The higher education system in the U.S. has a focus on academic integrity. From the 2014-2016 Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights & Responsibilities, August 2014, this is because "Intellectual integrity and credibility are the foundation of all academic work. A violation of Academic Integrity policy is, by definition, considered a flagrant offense to the educational process."

Your academic department is the best place to go if you have concerns or questions about what is academic integrity and how does it pertain to you. This is a topic which is also covered in your Orientation sessions, so it is very important to attend the session to learn about what is academic integrity at RPI.