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College of Arts and Sciences

Academic Integrity Policy

Students who are found to be guilty of academic dishonesty according to Seton Hall University policies will receive no credit for the assignment and will not be allowed to make up the assignment. There will be no exceptions. 

The University's definition of dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following examples:

  • Cheating means the giving, receiving, taking or purchasing of any information or written work not your own during exams or on any written assignments.

  • Plagiarism means copying the ideas and/or language of any source without acknowledging that source, without proper quotation of any language (even single words or short phrases) taken directly from that source, and without citation of all paraphrased as well as quoted ideas from that source. Plagiarism occurs when anyone attempts to present the published or unpublished work (ideas and/or language) of any person as his or her own. 

  • Penalties: It is up to the judgment of the instructor to determine the degree of guilt in cases of cheating and plagiarism. Those found to be guilty of cheating or plagiarism the first time will receive a 0 (zero) for the assignment; the second time, automatic failure for the course; the third time, recommendation to the dean for expulsion.

TIPS for students who wish to avoid unintentional plagiarism:

  • Acknowledge: Any ideas, facts or language taken from a source must be acknowledged. We acknowledge the work of others by providing a "Works Cited List" (bibliography) and by citing (providing author's name and relevant page numbers) all paraphrased ideas and quoted language. The English Department requires usage of the MLA methodology of parenthetical citation on all written work. If you are unfamiliar with this, see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers in the bookstore or library, consult your grammar handbook; or ask your professor.

  • Quote: Any language taken from your original source, even key words or short phrases, must be within quotation marks and quoted accurately. Reorganizing a sentence, substituting a synonym or altering a word or two does not make it your own work!

  • Paraphrase: Paraphrasing means summarizing the source in your own words. Always remember, paraphrased ideas must still be acknowledged! Good paraphrasing requires: 1) reading carefully enough to thoroughly digest ideas; 2) being careful not to paraphrase during the note-taking stage (i.e. take notes in direct quotes and paraphrase in the draft stage); 3) not writing with the source in front of you; 4) proofreading carefully to be sure no language from the source has slipped in unintentionally.