Academic Standards Office
Twin Rise Center 100
(716) 878-5222

academicstandards.buffalostate.edu

All students are expected to display honesty and integrity in completing course requirements and university academic regulations. "Academic misconduct" refers to any form of plagiarism, fraud, or cheating in connection with academic coursework and is inconsistent with the aims and goals of Buffalo State University.

Examples of academic misconduct includes but is not limited to the following:

• Aiding in academic dishonesty. Knowingly taking action that allows another student to engage in an act of academic dishonesty including but not limited to completing an examination or assignment for another student or stealing an examination or completed assignment for another student.
• Cheating. Includes but is not limited to (1) use of any assistance not authorized by the course instructor(s) in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations; (2) dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the course instructor(s) in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; or (3) stealing tests or other academic material belonging to the course instructor(s).
• Falsifying academic materials. Fabricating laboratory materials, notes, reports, or any forms of computer data; forging an instructor’s name or initials; resubmitting an examination or assignment for reevaluation that has been altered without the instructor’s authorization; or submitting a report, paper, materials, computer data, or examination (or any considerable part thereof) prepared by any person other than the student responsible for the assignment.
• Misrepresenting documents. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any university or official document, record, or instrument of identification.
• Plagiarizing. Copying or receiving material from any source and submitting that material as one’s own, without acknowledging and citing the particular debts to the source (quotations, paraphrases, basic ideas), or in any other manner representing the work of another as one’s own.
• Purchasing academic assignments. Purchasing an academic assignment intended for submission in fulfillment of any course or academic program requirement.
• Selling academic assignments. Selling or offering for sale any academic assignment to any person enrolled at Buffalo State. No person shall offer any inappropriate assistance in the preparation, research, or writing of any assignment, which the seller knows, or has reason to believe, is intended for submission in fulfillment of any course or academic program requirement.
• Submitting previously submitted work. Submitting academically required material that has been previously submitted, in whole or in substantial part, without prior and expressed consent of the instructor.
• Turnitin.com. Faculty may require students to use textual similarity detection software (e.g., Turnitin.com) in courses at Buffalo State University. This software may be used as an educational tool to assist students in learning how to properly cite resources, decrease instances of academic misconduct, or assist in the identification of acts of academic misconduct.

Students are to refer to the Academic Misconduct Policy for the full policy that includes statements on notification, due process, and timeliness; composition of Academic Misconduct Committee; resolution of academic misconduct allegations; and the procedures for resolving an allegation of academic misconduct including potential outcomes. A statement outlining formal university policies and procedures to be followed in cases of alleged academic misconduct will be on file in each academic dean’s office, in the Academic Standards Office, in the Student Leadership and Engagement Office, and online. Cases of severe infractions of acceptable standards may be brought before the Academic Misconduct Committee and may result in academic dismissal.