As a student at George Mason, you are expected to take responsibility and accountability for ensuring you complete and submit honest academic work. All students who are enrolled in courses at Mason agree to the following.
Academic Standards exist to promote authentic scholarship, support the institution’s goal of maintaining high standards of academic excellence, and encourage continued ethical behavior of faculty and students to cultivate an educational community which values integrity and produces graduates who carry this commitment forward into professional practice.
During a Referral
- Written Case Process
- Read all case communications in their entirety – the Academic Standards Office provides a plethora of valuable information in the referral notice and all other notices you receive.
- Regularly monitor your student email. The Academic Standards Office will send notices to your GMU email address that are time sensitive.
- Participate in all case resolution proceedings, including submitting your pre-hearing form and statement forms. This enables you to share your side of the situation and allows the Academic Standards Committee/Panel/Hearing Officer to make the most informed decision possible on your case.
- Continue attending class as usual. All work you submitted during the case resolution timeframe will be graded as usual.
- If you are confused or unsure about any part of the process, schedule and attend a pre-hearing meeting.
- Live Hearing Process
- Read all case communications in their entirety – the Academic Standards Office provides a plethora of valuable information in the referral notice and all other notices you receive.
- Schedule and attend your required pre-hearing. Failure to do so will result in a hold that will not be lifted until you complete the pre-hearing.
- Regularly monitor your student email. The Academic Standards Office will send notices to your GMU email address that are time sensitive.
- Continue attending class as usual. All work you submitted during the case resolution timeframe will be graded as usual.
- Attend the hearing and participate in full. This permits you to share your side of the situation and allows the Academic Standards Committee/Panel to make the most informed decision possible on your case.
After a Referral
- After a Referral:
- Complete any assigned sanctions by the due date listed in your decision letter
- Should you wish to appeal, do so by following the appeal guidance in the decision letter. Incomplete or late appeals will not be accepted.
- Modify your behavior to ensure you are not referred to the Academic Standards Office again. Repeated violations will result in suspension or dismissal from Mason.
10 Steps to Maintaining Academic Standards/Honesty
Acknowledge all sources you used when completing any assignment
If the idea did not come directly from your brain to the assignment, you must cite where it came from. It is always better to over-cite than under-cite. Mistakes in citation do not constitute a violation so even if you cite incorrectly, as long as you made an academically honest attempt to cite everything in your work, you will not be referred to our office. If you need assistance with citations, use the Writing Center or ask your professor for guidance
Avoid behavior that could be considered suspicious
Do not use notes or websites on closed assessments, refrain from using your phone unless explicitly permitted, and do your best to engage in academic honesty at all times.
Be aware of the rules for collaboration
Know the rules about collaboration and follow them. Keep in mind, it may be different in different classes. Sometimes, you may think you are just helping a friend, but if that help violates the assignment instructions or course policy, you may actually be engaging in academically dishonest behavior that may result in a referral.
Manage your time effectively
Most students resort to academic dishonesty due to ineffective time management and procrastination. College is substantially different than high school; you are fully responsible for managing your own schedule, accessing resources to promote success, and ensuring you have adequate time to complete assignments. If you are struggling with time management, consider reaching out to Student Success Coaching, Learning Services, or University Libraries for support.
Read every syllabus and ask questions BEFORE submitting work
You are responsible for knowing and following all listed course policies for every class. If something is unclear, ask for clarification as soon as possible to mitigate any issues later on.
Do not re-submit the same work for multiple courses
Each course, unless explicitly permitted on the syllabus, requires you to complete new work. If you receive permission to re-use work from a prior class or prior semester, you must cite your prior work. Failure to do so could result in a referral to Academic Standards.
Use caution when joining course or department specific group chats
Many course group chats end up being used to facilitate cheating. Do not engage with group chats if they include answer sharing, distribution of attendance sign-in codes, or other academically dishonest behavior. Remember you are expected to report any possible violations you are aware of to your professor should they occur.
Read the Academic Standards Code
All students must follow the Academic Standards Code. Take the time at the start of each academic year to familiarize yourself with the policies and ask questions if something is unclear.
When in doubt, ask for clarification from your professor
Your professor is knowledgeable and wants to help you succeed. Visiting their office hours to ask for clarity or support BEFORE you submit an assignment can help ensure that you are meeting their expectations and following the Academic Standards
Avoid engaging with “Homework Help” sites
Chegg, Course Hero, GitHub, and other sites marketed as homework help are usually just facilitating academic dishonesty. Avoid pulling information from these sites and do not post assignments, exams, or other course materials to these sites without explicit permission from your professor.