Code of Conduct
Purpose of the Executive Degree Programs Code of Conduct
The Kelley School of Business (Bloomington) Executive Degree Programs (EDP) are committed to educating students and to maintaining the tradition of professional behavior. All Kelley EDP students are expected to commit to and uphold this tradition as articulated in the Kelley EDP Code of Conduct. The Kelley EDP Code of Conduct aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Promote ethical conduct—in all personal, professional, and academic activities—amongst all Kelley School of Business (Bloomington) EDP students;
- Effectively communicate the personal, professional, and academic standards to which the Kelley School of Business (Bloomington)EDP holds all students; and
- Describe the procedures and general consequences Kelley School of Business (Bloomington) EDP students will face if they commit personal, professional, or academic misconduct.
The EDP Student Responsibilities
The responsibilities of Kelley EDP students are as follows: 1) to understand and abide by the Kelley EDP Code of Conduct; 2) to abide by the Kelley Pledge; 3) to affirm each and every deliverable produced as part of EDP; and 4) to provide to the Conduct Review Committee information relevant to acts of academic, professional, and personal misconduct in which students might participate or witness. The following sections describe each of these four types of responsibilities in more detail.
EDP Code of Conduct
It is the responsibility of each and every Kelley EDP student to understand and abide by the Kelley EDP Code of Conduct. This responsibility generally encompasses behaving professionally and ethically in accord with the Kelley Pledge (below) as well as meeting Kelley School of Business standards for appropriate academic, professional, and personal behavior (examples of such standards are listed in Appendices A and B). To meet the responsibility to understand the Code of Conduct, the student must attend the mandatory training administered by the program chair or his designee at relevant orientation programs conducted by the EDP Office or at other times as deemed necessary by the EDP Office. Additionally, this responsibility includes proactively seeking guidance from the chairperson of the EDP and/or faculty members if a student is uncertain about the appropriateness of his/her actions.
The Kelley Pledge
All Kelley EDP students will pledge as follows:
As a Kelley student I will act professionally with civility and respect toward others and with honor and integrity in all of my work.
This pledge will be the guiding light by which a Kelley EDP student is expected to conduct himself or herself. In the absence of the direct address of a situation by the Kelley EDP Code of Conduct, it is this pledge that will become the default standard of conduct. Each Kelley EDP student will be required to acknowledge this pledge, and the Kelley EDP Code of Conduct, in writing as a condition of matriculation to and continued participation in the Kelley EDP.
Deliverable Affirmation
This signed acknowledgement of the Kelley Pledge and Kelley EDP Code of Conduct, applies to each deliverable required of them throughout the Executive Degree Programs (referred to as "Deliverable Affirmation"). The term "deliverable" covers all exams/quizzes/tests (either take-home or in-class) as well as all assignments such as papers, briefs, reports, homework, and presentations.
This affirmation should not be taken lightly. If a student is in doubt about what is "authorized aid" versus "unauthorized aid" he/she should consult the instructor for clarification. Working with a team on homework assignments, for example, may be allowed by some instructors and not others. Moreover, joint work may be allowed by an instructor for one homework assignment in his/her course but not allowed in the case of other assignments for the same course. Unless specified otherwise, a student should assume that collaboration is not allowed. Unauthorized aid is not limited to information from other people, however, materials retrieved from computer-based resources (including the Internet), written documents, or audio/visual materials could also be considered unauthorized aid. In the case of exams, quizzes, and tests (either take-home or in- class), students should assume collaboration is not allowed, and they should also consider these deliverables closed-book/closed-note unless stated otherwise by the instructor.
Student Notification
If a Kelley EDP student believes he or she may have committed academic misconduct, even if unintentional or accidental, the student is required to advise the instructor of the class in which the violation occurred. If the academic misconduct occurred unrelated to a specific course, the student is required to notify the chairperson of the EDP directly. If a Kelley EDP student believes he or she may have committed professional misconduct, the student is required to notify the chairperson of the EDP.
If a Kelley EDP Student believes that he or she may have witnessed academic or professional misconduct, the student is required to report that misconduct to the appropriate authority. Not doing so will subject the student to potential sanctions for failing to report misconduct. If a Kelley EDP Student believes he or she may have witnessed academic misconduct, the student is required to advise the professor of the class in which the violation occurred or contact the Chairperson of the EDP Program.
