work on your assignments independently or to give credit to anyone you collaborate with. During examinations, you are required to be honest and to not cheat in any way.

Review the examples of plagiarism and cheating below to help you understand what is expected of you and what counts as academic misconduct. These are not exhaustive lists.

Examples of plagiarism 

• using a quote from a source without citing the original work
• paraphrasing a passage from a source without citing the original work
• incorrectly paraphrasing a source, even if a citation is included (e.g. only changing a few words in a sentence)
• cutting and pasting a passage from a source directly into your own work without citing the original work
• passing another student’s paper or work as your own work
• purchasing a paper from an online paper service
• including information from ChatGPT or other assistive AI tool in your assignment without proper attribution (citation)

Examples of cheating

• copying from another student’s exam, test, or assignment
• using unauthorized textbooks, materials, or technologies during an exam
• collaborating with others on an assignment without the express permission of the instructor
• giving essays or other assignments, in whole or in part, to other students in person or online
• sharing assignment guidelines or your own work on websites like Course Hero
• using ChatGPT or generative AI tools to complete an assignment, when your instructor has not specified you may use these tools

Instructors can easily check if you’ve copied someone else’s work. They often check citations to see if the sources are correct or use text-checking databases, which can search through collections of assignments to check for potential plagiarism. 

Consequences

The consequences of being caught for cheating or plagiarising can be severe:

• oral or written reprimand
• repeating the assignment
• lower or failing grade on the assignment or test
• lower or failing grade for the course
• disciplinary probation
• suspension or expulsion from the JIBC

Speak with your instructor before using ChatGPT or other generative AI tools to help complete assignments.

Students are expected to complete assignments on their own, unless your instructor specifies you may use these tools. 

If your instructor has not specified you may use ChatGPT or other generative AI technology, or has specifically stated you cannot use these tools, using these tools to complete a portion or whole of your assignment will be considered academic misconduct. 

Review the guide below for more information about AI.