Academic Honor Code

As members of a community dedicated to learning, inquiry and creation, the students, faculty and administration of our university live by the principles in this Honor Code. These principles require all members of this community to be conscientious, respectful and honest.

We are conscientious. We complete our work on time and make every effort to do it right. We come to class and meetings prepared and are willing to demonstrate it. We hold ourselves to doing what is required, embrace rigor and shun mediocrity, special requests and excuses.

We are respectful. We act civilly toward one another, and we cooperate with each other. We will strive to create an environment in which people respect and listen to one another, speaking when appropriate and permitting other people to participate and express their views.

We are honest. We do our own work and are honest with one another in all matters. We understand how various acts of dishonesty, like plagiarizing, falsifying data and giving or receiving assistance to which one is not entitled, conflict as much with academic achievement as with the values of honesty and integrity.

The Pledge for Students

Students at our university recognize that, to ensure honest conduct, more is needed than an expectation of academic honesty, and we therefore adopt the practice of affixing the following pledge of honesty to the work we submit for evaluation: 

I pledge to uphold the principles of honesty and responsibility at our university.

The Pledge for Faculty and Administration

Faculty at our university recognize that the students have rights when accused of academic dishonesty and will inform the accused of their rights of appeal laid out in the student handbook and inform them of the process that will take place.

The statement is as follows:

I recognize students’ rights and pledge to uphold the principles of honesty and responsibility at our university. 

An explanation of the process and other relevant information is available on the University Policy and Procedure Statement website.

Violating the Honor Code

“Violation of the Honor Code” includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion and the abuse of resource materials.

“Cheating” in general means, but is not limited to, engaging or attempting to engage in any of the following activities:

  • Copying from another student’s test paper, laboratory report, other report, computer files, data listings, programs, or from any electronic device or equipment.
  • Using during a test, printed, audio or electronic materials not authorized by the person giving the test.
  • Collaborating, without authorization, with another person during an examination or in preparing academic work.
  • Knowingly, and without authorization, using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, soliciting, copying or possessing, in whole or in part, the contents of an un-administered test, or other academic products (i.e., study guides, etc.).
  • Substituting for another student or permitting another person to substitute for oneself in taking an examination or preparing academic work.
  • Bribing or coercing another person to obtain an administered test or obtain information about an un-administered test or other academic products.
  • Purchasing or otherwise acquiring and submitting as one’s own work, any research paper or other assignment prepared by another individual or by a firm.  This section does not apply to the word processing of the rough or final versions of an assignment by a professional service.
  • Submitting the same essay, thesis, report or another project, without substantial revision or expansion of the work, in an attempt to obtain credit for work submitted in another course.
  • Falsifying data.

“Plagiarism” in general means, but is not limited to, the appropriation of another’s work and the inadequately or inappropriately acknowledged incorporation of that work in one’s own written, oral, visual or the performance of an original act or routine that is offered for credit.

“Collusion” in general means, but is not limited to, the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing any work offered for credit.

“Abuse of resource materials” in general means, but is not limited to, the mutilation, destruction, concealment, theft or alteration of materials provided to assist students in the mastery of course content.

*Please note that not all activities that constitute academic misconduct are listed in specific detail in UPPS No. 07.10.01, Honor Code. Additional information can be found on the Honor Code website.

It is expected that students will honor the spirit of academic integrity and will not place themselves in the position of being charged with academic misconduct.

Academic Penalties

Students may receive one or more of the following sanctions for academic honesty violations:

  1. a requirement to perform additional academic work not required of other students in the course
  2. a reduction in grade in the course to any level; and
  3. a reduction in grade on an examination, or on other academic work affected by the violation of the Honor Code.