Academic integrity is the foundation of educational excellence. It means conducting all academic work with honesty, responsibility, and respect for intellectual property. As you prepare to solve real-world technological challenges, the ethical standards you practice now directly impact your future success.
Missouri S&T's reputation for excellence depends on the ethical conduct of our entire community. When you uphold academic integrity, you:
Cheating includes the use, dependence upon or possession of unauthorized materials in class- or homework, or quizzes, tests or examinations.
Plagiarism is the use of another person's work or ideas without proper citation, whether by paraphrase or direct quotation. Go here for some specific examples of plagiarized passages and how they could be corrected.
Plagiarism includes unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials. It is also the unacknowledged use of original work that has been produced through collaboration with others without release in writing from collaborators.
For more information, contact the Writing Center on campus.
Here is a quick video overview about what constitutes plagiarism.
Savotage is interfering with, modifying or destroying the work or intellectual property of another member of the University without permission.
The term unauthorized use of artificially generated content, includes, but is not limited to
Use of commonly available tools such as spelling or grammar checking software or features of software that propose anticipated words or phrases while text is being written will not be considered unauthorized use of artificially generated content unless such use is contrary to instructions from the instructor.
University of Missouri CRR 200.010 Standard of Conduct
The Honor Code of the Missouri S&T Student Body, as approved in the Constitution of the Missouri S&T Student Council.
The following is a list of possible sanctions. More than one of the sanctions may be imposed for any single violation.
A notice in writing to the student that the student violated institutional regulations.
A written reprimand for a designated period of time and includes the probability of more severe sanctions if other instances of academic dishonesty are discovered.
Denial of specified privileges for a designated period of time.
Work assignments, service to the university, or other related discretionary assignments.
An involuntary separation of the student from the University; there is no definite time period attached to this sanction.
Separation of the student from the University for a definite period of time, after which the student is eligible to return. Conditions for readmission may be specified.
Permanent separation of the student from the University.
Reality: The default expectation in higher education is that work submitted under your name is your own independent effort unless collaboration is specifically authorized. When in doubt, always ask your instructor about acceptable collaboration boundaries.
Reality: Using AI tools, answer sites, or other resources without instructor permission or proper attribution constitutes academic misconduct. These tools should be used according to course policies, with appropriate disclosure, and never as a substitute for your own learning and work.
Reality: Research consistently shows that most students don't engage in academic misconduct. The majority of your S&T peers are submitting their own, original work and earning their degrees honestly.
Reality: The appropriateness of using old exams depends entirely on how they were obtained and whether they're authorized for circulation. Using exams provided to you by the instructor is acceptable. However, accessing unauthorized test banks, exams obtained through improper channels, or materials explicitly restricted by your professor constitutes academic misconduct. When in doubt, always ask.
When you do the work yourself—especially when it's difficult—you build the competence that makes an S&T degree meaningful.