Engineering Honor Code

FOREWORD

This Honor Code was initiated by engineering students in the College of Engineering and Science with the advice and approval from the faculty. The document reflects a mutual trust between the students and faculty at Clemson University. By living under the guidance of the Code, we are contributing to our personal success as well as the success of all engineers associated with the College of Engineering and Science.

THE HONOR CODE

As members of the College of Engineering and Science, we recognize that lasting excellence is achieved only through honor, demanding standards for personal integrity that reflect the standards of conduct expected of all engineers. All undergraduate and graduate engineering students, faculty members, and administrators in the College of Engineering and Science are expected to abide by the ethical standards defined herein. These standards are based on the following principles:

Engineers, both students and professionals, must be of honorable and trustworthy character. It is dishonest to claim credit for work, which is not the result of one's own efforts.

Students, faculty members, and administrators are bound by a mutual trust to uphold the principles and enforce the policies of the Honor Code. This makes it the duty and responsibility of all members of the College of Engineering and Science to report promptly any suspected violations of the Code.

HONOR CODE: IMPLEMENTATION POLICIES

Honor Code Responsibilities: Students and Faculty

Both students and faculty are responsible for understanding the Honor Code and its implementation. The policies of each instructor may vary slightly. It is the responsibility of faculty members to specify their policies in writing at the beginning of each semester. The instructor is to make clear how much, if any, collaboration is permissible for each type of assignment. Students are responsible for understanding these policies and should consult with the instructor if the policies are unclear.

If a student believes that a faculty member is not following the tenets of the Honor Code, the student should contact that particular faculty member or report to the appropriate administrator. These issues will be handled according to University policies.

Engineering students of the College of Engineering and Science taking courses offered by another college are subject to the University's policy on academic dishonesty as outlined in the Student Handbook (undergraduate) or Graduate Student Announcements (graduate). Nonetheless, engineering students are expected to follow the Honor Code and sign the Honor Pledge on a self-imposed voluntary basis when taking non-CoE courses.

Cases involving suspected violations on the part of students registered in another college, but taking an engineering course, or involved with Engineering facilities, will be dealt with according to the University's policy on academic dishonesty.

Taking Exams (or Tests)

The Honor Code is based on the principle that students can be trusted to take examinations without cheating.

The instructor will announce the time and place of the exam and whether or not aids such as calculators, notes, or textbooks are to be allowed during the examination.

It is a violation of the Honor Code to use a calculator or other aid to store or record text or equations for an exam unless the instructor gives permission to do so.

If an instructor decides not to monitor the exam, the instructor's whereabouts must be communicated to the class in case a question arises.

All questions concerning an exam must be directed to the instructor; no other discussion is allowed. At the end of every examination, students must write the Engineering Honor Pledge in their test books, and sign their names under it. This applies to all exams, even those taken in courses in other Colleges. Engineering instructors are not required to grade exams in which the signed Honor Pledge does not appear.

The Engineering Honor Pledge is as follows:

"I have neither given nor received aid on this examination."

On Homework, Laboratory Assignments, Papers, and Reports

The instructor may prohibit collaboration on homework and laboratory assignments and must make these policies clear. The instructor may also require that students write and sign the Honor Pledge on their assignments. It is a violation of the Honor Code for students to submit as their own work which is not the result of their own labor and thought. Work which includes material derived in any way from the efforts of another author, either by direct quotation or paraphrasing, should be fully documented. Any attempt to use fraudulent data for a report or presentation is a violation of the Honor Code.

When Using Computers and Other Facilities

The Clemson University Student Handbook contains university-wide regulations concerning the use of computers. The College of Engineering and Science has developed an extensive Computer Misuse Policy governing the use of all college-owned computer facilities. In addition, each department of the College of Engineering and Science establishes its own general policies on the use of computers, laboratories, and other facilities. Students should observe instructions posted in computer rooms, laboratories, and libraries.

The following policies also apply:

Students may not submit as their own work a computer program, or part thereof, which is not the result of their own thought and effort unless they are working on a group assignment. Any attempt to present as one's work any- code copied from another student, done jointly with another student, or copied from an unacknowledged source is violation of the Honor Code.

Students may not attempt to access or tamper with the class account of another student, without his/her permission.

Computers and software available to students for use are the property of or are licensed to Clemson University. Any unauthorized attempt to copy software or tamper with computers or software is a violation of federal law.

All laboratories, classrooms, office equipment, and libraries are facilities available for instruction and learning. Use of these facilities for any purpose not approved by the University is a violation of the Honor Code.

Concerning Academic Records

Official academic forms and records are the property of Clemson University. Tampering with, alteration, or other misuse of these documents is a violation of the Honor Code. Submitting falsified or altered documents is also a violation. Alteration or misuse of documents and other records is also a violation of Clemson University regulations as outlined in the Student Handbook and will be dealt with at the University level.

