Penn State Plagiarism and AI Policy
Last verified October 23, 2026 · AI-assisted research and drafting · Maintained by Plagiarism Checker Online, operated by Markus Nick
The short answer: According to the published guidance checked October 23, 2026: The published student guidance says AI permission can vary by class, assignment and task, including university-provided tools. Students should ask the instructor when unsure and explain the tool and its use when it is allowed.
Key facts, with sources
| Topic | What the school publishes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School | Public, four-year institution in University Park, PA | Source |
| Official policy | Academic integrity policy | Source |
| Plagiarism definition | G-9 includes presenting another's words, ideas, results or processes without appropriate credit, including submitting someone else's work as your own. | Source |
| Generative AI | Instructor decides. The published student guidance says AI permission can vary by class, assignment and task, including university-provided tools. Students should ask the instructor when unsure and explain the tool and its use when it is allowed. | Source |
| Sanctions | The policy publishes the options or review limits listed below; no automatic progression is inferred. | Source |
| Citation styles | APA, MLA The AI page links library citation guides; this is not a claim that either style is mandatory in all courses. | Source |
| Writing center | Writing Center at Penn State Learning | Source |
| Appeals | G-9 provides sanction review for XF or removal from a program. It distinguishes that narrow academic review from an appeal of an administrative sanction through Student Accountability, which does not reopen the academic finding or ordinary academic sanction. | Source |
| Reporting office | Campus or college Academic Integrity Committee; Student Accountability for administrative referrals | Source |
| Institution identity | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | Registry |
| Summary scope | Independent AI-assisted summary of Penn State publications read October 23, 2026. Registry identity is Main Campus; G-9 describes campus/college procedures. This is not the University of Pennsylvania and not individual case advice. | Policy |
In the school's own words
“without giving appropriate attribution, citation, or credit”
Plagiarism definition: source, checked October 23, 2026.
“Read the course syllabus and assessment instructions!”
Generative AI policy: source, checked October 23, 2026.
Published outcomes and review levels
These are the published options or review limits below, not a predicted outcome or an automatic sequence. Follow the linked policy for the applicable process.
- Minor-severity recommendations. The guidelines suggest redoing work and/or reducing the assignment grade, with or without an integrity warning.
- Moderate-severity recommendations. Suggestions include zero on the assessment, with or without a course-grade reduction.
- Major-severity recommendations. Suggestions include F or XF. These are recommendations by severity, not an automatic repeat-offense sequence; G-9 adds conditions for XF.
What students at Penn State should know
Penn State's published AI guidance makes the course syllabus and assessment instructions the starting point: permission can differ between classes and between tasks, including when the university supplies the tool. G-9 separately treats misrepresenting another person's work and unauthorized assistance as integrity issues. For a paper, first identify the allowed activity, then document the tool and the way you used it. The AI guidance recommends identifying AI-assisted information in the text, marking copied material, and listing the tool at the end of the project. Those acknowledgments do not authorize a use that the assignment prohibits. An illustrative question to send your instructor is: may I use the university-provided AI tool to outline this paper, but write the submitted sentences myself, and how should I disclose that? Penn State is not the University of Pennsylvania; check that the policy belongs to the correct institution before following a search result. If a case has started, distinguish its academic and administrative routes. Campus or college committees handle the academic process, while Student Accountability can handle additional administrative sanctions. G-9 describes a particular sanction-review option for an XF notation or removal from a program; it is not a general promise that every academic decision can be appealed through Student Accountability. For help improving a draft before submission, Penn State Learning offers free undergraduate peer writing support, including online formats.
Frequently asked questions
No blanket assignment permission follows from university access. The student AI guidance says rules may differ by class and task, explicitly including tools such as Grammarly and Copilot that the university provides. Read the syllabus and assessment instructions and ask your instructor if a particular use is unclear.
The sanctioning guidelines organize suggested academic outcomes by severity, not a guaranteed first-offense ladder. G-9 limits XF to specified situations and requires a course-grade consequence of F, while committees determine the notation's duration and relevant conditions. A case's outcome cannot be predicted from a similarity percentage.
Penn State Learning's Writing Center describes free peer tutoring for undergraduates, with in-person, online and asynchronous options. Bring the assignment instructions and your draft. Writing support is separate from permission to use an AI tool and from a campus or college academic-integrity review.
Every row links to its source. Independent summary, not affiliated with Penn State. Found a mistake? Report a correction.
For background, read our guide to university AI policies.
If you want the wider context, see how AI writing is treated in academic work.
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