Statement of Purpose

This document serves as a guide for students and faculty to uphold the OSU CCE Honor Code. It outlines responsibilities of students and faculty for upholding the Honor Code, expectations for reporting violations and what process can be expected once a violation is reported. It is the responsibility of all members of CCE to hold themselves to the highest level of integrity and professionalism. Academic integrity and professionalism are attitudes that go beyond a set of rules; as such, the following describe a minimum expectation of conduct guidelines.

Student Responsibilities

In Professional Practice, you are expected to follow the highest ethical standards. As civil engineers, and construction engineers, and construction engineering managers we are integral decision makers in the design, construction, and maintenance of public and private infrastructure. As such, our ethical conduct is required to ensure the trust and safety of the public.  In the School of CCE, you are expected to conduct yourself in the same manner.  At the heart of the CCE Honor Code is ensuring that ethics and professionalism become a way of life, and that no student gains an unfair advantage over another student or achieves unearned academic status through academic misconduct. 

As a member of the CCE community, it is expected that all members will interact with each other in a professional manner while conducting CCE business. This includes conduct in and outside the classroom (such as field trips, conferences, and student chapter meetings).

It is imperative that students understand what constitutes academic misconduct so that they do not contribute in any way to establishing an unfair advantage over other students. The following language clarifies what constitutes academic misconduct (taken from Section 015 of the Oregon Administrative Rules, Oregon State University Student Conduct Regulations): 

Academic Misconduct:

Academic or Scholarly Misconduct is defined as an act of deception in which a Student seeks to claim credit for the work or effort of another person, or uses unauthorized materials or fabricated information in any academic work or research, either through the Student’s own efforts or the efforts of another. It includes:

  • cheating - use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information or study aids, or an act of deceit by which a Student attempts to misrepresent mastery of academic effort or information. This includes but is not limited to unauthorized copying or collaboration on a test or assignment, using prohibited materials and texts, any misuse of an electronic device, or using any deceptive means to gain academic credit.
  • fabrication - falsification or invention of any information including but not limited to falsifying research, inventing or exaggerating data, or listing incorrect or fictitious references.
  • assisting - helping another commit an act of academic misconduct. This includes but is not limited to paying or bribing someone to acquire a test or assignment, changing someone's grades or academic records, taking a test/doing an assignment for someone else by any means, including misuse of an electronic device. It is a violation of Oregon state law to create and offer to sell part or all of an educational assignment to another person (ORS 165.114).
  • tampering- altering or interfering with evaluation instruments or documents.
  • plagiarism - representing the words or ideas of another person or presenting someone else's words, ideas, artistry or data as one's own, or using one’s own previously submitted work. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to copying another person's work (including unpublished material) without appropriate referencing, presenting someone else's opinions and theories as one's own, or working jointly on a project and then submitting it as one's own.

These acts of academic misconduct constitute violations of the Honor Code and are subject to violation reporting as indicated below. However, other instances of academic misconduct or misconduct may be defined by the faculty. The Honor Code may appear on exams and other assignments to remind students of their obligation to uphold the Honor Code and to maintain the highest level of ethical standards. 

Academic Misconduct and Collaborative Work

Unless specifically stated by the instructor, all student work is assumed to be the independent product of an individual student. In order to meet our educational mission and properly prepare students for professional practice, the CCE curriculum includes requirements for collaborative (team) work. When collaborative work is required, it is important that the student obtain clarification of the extent of collaboration allowed (example: collaboration for data collection in a laboratory exercise, followed by independent analysis and report).

Reporting Academic Misconduct

In addition, students are responsible to report instances of Academic Misconduct to the instructor whose class they are attending in which the violation(s) occurred, or to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, or both.

Faculty Responsibilities

Faculty serve as examples to students, the OSU Community, and to Practicing Professionals. It is the responsibility of faculty to foster an environment in and out of the classroom that maintains the highest level of academic integrity and ethical practice. 

Faculty Responsibilities

  • Engage students in discussions about ethical standards and academic integrity; relate to professional practice and why this is held in high regard by the School of CCE and Professional Practice.
  • Communicate specifically to students what constitutes Academic Misconduct in their classroom in addition to the outlined responsibilities as described above. 
  • Include information in their syllabus about this Honor Code and what will be done for suspect violations.
  • Report instances of Academic Misconduct to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and the COE.

Process

Academic misconduct is prohibited and considered a violation of Student Conduct Regulations. Should a student be accused of academic misconduct or misconduct the formal process outlined by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards will be followed. The university student conduct page can be found at studentlife.oregonstate.edu/studentconduct.

The following is OSU policy regarding honesty in academic work:

The administration of the classroom rests with the instructor. When evidence of academic misconduct comes to the instructor’s attention, the instructor should (a) document the incident, (b) permit the accused student to provide an explanation, (c) advise the student of possible penalties, and (d) take action. The instructor may impose any academic penalty up to and including an "F" grade in the course after consulting with his or her department chair and informing the student of the action taken. Using the standard form, the instructor must report the incident and the action taken to his or her department chair, who, in turn, shall forward the report to his or her dean.

If the student is not enrolled in the college or school in which the course is offered, the dean of that college shall forward the report to the dean of the college or school in which the student is enrolled for possible disciplinary action.

Grade penalties imposed as a result of academic misconduct may be appealed by the student in accordance with the procedures developed by the department and college or school in which the course is offered.

The process for reporting an instance of academic misconduct or misconduct is outlined below. 

  1. An Academic misconduct Report Form (ADRF) will be completed by the instructor.
  2. The student will be informed that an act of academic misconduct involving them may have occurred.
  3. The instructor filing the complaint will meet with the student to review the evidence and the student will be given an opportunity to explain verbally and to add written comment to the ADRF.
  4. If at this point the instructor is confident that academic misconduct has occurred, they will fill out an additional section of the ADRF providing recommended penalty. This penalty will be explained to the student.
  5. In the first violation a five-year confidential student record will be created and held at the Student Conduct & Community Standards office.
  6. The student will be informed that they have the right to appeal the accusation and the penalty. This MUST occur within 15 calendar days of receipt of the original report. Appeal procedures can be found at studentlife.oregonstate.edu/files/appeals_and_grievances.pdf. 
  7. The ADRF and all evidence will be filed with the Student Conduct & Community Standards office.
  8. The Department Chair will forward the original report and evidence to the unit Dean. 
  9. The Dean will make note of the final actions and send all information to the Student Conduct & Community Standards office.