eCornell Plagiarism Policy

Monique Staats Updated by Monique Staats

Plagiarism is defined as the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own. This may include the copying of someone else’s work without proper citation, submitting work created by others as one’s own, or paraphrasing without giving credit to the original source. 

Responses generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform may be utilized to enhance a student’s original work and thoughts, and must be properly cited. It is considered plagiarism to use AI to replace one’s own work, or to enhance a response with the use of AI and not cite or acknowledge this resource. *Please read more about this here in Cornell University’s Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence.

Here at eCornell, we strive to provide a rewarding and demanding educational experience that helps you grow in your understanding and enables you to meet challenges in your field. We value your individual perspective and seek to support your personal learning. Plagiarism does not have a role in achieving those aims. If you are not certain about what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it, we encourage you to review Cornell University’s detailed policy here. 

The first and second instances of demonstrably plagiarized work you submit will result in an “Incomplete” or 0 grade for the work and you will be offered the chance to resubmit your original work for regrading. The incident will be recorded as part of your record. A third plagiarism incident will result in your being withdrawn from the course with no refund. Your facilitator is here to work with you on presenting your best, original work at all times. If you are not certain whether a particular piece of work constitutes plagiarism, we encourage you to discuss it with your facilitator before submission.

First Instance

Student account is flagged and given the opportunity to resubmit correctly. This is noted as a first offense.

Second Instance

Student account is flagged for the second time and given the opportunity to resubmit correctly. They are warned that if this happens a third time, they will be removed from their program completely with no opportunity for a refund. This is noted as a second offense. 

Third Instance

Student account is flagged for the third time and they are removed from their program completely with no opportunity for a refund. This is noted as a third and final offense and will remain on their eCornell account. 

Here at eCornell, we encourage and promote original thought and critical thinking. If you are ever unsure if what you have written or plan to present is in violation of our policy, please contact your course facilitator for guidance and assistance. There are also many helpful resources and tools online for free to assist you with proper citations. 

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