CREATING AN ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT

Every syllabus should include a section on Academic Integrity and your expectations for the class so that students know what to expect, and can’t claim later that they did not know. This should not be threatening, but it does need to be clear and explicit.

An effective statement will contain the following elements[1]:

  1. A general statement about the importance of AI at UofT.
  2. A personal statement explaining your commitment to academic honesty in your class.
  3. A list of offences with a link to the Code.
  4. Clarification about particular offences that might be a particular risk in your course, e.g. collaboration.
  5. Brief statement about how you will deal with concerns.
  6. Link to campus resources to help students in need and reduce risk factors for cheating.
  7. Invitation to come to you or the TA for clarification.
  8. Invitation to report acts of academic misconduct they may observe (optional).

The following are examples of language you could use for each element, followed by samples of complete statements. Feel free to use or adapt any combination of the examples below to suit your own assignments. And if you are willing to share your own statements, please forward to !

AI Statement / Academic integrity is fundamental to learning and scholarship at the University of Toronto and beyond. Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in this academic community ensures that the U of T degree that you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement, and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
Academic integrity is central to this institution. Without honesty, a learning community has no substance or validity.
Academic honesty and responsibility are fundamental to good scholarship and learning. As members of this academic community, you have a responsibility to conduct yourself in accordance with these expectations
Academic honesty and ethical behaviour are necessary for the proliferation and communication of research and ideas.
Academic integrity is fundamental to learning and achieving course goals. The assignments in this course are designed to give you an opportunity to learn important skills and concepts over the course of your degree by making honest attempts through your own thinking, writing, and hard work.
Personal Statement / While I don't expect to encounter instances of cheating in this class, I take academic integrity very seriously, and there are significant consequences if you are caught cheating or engaging in academic misconduct. All academic work in this course must adhere to the Code of Behavior on Academic Matters.
I am strongly committed to assigning grades based on my students’ honest efforts to demonstrate learning in this course.. Academic dishonesty in any form will thus not be tolerated in my classes.
I am sympathetic to the many challenges today’s students face. Reasonable late penalties are given for assignments submitted after deadline in order to help you manage conflicting deadlines. Should you feel pressured to seek unauthorized assistance or plagiarize on work because of challenges you are facing, please speak to me or your college registrar for guidance. I will grant extensions on deadlines for documented illnesses.
.
Offences / Students are expected to know what constitutes AI: Familiarize yourself with the University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters ( It is the rule book for academic behaviour at the U of T. Potential offences include, but are not limited to:
In papers and assignments:
  • Using someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement.
  • Copying material word-for-word from a source (including lecture and study group notes) and not placing the words within quotation marks.
  • Submitting your own work in more than one course without the permission of the instructor.
  • Making up sources or facts.
  • Including references to sources that you did not use.
  • Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment including:
  • working in groups on assignments that are supposed to be individual work;
  • having someone rewrite or add material to your work while “editing”.
  • “crowdsourcing” ideas and text via a Facebook/online study group without attribution
  • Lending your work to a classmate who submits it as his/her own without your permission.
On tests and exams:
  • Using or possessing any unauthorized aid, including a cell phone.
  • Looking at someone else’s answers
  • Letting someone else look at your answers.
  • Misrepresenting your identity.
  • Submitting an altered test for re-grading.
Misrepresentation:
  • Falsifying or altering any documentation required by the University, including doctor’s notes.
  • Falsifying institutional documents or grades.

