Cheating and Consequences
Learn about common violations and the consequences for engaging in academic misconduct at UC San Diego.
Common cheating violations at UC San Diego
Key
Assignment Misconduct (50%): Violations in this category include submitting homework that's too similar to another student's; using unauthorized sources on an assignment (e.g., Wikipedia, CliffsNotes, SparkNotes); copying another student's assignment, paper, or lab report.
Exam Misconduct (23%): Includes copying during an exam, or using unauthorized aids during exams.
Falsification/Fabrication (4%): Examples include altering a graded exam for regrade, or submitting a forged excuse to get out of an assignment or exam.
Fraud (4%): For example, taking an exam for another student or having another student take an exam for you; using or distributing old or unauthorized copies of examinations, tests, answer keyes, or assignments.
Plagiarism (19%): Copying or using the words, ideas, or concepts of another without proper citation.
Consequences
Students may receive one or more sanctions, including:
- Administrative sanctions, imposed by a dean of student affairs for violations of the Policy on Integrity of Scholarship, can include:
- Disciplinary probation (this means "first strike" — once you're on disciplinary probation, future violations could lead to suspension or dismissal
- Creation of a disciplinary record (this means that medical schools and others can find out that you violated academic integrity standards
- Assignment to the Academic Integrity Seminar (at a cost of $75)
- Suspension (from 1 quarter up to 2 years) and it will say on your transcript "suspended for academic dishonesty"
- Dismissal
- Academic sanctions, imposed by the course instructor:
- Can range from a failing grade on the assignment, quiz, or exam in question, to a failing grade in the class.
- When a policy violation occurs, the assigned grade remains on your transcript and is calculated into your GPA even if the course is retaken. Thus, an F honestly earned is easier to overcome than an F earned from cheating!
The severity of the sanction depends on the nature of the Policy violation and your disciplinary history. You can receive consequences even if you didn't know you were violating the Policy (i.e., ignorance is no excuse).
See the table showing how many students have received particular sanctions for different types of integrity violations between 2006-2009.
More information
- Learn surprising facts about academic integrity violations and the consequences that UC San Diego students might incur.
Questions?
Contact the Academic Integrity Office, (858) 822-2163.