It is the belief at Ventura College that students share a responsibility with their instructors for assuring that their education is honestly attained. In keeping with this belief, every instructor has the responsibility and authority to deal with any instances of plagiarism, cheating and/or fabrication that occur in the classroom. Examples of academic dishonesty include (but are not limited to) the following:

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else’s work as one’s own. Examples include:

  • Copying and pasting text from websites or other electronic sources and presenting it in an assignment as your own original work.
  • Copying and pasting text from printed sources (including books, magazines, encyclopedias or newspapers) and presenting it in an assignment as your own original work.
  • Using another student’s work and claiming it as your own original work (even if you have the permission of the other student).

Cheating: Cheating is the act of pretending (or helping others to pretend) to have mastered course material through misrepresentation. Examples include:

  • Copying in whole or in part from another student’s test or paper.
  • Allowing another student to copy from your test or assignment.
  • Using the textbook, course handouts, or notes during a test without instructor permission.
  • Stealing, buying or otherwise obtaining all or part of a test before it is administered.
  • Selling or giving away all or part of a test before it is administered.
  • Having someone else attend a course or take a test in your place.
  • Attending a course or taking a test for someone else.
  • Failing to follow test-taking procedures, including talking during the test, ignoring starting and stopping times, or other disruptive activity.
  • Using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate content and presenting it as your own

Fabrication: Fabrication is the intentional use of invented information. Examples include:

  • Signing a roll sheet for another student.
  • Giving false information to college personnel.
  • Answering verbal or written questions in an untruthful manner.
  • Inventing data or sources of information for research papers or other assignments.

As members of the Ventura College learning community, students are not to engage in any form of academic dishonesty. Any act of academic dishonesty will be considered a very serious offense that is subject to disciplinary action.