Student Academic Honesty Policy

The University of San Francisco is a community of educators and learners with shared values, based on the principles of justice and personal responsibility inherent in the University's Vision, Mission, and Values. Accordingly, USF expects the highest standards of honesty and integrity from all members of the academic community. The University seeks students who are knowledgeable, forthright and honest.

Adherence to standards of honesty and integrity precludes engaging in, causing, or knowingly benefiting from any aspect of cheating on assignments or examinations, including but not limited to:

1. giving or receiving unauthorized information and materials;
2. plagiarism (intentionally representing the words or ideas of another person as your own);
3. failure to properly cite references or manufacturing references;
4. working with another person when independent work is required;
5. forgery, and/or misinterpretation of any signature on any academic document;
6. multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without the prio permission of each instructor;
7. submitting a paper written by another person or obtained from the internet;
8. falsification or fabrication of academic research materials;
9. falsification of personal academic records and files, including admission and financial aid applications, resumes, and portfolio essays;
10. falsification of patient records or other clinical reports, or otherwise endangering the well-being of patients involved in the teaching/learning process in the School of Nursing;
11. falsification of client records or other clinical/professional reports, involved in the teaching/ learning process in the School of Education or in internships in any of the schools and colleges of the university;
12. unauthorized access to or use of University computer accounts or files;
13. removal, mutilation, or deliberate concealment of academic materials belonging to the University Library, computer laboratories, or other learning resource centers;
14. destruction or alteration of the work of another student; and
15. unauthorized recording, sale, or use of lectures and other instructional materials.

This list is not meant to be exhaustive, and the University reserves the right to determine in a given instance what action constitutes an infringement of academic honesty and integrity.

The University commits itself to inform students of the requirements of academic honesty through orientation programs and its publications and to investigate vigorously claims of dishonesty. The policy and procedures on academic honesty and integrity can be obtained from the office of the deans or from the Office of the Provost.