Cheating - Taken from URI's University Manual

8.27.10 Cheating and Plagiarism. Students are expected to be honest in all academic work. Cheating is the claiming of credit for work not done independently without giving credit for aid received, or any unauthorized communication during examinations.

8.27.11 A student's name on any written exercise (theme, report, notebook, paper, examination) shall be regarded as assurance that the work is the result of the student's own thought and study, stated in the student's own words and produced without assistance, except as quotation marks, references and footnotes acknowledge the use of other sources of assistance. Occasionally, students may be authorized to work jointly, but such effort must be indicated as joint on the work submitted. Submitting the same paper for more than one course is considered a breach of academic integrity unless prior approval is given by the instructors.

8.27.12 In preparing papers or themes, a student often needs or is required to employ sources of information or opinion. All such sources used in preparing to write or in writing a paper shall be listed in the bibliography. It is not necessary to give footnote reference for specific facts which are common knowledge and have obtained general agreement. However, facts, observations and opinions which are new discoveries or are debatable shall be identified with correct footnote references even when restated in the student's own words. Material taken word for word from the written or oral statement of another person must be enclosed in quotation marks or otherwise clearly distinguished from the body of the text and the source cited. Paraphrasing or summarizing the contents of another's work usually is acceptable if the source is clearly identified but does not constitute independent work and may be rejected by the instructor.

8.27.13 Notebooks, homework and reports of investigations or experiments shall meet the same standards as all other written work. If any work is done jointly or if any part of an experiment or analysis is made by someone other than the writer, acknowledgment of this fact shall be made in the report submitted. Obviously, it is dishonest to falsify or invent data.

8.27.14 Written work presented as personal creation is assumed to involve no assistance other than incidental criticism from others. A student shall not knowingly employ story material, wording or dialogue taken from published work, motion pictures, radio, television, lectures or similar sources.

8.27.15 In writing examinations, the student shall respond entirely on the basis of the student's own capacity without any assistance except that authorized by the instructor.

8.27.16 Instructors shall have the responsibility of insuring that students prepare assignments with academic integrity. Instructors shall do all that is feasible to prevent plagiarism in term papers or other written work.

8.27.17 Instructors shall have the explicit duty to take action in known cases of cheating or plagiarism. The instructor shall have the right to fail a student on the assignment on which the instructor has determined that a student has cheated or plagiarized. The circumstances of this failure shall be reported to the student's academic dean. The student may appeal the matter to the instructor's dean, and the decision by the dean shall be expeditious and final. The Vice Provost for Urban Programs shall be considered the instructor's dean only in cases of courses offered exclusively through the Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Continuing Education (e.g. courses with the code BGS).

8.27.18 If the violation warrants more severe censure, the instructor may recommend additional action to the instructor's dean. Upon this recommendation the dean may authorize the instructor to fail the student in the course. The student or instructor may appeal the dean's decision to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs whose decision on the appeal shall be final.

8.27.19 Either the instructor, the instructor's dean or the student's dean may request judicial action (see 9.21.10-31) on an allegation against a student for cheating or plagiarism. Any of the judicial sanctions listed in sections 9.22.10-18 may be imposed after a finding of guilty. If the request comes from an instructor it shall be accompanied by a statement of position from the instructor's dean (see 9.20.10 and 9.21.10).

8.27.20 Any record of scholastic integrity infractions where actions have been taken (i.e., assignment of an "F" on an assignment and notification of the student's dean, dean's authorization to assign an "F" for the course, referral to the University Board on Student Conduct) will be forwarded to the Office of Student Life. A cumulative file will be maintained in that office. The Dean of Students shall notify the student's dean of subsequent infractions.