Acts of academic dishonesty include:
  • cheating on tests and exams (bringing notes, looking at a neighbour’s paper, allowing someone to look at your paper)
  • copying material word-for-word and not acknowledging the source by placing the text within quotation marks, even with a citation
  • submitting work produced by someone else as though it was your own (a friend’s paper, work purchased from a custom essay site
  • work completed in a group that is not supposed to be group work.
  • submitting the same work, in part or in whole, for multiple courses
  • “editing” that results in a paper which is no longer entirely your own work.
For a complete list of offences, see section B of the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters.
In written work, all sources used must be correctly cited, and quoted, if material is copied directly. Exams and tests must be written without the use or possession of unauthorized aids, including notes and cellular phones. When working with friends, protect your work by not sharing or emailing your notes or assignments with others. You can help friends by discussing your ideas together and comparing your notes from lectures.For a complete list of offences, see section B of the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters.
Details on Offences / See examples below
process / The University of Toronto treats cases of academic misconduct very seriously. All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be investigated following the procedures outlined in the Code. The consequences for academic misconduct can be severe, including a failure in the course and a notation on your transcript.
In accordance with the University’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, I will actively investigate any suspected cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation or other dishonest practices.The consequences for academic misconduct can be severe, including a failure in the course and a notation on your transcript.
As a faculty member at the University, I am bound by the same Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters as you, and it is an offence for me to not report instances of academic misconduct. Please do not plead, beg, or ask me to overlook an offence, as I would be breaking the rules if I did so. It would not be fair to your fellow classmates, and it would not be fair to me.
Resources / If you have questions about appropriate research and citation methods, seek out additional information from me, or from other available campus resources like the U of T Writing Website. If you are experiencing personal challenges that are having an impact on your academic work, please speak to me or seek the advice of your college registrar. You may find other useful resources at
To do your best work, you may need to take advantage of some of the resources on campus. You will find a comprehensive list here.
You can find help for your assigned work by seeing me in office hours, speaking with your TA, or visiting the many resources available on campus.
Invitation to meet / If you have any questions about what is or is not permitted in this course, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Invitation to Report / Students are usually reluctant to report incidents of academic dishonesty. As we are working together to preserve the fairness of this course, so I encourage you to let me know (anonymously, if necessary) if you observe behaviour that you feel might be unethical. . Your name will be held in confidence.

SAMPLE AI STATEMENTS

Example #1: Formal and Comprehensive

Academic integrity is fundamental to learning and scholarship at the University of Toronto. Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in this academic community ensures that the U of T degree that you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement, and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

You are expected to know what constitutes AI; familiarize yourself with the University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters( It is the rule book for academic behaviour at the U of T. Potential offences include, but are not limited to, the following:

In papers and assignments:

•Using someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement.

•Copying material word-for-word from a source (including lecture and study group notes) and not placing the words within quotation marks.

•Submitting your own work, in part or whole, in more than one course without the permission of the instructor.

•Making up sources or facts.

•Including references to sources that you did not use.

•Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment including:

◦working in groups on assignments that are supposed to be individual work;

◦having someone rewrite or add material to your work while “editing”.

•Lending your work to a classmate who submits it as his/her own without your permission.

On tests and exams:

•Using or possessing any unauthorized aid, including a cell phone.

•Looking at someone else’s answers

•Letting someone else look at your answers.

•Misrepresenting your identity.

•Submitting an altered test for re-grading.

Misrepresentation:

•Falsifying or altering any documentation required by the University, including doctor’s notes.

•Falsifying institutional documents or grades.

To remind you of these expectations, and help you avoid accidental offences, you must include a signed Academic Integrity Checklist with every assignment. If you do not include the statement, your work will not be graded.

The University of Toronto treats cases of academic misconduct very seriously. All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be investigated following the procedures outlined in the Code. The consequences for academic misconduct can be severe, including a failure in the course and a notation on your transcript. If you have any questions about what is or is not permitted in this course, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you have questions about appropriate research and citation methods, seek out additional information from me, or from other available campus resources like the U of T Writing Website. If you are experiencing personal challenges that are having an impact on your academic work, please speak to me or seek the advice of your college registrar.You may find other useful resources at

Example #2: Short and General

Academic Integrity

While I don't expect to encounter instances of cheating in this class, you should be aware that I take academic integrity very seriously, and that there are significant consequences if you are caught cheating or engaging in academic misconduct. All academic work in this course must adhere to the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters.

  • In written work, all sources used must be correctly cited, and if material is copied directly, appropriately cited and placed within quotation marks.
  • Exams and tests must be written without the use or possession of unauthorized aids, including notes and cellular phones.
  • If you work or study with friends, protect your work by not sharing or emailing your notes or assignments. You can help friends by discussing your ideas together and comparing your notes from lectures, but all written work must be completed on your own.
  • You can find help with your assigned work by seeing me in office hours, speaking with your TA, or visiting the many resources available on campus.

Example #3: Writing-specific

Academic Integrity

The expectation in this course is that you are familiar with how to properly paraphrase and summarize from sources, and how to correctly acknowledge material using footnotes, quotation marks, and bibliographic entries. It is also expected that you are familiar with what constitutes an academic offence under the University’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, which includes plagiarism, submitting purchased material, providing unauthorized assistance to friends, and use of unauthorized aids during exams. If you are not familiar with these rules, or need a reminder, check these resources.I am available to you at any time during office hours for help with assignments. You can also get help through your college Writing Centre and the Academic Success Centre.

