As an academic community dedicated to the creation, dissemination, and application of knowledge, Rutgers University is committed to fostering an intellectual and ethical environment based on the principles of academic integrity. Academic integrity is essential to the success of the university's educational, research, and clinical missions, and violations of academic integrity constitute serious offenses against the entire academic community. This policy, revised in June 2020, can be found at
https://policies.rutgers.edu/10213-currentpdf.
The principles of academic integrity require that a student:
- make sure that all work submitted in a course, academic research, or other activity is the student's own and created without the aid of impermissible technologies, materials, or collaborations.
- properly acknowledge and cite all use of the ideas, results, images, or words of others.
- properly acknowledge all contributors to a given piece of work.
- obtain all data or results by ethical means and report them accurately without suppressing any results inconsistent with the student's interpretation or conclusions.
- treat all other students ethically, respecting their integrity and right to pursue their educational goals without interference. This principle requires that a student neither facilitate academic dishonesty by others nor obstruct their academic progress.
- uphold the ethical standards and professional code of conduct in the field for which the student is preparing.
Adherence to these principles is necessary to ensure that:
- proper credit for ideas, words, images, results, and other scholarly work, no matter the form or media, is attributed to the appropriate individual(s).
- all student research and work are fairly evaluated, and no student has an inappropriate advantage over others.
- the academic and ethical development of all students is fostered.
- the reputation of the university for integrity, ethics, scholarship, and professionalism is maintained and enhanced.
Failure to uphold these principles of academic integrity threatens both the reputation of the university and the value of the degrees awarded to its students. Every member of the university community, therefore, bears a responsibility for ensuring that the highest standards of academic integrity are upheld.
To uphold these principles, the university administration is responsible for:
- working with faculty, staff, and students to foster a strong institutional culture of academic integrity,
- providing effective educational programs that create an understanding of and commitment to academic integrity, and
- establishing equitable and effective procedures to deal with allegations of violations of academic integrity.
All members of the university share the collegial responsibility for educating students about the importance and principles of academic integrity. Faculty members are expected to inform students of the particular requirements regarding academic integrity within their specific courses, to make reasonable efforts to minimize academic dishonesty, and to respond appropriately to violations of academic integrity. Additionally, faculty members are strongly encouraged to provide a statement concerning academic integrity and a link to the Academic Integrity Policy on their course syllabi.
Students are responsible for understanding the principles of academic integrity and abiding by them in all aspects of their work at the university. Students are also encouraged to help educate fellow students about academic integrity and to bring all alleged violations of academic integrity they encounter to the attention of the appropriate authorities.
To create a strong culture that promotes academic integrity, Rutgers has adopted the following honor pledge to be written and signed on examinations and major course assignments submitted for grading: On my honor, I have neither received nor given any unauthorized assistance on this examination (assignment).
Some professional schools may have codes of professional conduct that impose additional requirements such as requiring students to report observed violations of academic integrity by others and to self-report such violations.
The university may require that students:
- write and sign this pledge on examinations and major assignments submitted for grading;
- take an online academic integrity tutorial and pass an online examination on academic integrity in their first semester at Rutgers; and
- affirm that they understand the Rutgers Academic Integrity Policy and will abide by it in all of their academic work.
This Academic Integrity Policy applies to all schools and academic units of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Also, most professional schools have codes of professional conduct that students are required to follow. The code of professional conduct for a particular professional school can be found in the student handbook or equivalent document of that school. Each professional school has the responsibility to educate its students about its code of professional conduct and the penalties for violations. Students are responsible for understanding and adhering to the requirements of this policy and the code of professional conduct for the particular professional school in which they are enrolled.
Academic Policies and Procedures 
