Avoid Scholastic Dishonesty

Tips to avoid scholastic dishonesty

Plan ahead and use your time wisely. Mistakes can often be avoided if you are not in a rush to complete your assignment or take an exam for which you are not prepared. If you allow enough time, you can ask your professor questions.

Talk to your professor. If you can't make a deadline for an assignment, talk to your professor. If the professor isn't able to grant you an extension, you're better off taking a zero for the assignment than you are copying/submitting someone else's work and being charged with scholastic dishonesty.

Read the syllabus for every class. By reading the syllabus, you will know what the course expectations are, including scholastic dishonesty. It is to your benefit to know the expectations of the faculty member. While some faculty members may reduce your grade on an assignment/paper/quiz/test, other faculty members may give you a grade of F in the class.

Understand the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism. Paraphrasing is restating text or a passage in your own words with appropriate credit cited to the author for their ideas. This is acceptable. Plagiarism is using someone else's thoughts or language and presenting them as your own work. Plagiarism is scholastic dishonesty. To avoid plagiarism, correctly cite your sources. Take complete  notes, so you know where you got your information. When in doubt, err on the side of citing your source. If you have questions or are uncertain, talk with your professor. 

Beware of homework help websites. Websites offering online tutoring or homework help, such as Chegg, Course Hero, etc. may seem like they are offering harmless tutoring or homework assistance. However, using these sites may actually be considered cheating. Always check with your instructor before using a homework help website. And never copy an answer directly from an online source without attribution or upload a previous test question to a homework help website.

Seek help if you need it. Your professor has office hours; make use of them. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Stop by UMD's Tutoring Center or Writer's Workshop if you need extra academic support. If you're unsure if something is prohibited, you are always welcome to contact OSCCR to consult.