Academics

Your academic advisor can help guide you to your correct academic plan. If you do not know who your academic advisor is, you can find out in DegreeWorks (under "My Academics" in your MySanDiego portal).

Schedule a meeting and and prepare for it by reviewing your DegreeWorks to see what requirements you have left:

• Use "What If" feature to try on majors or minors
• Use "Plans" feature to map out future semesters
• Bring potential ideas for courses you could take

Utilize these resources to find the recommended academic plan of courses to take for your major. If you do not have the appropriate prerequisites for a required course you will be unable to take it and this can result in a delay in your graduation.

• Academic Course Catalog
• Department Curriculum Planners
  (Example: Electrical Engineering Curriculum)

Can't find your major's curriculum? Contact your Academic Advisor.

• You build a reputation of trustworthiness
• A key trait of a successful leader is being trustworthy
• It adds value to your degree
• Employers value personal integrity
• It helps you sleep better at night

Academic dishonesty results from one or more of the following violations:

• Examination Behavior
  • "Any intentional giving or use of external assistance during an examination shall be considered a serious violation if knowingly done without express permission of the instructor giving the examination."
  • Example: Referencing formulas on a sheet of paper without permission during an exam.
• Fabrication
  
  • "Any intentional falsification or invention of data, citation, or other authority in an academic exercise shall be considered a serious violation, unless the fact of falsification or invention is disclosed at the time and place it is made."
  • Example: Creating and referencing false data to support your argument in a research paper.
• Unauthorized Collaboration
  
  • "If the supervisor of an academic exercise has stated that collaboration is not permitted, intentional collaboration between one engaged in the exercise and another shall be considered a serious violation by the one engaged in the exercise, and by the other if the other knows of the rule against collaboration."
  • Example: Working as a group to complete a homework assignment without permission from the instructor beforehand.
• Plagiarism
  
  • "Any intentional passing off of another's ideas, words, or work as one's own shall be considered a serious violation." Including:
    • Copying and pasting
    • Google translate
    • Word for word sentences from a source, including another student’s work
    • Unusual or controversial facts
    • Audio, video, and digital
  • Example: Copying and pasting a paragraph from Wikipedia to your paper without providing appropriate citation of the source.
  • Take the 20-minute Preventing Plagiarism tutorial
• Misappropriation of Resource Materials
  
  • "Any intentional and unauthorized taking or concealment of course or library materials shall be considered a serious violation if the purpose of the taking or concealment is to obtain exclusive use, or to deprive others of use, of such materials."
  • Example: Taking a book from the library that is needed by other classmates to complete a school project with the purpose of depriving them of use of it.
• Unauthorized Access
  • "Any unauthorized access of an instructor's files or computer account shall be considered a serious violation."
  • Example: Taking a professor's answer key from their desk.
• Serious Violations Defined by Instructor
  • "Any other intentional violation of rules or policies established in writing by a course instructor or supervisor of an academic exercise is a serious violation in that course or exercise."
  • Example: Allowing another student to copy your answer during an exam.

These are some of the common causes of academic integrity violations:

• ”I didn’t know it was cheating!”
  • Ignorance of an academic integrity policy is NOT an excuse. You are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policies of the university and your instructor.
• ”I panicked!”
  • Poor time management, overwhelmed with responsibilities
• Failing the class
  • Desperation to pass a course
• Graduating
  • Desperation to graduate
• Deadline was pending
  • Poor time management, overwhelmed with workload
• The exam was more difficult than expected
• Underprepared for exam
• “I just wanted to make certain my answer was right.”
• ”Everybody does it."

If you are accused of an academic integrity violation you may face the following sanctions and procedures:

• Instructor assigns a grade sanction in the class
  • Example: You may fail the project/assignment/exam or even the class
• Meeting with a Dean of your school
• You may have to stand before the Academic Integrity Committee Hearing
  
  • Committee consists of 5 members (3 faculty + 2 students)
  • Sanctions from the committee can include (but are not limited to):
    
    • You may have to take additional course(s)
    • Perform additional assignments/projects
    • Attend specific workshops
    • Restorative justice
    • You may be suspended from USD for an allotted period of time
    • You may be expelled from USD