define: academic

Each subject discipline will have certain writing conventions, vocabulary and types of discourse that you will become familiar with over the course of your degree. However, there are some general characteristics of academic writing that are relevant across all disciplines.
Academic writing is:

Fundamental to the academic work you do at MIT is an expectation that you will make choices that reflect integrity and responsible behavior.
MIT will ask much of you. Occasionally, you may feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to accomplish. You may be short of time, working on several assignments due the same day, or preparing for qualifying exams or your thesis presentation. The pressure can be intense. On the Working Under Pressure page, we suggest resources to help you manage your workload and prevent yourself from becoming overwhelmed. However, no matter what level of stress you may find yourself under, MIT expects you to approach your work with honesty and integrity.

References:

http://integrity.mit.edu/
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/14011/writing/106/academic_writing