Application of the EDP Code of Conduct
The Kelley EDP Code of Conduct applies to all Kelley School of Business (Bloomington) EDP students ("Kelley EDP students"). This group is composed of the following individuals:
- Any student who is enrolled in the Kelley School of Business (Bloomington) for purposes of pursuing an MBA degree or any certificate to be awarded by the Kelley School of Business (Bloomington). The Code applies to each Kelley EDP student for any course in which the student is enrolled, whether that course is part of the Kelley School of Business (Bloomington) EDP, part of another program within the Kelley School of Business, part of another Indiana University school, department, or program, or part of an external program for which the Kelley EDP accepts academic credit (e.g., the SKKGSB Program).
Interaction of the Kelley EDP Code of Conduct with the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct
The Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct provides students with the guarantees of due process, procedural fairness, and equal protection when a student is accused of and/or sanctioned for academic and personal misconduct. This Indiana University Code applies to all students in the Indiana University system and to all administrators, faculty, and staff who interact with students in regard to academic and personal misconduct. For more information on this code, please see http://studentcode.iu.edu/.
The Kelley EDP Code of Conduct is designed to work within the framework of guaranties provided by the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, while also designed to provide Kelley EDP Students with a method for administering that framework of guaranties more consistently than can be achieved through the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct alone.
The Kelley EDP Code of Conduct should be used by Kelley EDP students, faculty, and staff as a supplement to the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. Any issue that might arise in a case of academic, personal, or professional misconduct that is not addressed specifically by the Kelley EDP Code of Conduct could indeed warrant full address in any misconduct proceeding in accordance with the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.
The Conduct Review Committee
The Code is administered by the EDP Program chair through a delegation of power to the Conduct Review Committee (CRC). If a student, faculty, or staff believes an academic misconduct has taken place, they will inform the chair of the EDP program. The chair will appoint a CRC to bring the matter to a resolution. CRC will be comprised of a minimum of a student, a faculty member, and staff member of the Kelley School of Business (Bloomington) EDP Program. The exact number of members will be determined by the chair of the committee based on scope of the matter. The chair of the EDP program will designate a member of the committee as chair of the CRC.
Responsibilities of the CRC
The responsibilities of the CRC are as follows: 1) to investigate accusations of and to recommend sanctions for academic misconduct; 2) to investigate accusations of and to recommend sanctions for professional misconduct; 3) to communicate the process by which the CRC will investigate accusations of misconduct; and 4) to communicate to Kelley EDP Students accused of misconduct their rights and responsibilities in defending accusations of personal misconduct under the Kelley Code of Conduct and the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.
Responsibilities Relating to Academic/Professional Conduct
It is the CRC's responsibility to investigate accusations of and recommend sanctions for academic/professional misconduct.
The CRC has jurisdictional authority over course-related academic misconduct cases if authority is delegated to it by the faculty member in whose course the accusation of course-related academic misconduct originated. The CRC will gain jurisdictional authority over academic misconduct cases unrelated to a particular course and all professional misconduct cases by a delegation of authority from the dean or the associate deans of the Kelley School of Business and/or by the EDP chairperson.
The CRC will act in accordance with Part IV: Student Disciplinary Procedures of the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct in investigating accusations of academic misconduct. If the investigation team determines by a majority vote that academic misconduct occurred, the investigation team will recommend a sanction to the faculty member or the Dean or Associate Deans for the Kelley School of Business and/or the EDP Program Chairperson, whomever levied the accusation.
As noted earlier, all CRC members, especially those serving on an investigation team, have an obligation to maintain total confidentiality of information arising out of an academic misconduct investigation. Any individuals violating such confidentiality, as detailed by the confidentiality agreement he or she signed upon commencing his or her term on the CRC, will become subject to misconduct proceedings.
Any student asked to serve on an investigation team (either to investigate academic misconduct or professional misconduct) who feels he/she cannot be impartial for personal or other reasons should make this "conflict of interests" known to the chairperson of the CRC so that he/she can select a new student member for the investigation team.
Further information regarding personal conduct and the university policies and procedures surrounding such conduct can be found in the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct at http://studentcode.iu.edu/. Kelley EDP students facing charges of personal misconduct are encouraged to solicit advice from the Indiana University Student Advocate's Office.
Notification
If a faculty member and/or staff member of the Kelley School believes academic or professional misconduct has occurred, he/she is obligated to notify the student immediately and arrange a meeting between himself/herself and the student. This meeting is for the purpose of allowing the student to explain his/her role in the situation. After the meeting, a faculty member or staff member may take action connected to the misconduct. However, if a faculty member or staff member chooses to proceed with charges of misconduct, it is strongly recommended that he/she report the matter to the chairperson of the EDP. It is very important to note, however, that any penalty issued by the CRC is a recommendation only. The faculty member and/or staff member involved may choose to accept the recommendation, reject the recommendation, or modify the recommendation based on the authority granted to him/her by the university and/or Kelley School.
