Academic Integrity Statement

Academic Integrity and Writing 300

Research Writing and Academic Integrity

Writing 300 (WRIT 301/302/303/304) courses focus on research writing that draws heavily on source material. Because paraphrasing, summarizing, and integrating source material accurately with appropriate citation and documentation is essential to the tasks in the course, we strongly recommend spending class time throughout the semester reviewing the role of citation and documentation. Citation is more readily understood when taught in connection to academic integrity and disciplinary writing conventions.

However, we suggest that you emphasize more general, skill-building concepts such as why documentation is essential, how to identify the kind of source one is working with, and how to locate applicable citation models, rather than the finer points of the latest iteration of APA or MLA style. More suggestions about how to approach citation are available in this document: Suggestions for teaching citation conventions.

As an instructor, you will also need to be familiar with York's policy on academic integrity. A discussion of the policy and the procedure that needs to be followed when an instructor suspects a violation of the policy is available on the Academic Integrity portion of the website. (Please bear in mind in particular that all accusations of violations must be accompanied by supporting documentation.)

We ask that you include a statement about the academic integrity policy on your syllabi.

Suggested Academic Integrity statement

A violation of academic integrity is any instance when a student attempts to pass off someone else’s words or ideas as their own, no matter where they obtained those words or ideas, and no matter where these ideas are presented. We practice using quotation and citation in this course so you can benefit from others’ ideas, while attributing them appropriately. There is nothing wrong with representing someone else’s ideas in your work; you just have to give them credit. Additionally, there is nothing wrong with getting help on an assignment, but the final product must be predominantly the result of your own work. All academic integrity violations in this course will result in a 0 on the assignment, and/or a failing grade in the course and/or referral to the College’s Academic Integrity officer.

York College gives four definitions of types of academic integrity violation:

• Cheating: Cheating is the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise.
• Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own.
• Obtaining Unfair Advantage: Obtaining Unfair Advantage is any activity that intentionally or unintentionally gives a student an unfair advantage in his/her academic work over another student.
• Falsification of Records and Official Documents

York College’s policies and procedures can be found at the Academic Integrity webpage.