Honor Code

1. Public health practice requires the highest degree of responsibility and integrity. Violations of the Honor Code are viewed very seriously by the School. To prevent misunderstanding and to assure the highest possible standards of conduct, faculty and students have agreed to the following:
2. To encourage academic integrity, all course requirements should be clearly specified by the instructor at the beginning of the course. Included should be attendance requirements, performance expectations in reading and writing assignments, and criteria for evaluating performances.
• The following minimum standards will be the expected norm for all examinations and written assignments unless the instructor specifically states otherwise. They should not, however, be construed as being mandatory. In fact, individual faculty members may well experiment with alternate formats, being careful to present clearly the specifications in advance to the students.
• Written Assignments - Unless otherwise specified by the instructor, all written assignments (e.g. papers, essays) are to be the original work of each student, being completed by the student alone, and using only class notes and other appropriate and approved resources, reference tools and consultations.
• Take-Home Examinations - Unless otherwise specified by the instructor, students may not work with another student nor may they consult with any faculty member without the express permission of the course instructor, and class notes, texts, and readings only may be used in completing and examination; all sources should be referenced and quotations identified.
• In-Class Examination - Unless otherwise specified by the instructor, no assistance may be sought or given by any student, and no notes, texts, or other written material may be utilized during the examination.
• The following rules further clarify the student’s responsibilities in all academic work, assignments, papers, examinations, theses dissertations:
• If you use or paraphrase another person’s ideas, you are to acknowledge the source in a proper citation.
• If you use the actual words or expressions of another person or source, including the Internet, you must indicate this through the use of quotation marks and a proper citation. If questions arise concerning proper use of quotations, citations, or bibliography, students should contact instructors.
• You are to provide your own work, not someone else’s, unless explicitly instructed by the instructor. Examples of using someone else’s work include: submitting essays, or portions of essays, written by other people as one’s own; collaborating with others on an assignment or examination without specific permission from the faculty member to do so.
• Students should receive the permission of their instructor before seeking editorial assistance with assignments. In addition, if editorial assistance is received, the name of the person providing that assistance should be indicated in the academic work submitted.
• Students may not submit material prepared for one course, for a second course without having received prior permission from both instructors.
3. Students and faculty are responsible for reporting to the course instructor any acts of cheating observed or otherwise identified or suspected. It will be considered an obligation of all faculty to use these Honor Board procedures in dealing with suspected infractions in their classes, rather than to attempt to deal with them on an individual basis.

Procedures for dealing with alleged infractions

1. Within ten (10) days of receipt of a written complaint addressed to any member of the Steering Committee of the School, the Committee will meet to designate members of an ad hoc Honor Board and will select two co-chairpersons.
2. The Honor Board will consist of an equal number of faculty and students, and there will be two co-chairpersons, one student and one faculty member. All communications may be directed to either chairperson, and they will make decisions jointly (e.g., on dates and on circumstances for meetings and hearings).
3. Immediately following their selection, the co-chairpersons will inform the alleged offender of the charge. Notification will include the nature of the charge, by whom it was made, and the composition of the Honor Board. An early date will be set for a preliminary meeting of the co-chairpersons with the student.
4. A person charged with a violation will be allowed, if he or she so requests, the presence in all proceedings of an advisor, chosen from the student body or faculty of the School.
5. The co-chairpersons will meet with the alleged offender and his/her chosen advisor. If both co-chairpersons and the accused person concur that the allegation is well-founded, and if the co-chairpersons recommend a penalty or course of action which is acceptable both to the offender and the accuser, the matter ends there. If any one of these conditions are not met, a date will be set for a full Hearing of the case before the entire Honor Board.
6. No persons other than members of the Honor Board, those directly involved in a case, and their designated advisors, will be present at the Hearing. One of the co-chairpersons will present the available facts of the case to the members of the Board. The Board will then hear testimony in the following order: the person bringing the charge; the advisor to the accused person; the accused person. Each will testify separately with only Honor Board members present. After hearing all of the testimony, the Board may recall those testifying (either separately or collectively) to question them further. Each case will be considered individually to ensure that each case receives the most equitable decision possible. The Board may dismiss a case if it finds the evidence insufficient.
7. Should the Board, after hearing testimony from all concerned, determine that the alleged infraction did indeed occur, it may recommend a suitable penalty or course of action. If such a recommendation is unacceptable to either the accused or the accuser, or both, then an appeal may be made.
8. In the event of an appeal of an Honor Board decision by a student or faculty member, the Dean of the School shall convene a committee consisting of the Dean, the Associate Dean, and the President of the Student Government Association, to make a final determination.
9. Responsibility for enforcing recommendations of the Honor Board and/or the Appeal Committee shall rest with the Dean of the School.
10. Upon completion of deliberations of the Honor Board, all records pertaining to a case will be forwarded, marked “Personal and Confidential,” to the Dean of the School for his review, and for safe-keeping in a closed file.

It will be considered an obligation of all faculty to use these Honor Board procedures in dealing with suspected infractions in their classes, rather than to deal with them on an individual basis.