Students are most likely to copy when they feel academic pressure or time stress. There are a lot of situations where the ethical cost of copying or sharing your work illicitly seems a lot less important than the intense pressures of life on you or your friends. Perhaps something unfortunate has happened this semester, and you feel as though you are drowning under a mountain of work that you can’t focus on. Maybe you want to help a friend who has just been through a rough time.
Believe it or not, your instructors understand that these sorts of things happen. They went through 20-25 years of schooling to get where they are—they know how this all works. And our experience has been that instructors are more likely to show leniency if you contact them before you submit the work than after they have identified an academic integrity violation.
No matter which campus you attend, there are lots of resources to help students. You can find links to these resources online, but here are some to get you started. You can also discuss any issues with your academic adviser.
- Community and Belonging
- Involvement and Student Life
- Health and Wellness
- Leadership and Career Success
- Support, Safety, and Conduct
- Facilities and Spaces
- Get Urgent Help
Resources for World Campus Students
- Care and Concern
- Career Resources
- Conduct
- LGBTQA Information for students
- Mental Health Services
- Services for Military and Veteran
- Student Involvement Resources
If you are really stuck, remember that a 0% or a late penalty might be better than the consequences of an academic integrity violation.