SAMPLE STATEMENTS ON SPECIFIC OFFENCES

Statements on Collaboration

Example #1:

In this course you must complete all assignmentsindividually. You may develop your ideas and understand challenging concepts by comparing and discussing lectures and approaches to assignments, with your classmates. However, you must write all assignments on your own and if you incorporate the ideas of others, including your classmates, you must acknowledge them appropriately. You may not share (electronically or in hard copy) assignment answers, edit or rewrite another student’s work, or use previous assignment answers in your own work. If you need help, ask me or your TA. Visit your college writing center for help with planning or reviewing your essay.

Example #2:

Collaboration is a part of learning that can help you develop your ideas and understand challenging concepts. The ability to work well with others is an important skill that will serve you well in the future. However, the final work that you submit for grading must be your work alone. Here are some guidelines to help you collaborate in the right way, rather than collude:

Appropriate ways of collaborating:

  • Comparing /reviewing lecture notes* with friends
  • Discussing lectures or assignments with friends
  • Asking for help from a UofT writing centre
  • Having your work proofread (not edited), to check for formatting issues, grammatical errors, awkward phrasing and typos. Proofreading involves someone indicating problematic areas, but not making changes to your content or fixing those problems.
  • Reviewing past exams made available by the instructor or library for studying purposes
  • Documenting any contributions made to work done in pairs or groups.

*any course/lecture notes should be in “note form” and not full sentences! A transcription of my lecture is less helpful to you than a bullet-point list of main points and ideas that you generate by listening to my lecture

Inappropriate ways of collaborating (collusion):

  • Creating a solution as a group and submitting the same solution individually when individual work is required
  • Dividing up an assignment with classmates then submitting the collective effort as individual work
  • Writing a detailed assignment outline with a classmate (which may include using the same examples/evidence/structure)
  • Copying, either electronically or by hand, another student’s work into your own work
  • Allowing someone else to copy from your work
  • Having your work edited, revised, or rewritten by another person so that it is no longer yours alone
  • Editing, altering, or writing the work of another student so that the work is no longer theirs alone
  • Using an essay service, including those masquerading as “editing” or “essay help”
  • Contributing to a group assignment without verifying your references and citations are accurate
  • Giving a friend a copy of your assignment for “reference”

Example #3:

UofT encourages students to exchange ideas with each other. This is an essential part of the learning process and in most cases is not considered cheating or plagiarism. However, while you may discuss an assignment in a general fashion with your classmates, after such discussions you must complete your own work separately. You are not permitted to write assignments together. Any work you submit must be entirely your own.Any material in your assignment that represents someone else’s work (e.g. a quote or thought) requires proper citation. Do not provide a draft or finished work (in text form or electronically), to another student in case s/he is tempted to use it inappropriately in completing her/his own work. If s/he does, you too may face an allegation of academic misconduct under the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters.

Statements on Group Work with Peer Evaluation (from waterloo)

This assignment is a group assignment. Students are expected to work together to complete the assignment and will all be awarded the same grade. Students are expected to participate equally and to collaborate to create the best possible end product. X% of each student’s grade will be based on their individual contributions to the final product. This will be assessed through peer and/or instructor evaluations. (The actual process needs to be clearly described here and instructors are encouraged to discuss group dynamic management techniques.)

Statement on Proofreading vs. Editing

Proofreading vs. Editing: know the difference and which is acceptable

Acceptable: Proofreading

Proofreading means reviewing acompleted document to identify, BUT NOT TO CORRECT, spelling, grammar, punctuation, citations, and clarity of presentation. Correcting those errors is up to YOU, the author of the assignment.

Not Acceptable: Editing

Editing means altering a document to improve it, such as re-arranging, deleting, or re-phrasing passages, correcting grammatical/spelling errors, or adding new content. Editing must only be by YOU, the author of the document, so that the work you submit for credit is an accurate reflection of your own abilities. Submitting edited work is an academic offence because the work is no longer entirely yours.

Statements on Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when someone, deliberately or not, takes another person's ideas and/or manner of expressing them (the words they used) and fails to give appropriate acknowledgement, thus representing them as their own words.

How you can avoid plagiarism:

  • Take careful notes by immediately indicating the source and what words you have copied vs. what words are your own (e.g. use a different font colour to indicate copied text).
  • Add references immediately to cite any material included in your paper. Doing this after you have finished writing is much more time consuming, difficult, and dangerous.
  • Provide a reference every time you borrow an idea, design, image, or wording from another source. If in doubt, cite it!
  • Place quotation marks around any material copied word for word to show that the words are not your own words.
  • Understand that paraphrasing is more than replacing a few words or switching around phrases. You must express the idea in an entirely new way, and then provide a reference to the source of the idea.
  • Read sources carefully, and only using them when you understand what they mean.

[1] Pg 54 Fostering AI