Last update: November 2022
The Temple University community believes strongly in academic honesty and integrity. Essential to intellectual growth and the university's core educational mission is the development of independent thought and respect for the thoughts of others. Academic honesty fosters this independence and respect. Academic dishonesty undermines the university's mission and purpose and devalues the work of all members of the Temple community. Every member of the university community is responsible for upholding the highest standards of academic honesty at all times. Students, as members of the community, are responsible for adhering to the principles of academic honesty and integrity.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling or distribution of term papers or other academic materials. Normally, all work done for courses—papers, examinations, homework exercises, laboratory reports, oral presentations—is expected to be the individual effort of the student presenting the work. Any assistance must be reported to the instructor. If the work has entailed consulting other resources—journals, books, or other media—these resources must be cited in a manner appropriate to the course. It is the instructor's responsibility to indicate the appropriate manner of citation. Everything used from other sources—suggestions for organization of ideas, ideas themselves, or actual language—must be cited. Failure to cite borrowed material constitutes plagiarism. Undocumented use of materials from the World Wide Web is plagiarism.
Cheating includes, but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations; (2) use of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the university faculty or staff; (4) engaging in any behavior specifically prohibited by a faculty member in the course syllabus, assignment, or class discussion; (5) or otherwise engaging in behavior that gives the student an unfair academic advantage including, but not limited to, fabrication of data or sources, resubmitting work already submitted for another academic requirement without prior authorization, or other similar behavior.
Refer to the Student Conduct Code (policy # 03.70.12) for more specific definitions of cheating and plagiarism.
The penalty for academic dishonesty can vary from receiving a reprimand and a failing grade for a particular assignment, to a failing grade in the course, to suspension or expulsion from the university. The penalty varies with the nature of the offense, the individual instructor, the department, the school or college, and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.
Students who believe that they have been unfairly accused may appeal through the school or college's academic grievance procedure. For more information see Grievances.
REPORT OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT (PDF:133KB)
POLICY AND PROCESS ON REPORTING ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT (PDF:226KB)