General ME Definition of Academic Misconduct

From the University’s Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities:

“Academic misconduct” includes, but is not limited to, cheating, misrepresenting one’s work, inappropriately collaborating, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of information (see https://regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-400.php for more details). It also includes facilitating academic misconduct by intentionally helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic misconduct.

A primary example of academic misconduct would be submitting work that is copied from another student or an outside source as one’s own work.

In general, students are encouraged to discuss high-level strategies for approaching assignments with fellow classmates, but each student is responsible for writing his/her own solution.

Unless otherwise specified by the instructor, academic misconduct does not include:

  • Discussing the course material with others so that they and you may understand it
  • Verbally communicating with classmates about an assignment. (If you discuss an assignment with others, you should leave the discussion with nothing written or typed, as this is the best way to ensure that you construct your own solution and that the work you submit honestly represents your understanding of the course material.)
  • Helping a classmate learn how to use class tools and/or
  • Using the web and other resources for instruction beyond lecture/lab or as a reference, but not for outright solutions to assignments.
  • Working with a tutor, provided the tutor does not do the assignment for

Unless otherwise specified by the instructor, academic misconduct includes:

  • Viewing a classmate’s solution to an assignment that you have not yet
  • Giving or showing your solution to a classmate who is struggling with an
  • Failing to provide a citation for an outside reference used to arrive at your solution to an
  • Providing or making available assignments and/or instructor solutions to other people without the written permission of the instructor or copyright holder.
  • Uploading assignments and/or solutions to crowdsourced online learning platforms such as Course Hero or Chegg.
  • Posting questions or answers about assignments to any forums other than the Discussions on the Canvas course website.
  • Searching for or soliciting outright solutions to assignments online or elsewhere, including students who took this course in the past.
  • Paying or offering to pay an individual for work that you may submit as (part of) your
  • Splitting an assignment’s workload with another individual and submitting a combination of his/her work and yours.
  • On group work, including the name of a colleague who did not actually contribute to the
  • Submitting a different assignment, an empty folder, or corrupted files as a scheme to get a deadline extension.
  • Searching for, soliciting, or viewing exam questions or solutions from a prior offering of ME EN XXXX or a similar course.
  • Looking at another individual’s work during an
  • Using resources during an exam beyond those explicitly allowed in the

ME EN XXXX assignment submissions are routinely checked for signs of unauthorized collaboration.

If you are unsure what qualifies as academic misconduct, you are always welcome to talk to the ME EN XXXX instructor. There is absolutely no penalty for asking about a particular action, even if it is academic misconduct, so long as you seek clarification before acting.