Citations and Plagiarism
Avoiding plagiarism is a key component to Academic Integrity. When doing your work, always be sure to keep track of your sources and use citations.
MOREAcademic integrity defines a university and is essential to the mission of education. At Columbia, students are expected to participate in an academic community that honors intellectual work and respects its origins. In particular, the abilities to synthesize information and produce original work are key components in the learning process. As such, a violation of academic integrity is one of the most serious offenses a student can commit at Columbia and can result in dismissal.
Students who suspect others of violating an academic policy can report an academic integrity violation here:
Violations of academic integrity may be intentional or unintentional and may include dishonesty in academic assignments or in dealing with University officials, including faculty and staff members. Moreover, dishonesty during the Dean’s Discipline hearing process may result in more serious consequences.
Overseen by the Office of Graduate Student Affairs, the Dean’s Discipline process is an educational one that determines responsibility using the principle of "preponderance of evidence." A student charged with a violation of academic integrity is notified and provided the opportunity to respond through the Dean's Discipline process with the support of their departmental Assistant Dean. If the student is found responsible for a violation sanctions will be issued upon consideration of the specifics of the case, institutional precedent, disciplinary history, aggravating circumstances, and community impact. A student found responsible for an academic integrity violation may expect to receive sanctions ranging from conditional disciplinary probation, disciplinary probation and may even be suspended or expelled from the University.
Additionally, students found responsible for violations of academic integrity may be required to report such offenses on future applications to graduate and professional schools. The University reserves the right to indicate disciplinary suspension or expulsion on a student's academic transcript. Furthermore, the instructor of record reserves the right to determine how the student's final grade will be affected in the course where the academic integrity violation occurred.
We, the graduate students of Columbia Engineering, hereby pledge that it is our responsibility to uphold intellectual honesty, mutual and self-respect in the academic community.
I affirm that I will not plagiarize, use unauthorized materials, or give or receive illegitimate help on assignments, papers, or examinations. I will also uphold equity and honesty in the evaluation of my work and the work of others. I do so to sustain a community built around this Code of Honor.
As a graduate student of Columbia Engineering, I am accountable for any actions that do not instill intellectual honor, privilege, and freedomto learn, teach, and serve the world with my knowledge
Academic courses can be very challenging, for it requires us to create original work from our synthesis of the work done by others. You will learn strategies for developing original work, ways to ensure that your work is trustworthy, the consequences for submitting work that is dishonest, and the resources available to assist you in achieving your best work.
To help you uphold our academic integrity policies, you can:
During your time here, you will be challenged to act with integrity. In some cases acting with integrity is easy - others are more complex and difficult. Take a look at the following tips that will help you complete your work with integrity:
For more information about academic integrity policies and disciplinary procedures, please visit the Columbia Engineering Bulletin or contact us at Office of Graduate Student Affairs.