Academic misconduct or dishonesty happens when a student engages in dishonest behavior in academic settings. While academic honesty comes in many forms, the most common include cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, deception, and sabotage. If you are facing disciplinary action for academic misconduct, you should consider working with a Lento Law Firm misconduct attorney who can give you the right advice and guide you through the disciplinary proceeding. Read on to learn more about the different kinds of academic misconduct:
Copying Another Person’s Work
Plagiarism happens when you try to pass off the work completed by another person as your own. This can include submitting another student’s paper as your own and taking parts of the work of another person and incorporating these into your work. Also, plagiarism can occur when you replace words in the work done by another person with synonyms or combine copied materials from several sources.
Outsourcing Schoolwork
Paying a friend or an online service to do your work may let you meet deadlines conveniently. However, this counts as academic dishonesty.
Excessive Collaboration
Although professors may set policies on group work, creating a discussion or study group can benefit you. But if you collaborate with other students on assignments and end up with similar results, you may be charged with academic misconduct.
Using Work Completed in the Past
Academic dishonesty can also occur when you resubmit a previous assignment you completed for a past class. Although the paper can be your original work, submitting it again without the permission of the professor can be a form of academic dishonesty.
Fabricating Citations
Using citations or sources in a dishonest way to meet the requirements of an assignment is also a form of academic dishonesty. Also, some students may use too many sources that contain the same content just to meet the required word count. Such action can also be considered academic dishonesty.
Punishments for Academic Misconduct or Dishonesty
Academic misconduct can lead to serious discipline like failing an assignment or class, being put on probation, or being dismissed from school. There are also instances when academic dishonesty can result in fines and lawsuits.
Due to the harsh consequences of academic misconduct, you should do your best to avoid committing it. But if you are facing accusations of academic dishonesty, you should rely on an attorney for help in fighting the charges. Every school has unique policies and procedures for student discipline. But in general, you have the right to a hearing before you can be dismissed from the school.