REPORTING HONOR CODE VIOLATIONS

When a student, faculty member, or administrator observes a student violation of the Code, this person has the duty and responsibility to:

obtain the names of the people involved;

inform the instructor in whose class the alleged incident took place.

Such charges of violations should be made within 14 calendar days following the discovery of an alleged incident. If a student believes that a faculty member or administrator is not following the tenets of the Honor Code, the student should contact that particular member of the faculty or make a report to the appropriate administrator. Such charges will be dealt with according to University policies.

In accordance with the Faculty Manual, the Student Handbook, and the Graduate School Announcements, the following procedure applies once a College of Engineering and Science student is accused of academic dishonesty as defined in the Student Handbook and in this document. All other violations of University policies will be dealt with at the University level.

The instructor will inform the student in private of the charge and its nature, and will request in writing that the department head verify any prior offenses with the Registrar. Upon receipt of that information and in the case where a violation has occurred, the faculty member will send the student written notification of the charge and the disciplinary action determined with consent of the department head. In the case where no violation is found, the student will receive notification of the fact and the matter is closed. If the student finds the charge or penalty unfair, the student can either request a peer-review Honor Council hearing or appeal directly to the appropriate Academic Grievance Committee by written letter to the Dean of the College of Engineering and Science. Grievances must be filed within 14 calendar days for undergraduates and 7 calendar days for graduates from the receipt of written notification. If no grievance or hearing request is filed, the faculty member and department head will forward copies of the written notification to the Dean of the College of Engineering and the Registrar.

HONOR COUNCIL AND HEARINGS

At the request of the accused, the Engineering Honor Council holds investigatory hearings of alleged Honor Code violations. The Honor Council provides a student-only environment which allows for peer-review and presentation of the case without any inhibitions caused by the presence of faculty members or administrators. Case reports and a final recommendation on disciplinary action are submitted to the Faculty Committee on Discipline in a timely fashion.

If a student requests an Honor Council hearing:

The Honor Council will determine whether the charge is one of academic dishonesty. Charges not found to be of academic dishonesty will be referred to the University for resolution.

An Honor Council member will be assigned to the case, review the evidence with the accused and ask for an explanation of the event.

The accused will receive a written notice of the suspected violation and an invitation to appear at an Honor Council hearing where the accused will be asked to describe the actions and motivations relevant to the incident.

Witnesses to the incident will appear at the same hearing and. be asked to share their thoughts and impressions concerning the incident.

The Honor Council determines guilt or innocence and reports findings and recommendations on disciplinary action to the Faculty Committee on Discipline. If found innocent, the student is cleared of all penalties imposed by the faculty member, the matter is closed, and no further action is taken. The student and faculty member involved will receive written notification of the Honor Council's decision and reasons for that decision.

The Faculty Committee on Discipline will review the Honor Council recommendation and the original written notification of the charge and penalty as well. The student will also be asked to appear before the Committee before any decision on disciplinary action is made.

The only role of the Faculty Committee on Discipline is to determine and impose disciplinary action. This decision is then forwarded to the Dean of the College of Engineering and Science.

The Dean will send written notification of this decision to the student. Undergraduates have 14 calendar days and graduate students have 7 calendar days from the receipt of this written notice to file a grievance with the appropriate Academic Grievance Committee. If no grievance is filed, the Dean of the College of Engineering will forward a copy of the written notification to the Registrar who maintains the official records of all Honor Code convictions in compliance with Clemson University's policies on information access.

PROTECTION OF THE ACCUSED

The accused is presumed innocent until proven otherwise; therefore, protection of the accused is of paramount importance. The proceedings of the Engineering Honor Council are confidential. All persons involved in an investigation are cautioned to discuss the incident only with others directly involved in the suspected violation. All Honor Code procedures are to be followed in accordance with existing University policies.

PENALTIES

In cases where Honor Code violations have occurred, an appropriate disciplinary action will be administered depending on the nature of the infraction. In accordance with University policies, the penalties are:

A student found guilty of a first offense of academic dishonesty will receive as a maximum penalty a grade of F for the course.

A student found guilty of a second offense of academic dishonesty will receive a grade of F for the course, will be suspended for one or more semesters, and may be permanently dismissed.

Suspension and dismissal require the approval of the President of the University. Whenever the University changes its penalties, the College of Engineering and Science's Honor Code penalties will change accordingly.

ENGINEERING HONOR COUNCIL AND FACULTY COMMITTEE ON DISCIPLINE

The composition, duties, and procedures of the Engineering Honor Council, Honor Court, and Faculty Committee on Discipline are described in the Honor Code Procedures available from the Dean's office on request.

This is a living document and will therefore be reviewed and revised in the future in order to promote an atmosphere of academic excellence. The writers of this document would like to thank the College of Engineering of the University of Michigan, as the general format of this Honor Code is based on and taken in part from the University of Michigan College of Engineering Honor Code.

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