What is Academic Integrity?

According to Webster’s dictionary, integrity is an “adherence to ethical principles.”  A person who has integrity practices honesty in all things and does what is “right” based on societal norms.  Academic integrity refers specifically to those actions and intentions associated with your work at George Mason University.

Your commitment to not “cheat, steal, plagiarize, or lie in matters related to your academic work” is of great importance to the Mason community.   Students who lack integrity devalue our degrees and harm Mason’s reputation which can have a direct negative impact on you.  

Statement from the Provost

Our University Provost, Dr. Peter N. Stearns, has a statement on the topic of academic integrity on his website.  Feel free to refer to the link in the link box to the right.

Cultural Variations

Students from various cultures may interpret "cheating" or "plagiarism" differently than students who were schooled in US institutions. It is important for professors to explain their policies and expectations clearly since the concept of integrity may not be clear to those from other cultures. For more information, link to the Faculty Guide from Carnegie Mellon university that covers the topic of "Cultural Variations," specifically pages 13-15 of this document.

"The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour."

Japanese Proverb