To Freshmen About Academic Integrity
by Ed Rentezelas, J.D., Director of the Office of Student Conduct
To the Class of 2011:
Congratulations and welcome to the University of Pennsylvania. Your scholarly and creative achievements are remarkable. In your classes and dining halls, you will meet valedictorians and salutatorians, class presidents, editors, team captains and first-chair musicians. These classmates will provide you with inspiration, friendship, motivation and joy for the next four years and for your lifetime.
But this concentration of talent also creates pressure. It’s likely that never before have you been in such a challenging environment. The academic and social demands of Penn life can be strenuous as well as exhilarating, and you may feel anxious about meeting certain expectations, maintaining scholarships or preserving athletic eligibility.
It will be at times like this that you may be tempted to compete unfairly and neglect your responsibility to uphold the honest community of scholars of which you are now a part. You must understand exactly what academic integrity is and what it is not so that you do not find yourself in a compromising situation.
The first thing you must know: ignorance of rules, expectations and guidelines is no excuse. If you are unsure of what you may do and what you must not do, ask. Ask your professor or teaching assistant in class. Ask your professor during office hours; a few minutes spent with a professor to be absolutely sure will pay off in the long run.
This emphasis on academic integrity is not confined to a few classrooms or to the Office of Student Conduct. Every administrator, professor, graduate student and undergraduate should be committed to academic honesty. It holds the academic community together and makes the educational experience more valuable for all involved.
Ultimately, your success at Penn depends on you. The degree to which you adhere to the high standards of honesty and responsible behavior expected of Penn students is also up to you. We all share the responsibility of maintaining the excellence of Penn’s character and reputation, and we are delighted to welcome you to this community.
Of Critical Importance:
Sadly, every year the Office of Student Conduct handles numerous cases in which students are accused of violating Penn’s Code of Academic Integrity. For those students found responsible for the misconduct, the consequences can be very serious. As a community of scholars, the University has decided, as a matter of principle and policy, that students responsible for academic dishonesty should ordinarily be suspended from school. Moreover, a finding of academic dishonesty becomes a permanent part of that student’s academic record. More often than not, a failing grade in the course also follows. These consequences can be avoided if a student has a personal sense of integrity and the knowledge of where to turn for help in difficult or confusing academic situations.