Academic Integrity

Essex County College’s trustees, faculty, and administrators are dedicated to mutual respect and the free exchange of ideas in classroom, laboratory, and other academic settings. Students who enroll at ECC join with these other individuals in adherence to guidelines regarding free inquiry, academic honesty, and civility in the classroom and related forums.

The College’s administration recognizes the common interest of faculty and students in the pursuit of the truth and understanding This includes the right to present and the obligation to receive divergent views when legitimate intellectual differences exist.

Students are advised that their obligations in this respect include but are not limited to the following:

To present only such homework assignments, term papers, examination papers, etc. that are the results if their own work;
To honestly pursue research and scholarship by acknowledging sources used in term papers and other assignments;
To never fabricate sources and data;
To practice fairness in competing with peers through recognition of others’ rights to gain access to information and materials, respect for others’ right to access to facilities and equipment, and adherence to rules governing their use;
To accurately represent the results of experimental, survey, and other findings; and
To respect the rights of others to hold differing views based on reason, research, and recognized standards of evidence.

Moreover, any theft or alteration of academic materials, or the destruction of the academic work of others, constitutes a serious breach of academic integrity. In the case of an alleged infraction, the appropriate divisional chairperson will handle the matter and if necessary initiate formal charges with an Academic Dean or Chief Academic Officer.

Artificial Intelligence Tools Statement

Artificial Intelligence (AI) resources may be used by students if an assignment clearly states that is it an acceptable option or if the instructor explicitly permits it in the syllabus. In such cases, a student may only use the specific tools identified as acceptable and they must adhere to the College's standards for attribution, validation and transparency. This means the student must (1) fully document all material not generated by them, (2) check AI generated information and take full responsibility for its accuracy and (3) identify where and how they used any AI tools and how they contributed to their work.

Assessment may focus on how the student improved on and surpassed the initial AI contribution. Usage of any AI tools without permission is unacceptable and will be considered an academic integrity violation - an act of plagiarism which can result in the failure of the assignment. If a student has any doubts about what is acceptable, please discuss them with the class instructor. The College is actively securing software that detects the usage of Artificial Intelligence Tools.