Academic Policies & Integrity Guidelines
Academic Integrity
New Media Academic Policies
The Department of New Media requires that students adhere to a general set of Academic Integrity Guidelines as well as general University policies. Such policies ensure a safe, fair, and stimulating learning environment for all students, faculty and staff. Below are specific New Media policies and a list of students’ rights and responsibilities outlined by the University.
New Media students must ensure that copyrighted materials are not used in the creation of projects or assignments. The use of copyrighted materials without significant modification (for the purposes of quotation or social commentary) is plagiarism.
New Media students are encouraged to create their own original works in all cases. However, it is becoming more and more common for authors/creators to provide materials that are copyright free. The use of non-copyrighted materials is allowed (i.e. use of non-copyrighted music in a student-created video or animation). However, the use of original but non-copyrighted material created by others must not form a majority of a student’s work and all such materials must be clearly acknowledged (as outlined by the original work’s creator) in the credits of the student’s work and in the description of the assignment.
The U of L and the Department of New Media purchase equipment and software at educational discounts. As such, students are to only use University equipment (hardware, software) for educational purposes. Therefore, students cannot use University equipment for commercial purposes or for any paid service. The only exception to this rule the use of University equipment to create projects that may later be submitted to student competitions or festivals where there may be financial awards.
General University Academic Rights and Responsibilities
The Department of New Media and the U of L aim to provide a fair and stimulating learning environment for all students and faculty. Consequently, students have certain rights and responsibilities under such a system and these are outlined in the U of L Calendar. Pertinent information regarding these rights and responsibilities are outlined in the section of the University Calendar titled ‘Academic Regulations.’ Although important aspects are excerpted below, students are encouraged to consult the University Calendar for more detailed information about University policies governing rights, responsibilities, and procedures.
Academic Offenses
No student shall represent the words, ideas, images, or data of another person as his or her own. This regulation will affect any academic assignment or other component of any course or program of study, whether the plagiarized material constitutes a part or the entirety of the work submitted.
In the course of an examination, no student shall obtain or attempt to obtain information from another student or other unauthorized source, or give or attempt to give information to another student, or knowingly possess, use or attempt to use any unauthorized material.
No student shall represent or attempt to represent oneself as another or have or attempt to have oneself represented by another in the taking of an examination, preparation of a paper or other evaluated activity.
No student shall submit in any course or program of study, without both the knowledge and approval of the person or persons to whom it is submitted, all or a substantial portion of any academic assignment for which credit has previously been obtained or which has been or is being submitted in another course or program of study in the University or elsewhere. (This clause is not intended to prevent the integration of learning but, rather, to prevent duplication of credit for a body of work.)
It is an offence knowingly to procure, distribute or receive any confidential academic material such as pending examinations or laboratory notebooks.
It is an offence knowingly to misrepresent material facts to another for the purpose of obtaining academic advantage or credit. This offence is committed whenever a student submits in any course or program of study any academic assignment containing a statement of fact known by the student to be false or a fabricated reference to non-existent sources or documents.
Non-Academic Offences
- Students should maintain the freedoms of others including thought, beliefs, opinion, expression, peaceful assembly and association. Behavior contravening or limiting these freedoms constitutes disruption.
- Student conduct which unduly interferes with instruction including scheduled lectures, seminars, tutorials or other instructional activities, or with course examinations or other evaluation procedures will also be considered a disruption.
- A student shall not threaten physical abuse or engage in physical abuse of any other person, or his or her property. No member of the University community shall be placed in a situation of fear of physical abuse or fear of damage to his or her property. A student shall not knowingly incite others, by whatever means, to threaten by physical abuse or engage in physical abuse of individuals or groups of individuals.
- A student shall not harass or discriminate against any other person on the basis of age, race, colour, ethnicity, national origin, philosophical or religious affiliation or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or physical disability.
- A student shall not convert, damage or destroy any University property, equipment, facility or service.
- A student shall not deface the exterior or interior of any building, structure or facility of the University.
- A student shall not misuse a facility by gaining unauthorized entry or by remaining in a facility without appropriate authority. Facilities include, but are not limited to, all University buildings, structures, parking lots, athletic playing fields and lands.
- A student shall not misappropriate any University equipment, facility or service.