Dear Students:

I am writing to reemphasize that Florida State University has an Academic Honor Code, which every student, by virtue of enrolling at FSU, agrees to uphold. The FSU Student Handbook makes it clear that "each student has the responsibility

1. to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work,
2. to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community, and
3. to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community."

The School of Information Studies expects that our students will observe the Academic Honor Code. Plagiarism is a violation of that code and is subject to severe penalties. Plagiarism can include, but is not limited to, the following: a) cheating during an examination by copying another student's answers; b) turning in an assignment as one's own work when actually it was done by another student; c) working with another student on what was supposed to be an individual assignment; and d) copying material from another source (such as a book, an article, or a web page) and not using quotation marks and/or identifying and documenting the source.

Violations of the Honor Code carry strict penalties that can range from receiving an F (a zero) on the assignment in question to receiving an F for the course or even dismissal from the University. In addition, violations are documented in the student's file.

The School believes that it is especially vexing when information professionals do not observe the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. Faculty and instructors in the School are committed to upholding these standards and will penalize anyone who violates the Honor Code. Any student who has a question or a concern about a possible Honor Code violation should feel free to speak with faculty, instructors, or one of the deans.

Sincerely,
Jane B. Robbins
Former Dean