Writing Centre

Cheating, as defined by Georgian College's (n.d.) Academic Integrity regulations, is:

"the use of inappropriate, prohibited, or unacknowledged materials, information aids, or misrepresentation in any academic work" (section 8.2.1).

Below are some examples of cheating included in the policy:

Video source: Centennial College Libraries & Learning Centres. (2020, October 20). Contract cheating (Centennial College Libraries) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/G3zQx7gr3Pk

Contract cheating "can be defined as students arranging for another to complete academic assessments that they then submit for academic credit" (Gallant, 2018, para. 1).

Examples of contract cheating include:

• purchasing an assignment from an online site
• obtaining assistance from someone else that goes beyond mere editing to writing of the assignment or solving of the problem
• posting or purchasing answers to an exam, assignment, problem or any other assessed work
• paying someone to write a test or exam

source: (University of British Columbia, "Contract Cheating")

Penalties for Breaches of Academic Integrity range in severity, depending on the situation and the number of prior breaches.

The initial penalties for breaches of academic integrity at Georgian College may include:

• verbal warning
• resubmitting work
• mark of zero in the work involved

Depending on the breach, your professor may also ask you to complete additional academic integrity training, attend a workshop or seek individual help to ensure that you can learn from the mistake and move on to be successful in your future assignments.

Breaches of Academic Integrity are recorded by the Registrar's office.

After one or more offences, penalties increase in severity and may also include:

• mark of zero in the course (after multiple offences)
• suspension from the college for one or more semesters
• dismissal from program or college for varying periods of time

Review the Georgian College Academic Integrity Regulations for full details about academic integrity and breaches, including definitions, policies and procedures, and consequences.