Mechanical and Civil Engineering Statement on Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is foundational to Caltech's educational and research programs and to engineering and science more broadly. The MCE community is committed to teaching and learning in accordance with our academic norms, Caltech's Honor Code and Caltech's Code of Conduct; we are also committed to reporting concerns and to ensuring that processes to adjudicate violations focus on transparency and fairness to support student learning and promote trust within our community.
Conduct that violates the academic norms of the MCE Department
The prohibited conduct listed below comes from Caltech Honor Code Handbook. The MCE Department also prohibits students from assisting others in prohibited conduct, such as knowingly giving other students solutions for homework or exams.
- Exceeding the time limits of a given assignment without permission from the instructor or a pre-approved accommodation due to disability.
- Use of references or other resources not allowed per the assignment and/or permitted by the instructor.
- Collaborating with others on an assignment beyond the scope permitted by the instructor.
- Using another's work, in whole or in part, without acknowledging the source and presenting that material as one's own academic work.
- Any attempt by a student to answer questions on an assignment by means other than their own knowledge, without authorization from the instructor. This also includes completing work on behalf of another student or asking another student to complete work on your behalf as well as misrepresenting attendance for yourself or another student.
- Submitting the same academic work for credit more than once unless specifically authorized by the instructor of record.
- Knowingly using and/or presenting invented or fabricated information, falsified research, or other findings. Falsification or theft of results ("drylabbing") are serious acts of intellectual dishonesty, as is claiming undue credit for another's work or ideas. The Research Misconduct Policy is applicable to all researchers, including undergraduate students.
- Knowingly assisting another student or students in prohibited behaviors, such as by sharing your solutions.