Code of Behaviour in Academic Matters
In order to protect the integrity of the teaching, learning, and evaluation processes of the University, the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters is concerned with offences which faculty members and students may intentionally commit. (See also the S.G.S. Calendar for extracts on this Code.)
Plagiarism and Cheating
Students in graduate studies are expected to commit to the highest standards of integrity, and to understand the importance of protecting and acknowledging intellectual property. It is assumed that they bring to their graduate studies a clear understanding of how to cite references appropriately, thereby avoiding plagiarism. The student’s thinking must be understood as distinct from the sources upon which the student is referring. An excellent document entitled How Not to Plagiarize ( School of Graduate Studies web-site) is available for reference.The University of Toronto ’s understanding of plagiarism is found in the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters (School of Graduate Studies web-site) and includes the following statements:
It shall be an offence for a student knowingly:
(d) to represent as one’s own idea or expression of an idea or work of another in any academic examination or term test or in connection with any other form of academic work, i.e., to commit plagiarism.
Wherever in the Code an offence is described as depending on “knowing”, the offence shall likewise be deemed to have been committed if the person ought reasonably to have known.
Other academic offences include the possession and/or use of unauthorized aids in examinations, submitting the same paper for different courses, to name only a few of the most obvious violations. Please refer to the Code ( School of Graduate Studies web-site) for detailed descriptions of offences and procedures.
Plagiarism is the taking and using as one's own ideas, or the expression of the ideas, of another and not attributing these to their proper source. Other serious offenses under this heading include: submitting the same paper to meet the requirements for two courses without the express permission of both instructors to write a special combined paper: submitting work done by another person, etc.
Other Offences:
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to submit for credit any academic work containing a purported statement of fact or reference to a source which has been concocted;
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to forge or in any other way falsify any academic record of the University, or to forge or in any other way falsify an academic record of another educational institution used for the purposes of the University of Toronto, or to utter or make use of any such forged or falsified records;
- to remove books or other library material from a University library without proper authorization, to willfully mutilate library material or misplace it, or in any other way willfully to deprive other members of the University of the opportunity to have access to library resources.
Sanctions
The following sanctions contained in the Code illustrate the penalties which may be imposed on students upon admission of or conviction of an offense. Reprimand; assignment of a mark of zero in academic work submitted for credit; withdrawal of privileges to use facilities; restitution for damages; suspension or expulsion from the University.
Procedures
Reference should be made to the Code for full details in the S.G.S. Calendar. Possible infractions in these areas are referred directly to the Dean of S.G.S.