Academic integrity means being honest and responsible in your studies and acknowledging the work of others. It’s about doing your best work and taking pride in your achievements. Click here to learn more.

• MIT presents this clear chart of how to act with Integrity

• Carefully read the course syllabus. Learn which types of assistance are allowed and which are not allowed. For example, may you use the assistance of ChatGPT?
• Ask your instructor if you don’t understand a course policy, assignment instructions, or if you are uncertain if an act violates academic integrity. 
• Save evidence of your work process as proof of your work and academic integrity. Keep records of the information sources that you used, save your work solving problems, save early versions of essays and other types of documents. Google Docs is a good source for online work as it shows your work history.

• If you are suspected of academic dishonesty, you may ask the course instructor if you may be accompanied by a faculty member or any other person when discussing suspected violations of academic integrity with a course instructor. 
• Document conferences and communication with your course instructor regarding allegations of academic dishonesty. 
• You may appeal a final course grade through the Palomar Community College District Student Grade Dispute Policy and Procedures. 

• Some instructors choose to process assignments through a plagiarism detection system on Canvas.
• Instructors may include in the instructions an acceptable amount of flagged content. For instance, it could be 25% matching content. In this example, an instructor may determine that any submission with a matching percentage over 25% will receive a zero grade or be flagged for action by a meeting within three days of the grade. This policy will vary by instructor.
• Please be aware that the plagiarism detection system may sometimes include properly cited quotes in its matching percentage. Rest assured, our instructors will personally review each discussion to ensure there are no discrepancies in the matching results.
• Students are expected to produce original work. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for generating content is not permitted unless specifically directed to do so as part of an assignment. If plagiarism is suspected, the instructor will reach out to you first, possibly post a zero as a place holder, and expect an in person or Zoom meeting within three days of the grade to discuss the work process.
• If you have any questions about proper citation or concerns about potential plagiarism, please reach out to your instructor or see our Information Literacy Workshop on how to correctly use your sources.

Instructors have the freedom to decide how AI tools can be used in their classes. They might allow some uses, all uses, or none at all. These rules should be clearly laid out in your course syllabus, so make sure to check there first.

If you’re ever unsure about the rules for using AI tools in a specific class, don’t hesitate to ask your instructor for clarification.

If your professor hasn’t provided clear guidelines, treat using AI tools like getting help from another person. For example, using AI to complete a big part of an assignment or exam by entering questions is generally not allowed.

When in doubt, be honest about your use of AI. Always disclose if you’ve used these tools for your work.

(This section was adopted and adapted from the Stanford University Office of Community Standards).  

• Have you ever wondered if you might be accidentally plagiarizing?  Even unintentional plagiarism could result in a difficult conversation with your professor. 
• Palomar offers free workshops to avoid Plagiarism.
  • Academic Integrity Workshop -will clarify Palomar’s policy and offers examples on using AI correctly. This workshop is for both faculty and students.
  • Information Literacy Workshop, created by Palomar’s librarian, April Cunningham, empowers you to identify plagiarism in your work.  

• Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses and have a zero-tolerance policy at Palomar Community College. Plagiarism is subject to disciplinary action by the Dean of Student Life and Leadership. A single instance of cheating and plagiarism will result, at the least, in a failing grade for that assignment. Other consequences may include a failing grade for the class, a permanent mark on your student record, regardless of performance on other assignments, and further disciplinary actions based on Palomar’s Academic Integrity Policies.
• Restoration is dependent on the circumstance and instructor as well as Student Life and Leadership. Restoration is defined as a student reviewing and practicing the best Academic Integrity policies, possibly receiving a zero or a lowered grade on the assignment/s, and taking and passing our Academic Integrity Training course.