As noted earlier, if a Kelley EDP student believes he or she may have committed academic misconduct, the student is required to advise the instructor of the course in which the violation occurred. If the academic misconduct is unrelated to a specific course, the student is required to notify the chairperson of the EDP or the director of Graduate Student Services for the EDP directly. If a Kelley EDP student believes he or she may have committed professional misconduct, the student is required to notify the chairperson of the EDP .
If a Kelley EDP student believes that he or she may have witnessed academic or professional misconduct the student is required to report that misconduct to the appropriate authority. Not doing so will subject the student to potential sanctions for failing to report misconduct. If a student believes he or she may have witnessed academic misconduct, the student is required to advise the professor of the class in which the violation occurred or contact the chairperson of the EDP. If the academic misconduct occurred is unrelated to a specific course, the student is required to notify the chairperson of the EDP Program. If a student believes he or she may have witnessed professional misconduct, he or she is required to notify the chairperson of the EDP.
Students accused of academic or professional misconduct will be notified as to which faculty member and/or staff member levied the accusation and the nature of the accusation. This notification will occur once the chairperson of the EDP has been contacted and following the above described meeting between the faculty member and the student during which the student has the right to explain his involvement in the situation.
The Kelley School of Business will maintain strict confidentiality concerning reports of academic or professional misconduct levied by one (or more) student(s) against one (or more) other student(s), however, it is important to note that every student accused of misconduct has the right to know who his/her accuser is and the nature of the accusation. This is essential to ensure that the student can defend himself/herself against what could be a false accusation. As such, no anonymous accusations of any type (written, electronic, telephone, rumor) will be accepted by the CRC or chairperson of the EDP for investigation. Prior to notifying the accused student, the EDP chairperson will conduct an immediate investigation. If upon immediate inspection, the student-generated complaint is deemed false, no further action will be taken. If the EDP chairperson deems that the complaint has merit or may have merit, he/she will proceed by assembling an investigation team and notifying the student(s) accused of misconduct. If a student-generated complaint is dismissed prior to investigation by the EDP chairperson, the EDP chairperson must document the steps taken and information uncovered in his/her initial assessment and submit a written copy of this assessment.
Notification at every stage of the process must conform to the timeline outlined in the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. If, for example, the University Code specifies a 14-day period between actions, this same period applies to the Kelley EDP Code of Conduct. For the procedure outlined above this would mean that if a CRC investigation team is assembled, the team has 14 academic days to conduct its business, which includes investigating the incident and issuing a recommendation to the Kelley School faculty member or staff member involved. The term "academic days" is used to clarify the procedure for incidents that occur immediately before a university holiday or break (e.g., winter break, spring break) as it will take longer to resolve due to the likely absence of students and faculty. In these instances, every effort should be made to resolve matters as quickly as possible.
Once the CRC issues a recommendation, the EDP chairperson should issue a final notification in writing to the student. This notification should specify the details of the penalty being applied as a result of the student's misconduct. Even if the CRC recommends no sanctions, this too should be communicated to the student by the chairperson of the EDP.
Student Appeals
Following the notification by the EDP chairperson of the penalty for misconduct, a student has the right to appeal the decision. This appeal must be handled within the time period specified in the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. If, for example, the University Code specifies a 14-day period, the student has 14 academic days to request an appeal. The appeal request must be submitted in the time frame specified; it must be in writing; and it must be submitted to the associate dean of the Kelley School of Business. If a student is unclear about the appeals process, he/she should seek immediate guidance from the chairperson of the EDP. Missing the appeal deadline because a student delayed seeking guidance will not result in an extension. Students who are filing an appeal are strongly encouraged to seek advice and assistance from the Indiana University Student Advocate's Office.
Once a student files an appeal, the associate dean of the Kelley School of Business can either rule on the appeal or assign the case to an appointed Kelley School faculty representative who handles code of conduct matters. The associate dean and/or his/her representative is required to take action in the same period of time as specified by the Indiana University Code of Student's Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. If, for example, the University Code specifies a 14-day period, the associate dean and/or his/her faculty representative has14 academic days to handle the appeal. It is anticipated that the associate dean and/or his/her representative will conduct an investigation of the matter. This may or may not involve an involvement of additional faculty members. Once the associate dean has reached a decision, he/she must issue a final notification in writing to the student. This notification should specify the details of the decision. This decision can be to accept the penalty issued previously, to modify the penalty, or to reject the penalty. A copy of this written notification should also be sent to the Kelley School faculty member or staff member involved and to the chairperson of the EDP.
Following this first appeal to the Kelley School associate dean, a student can launch a second appeal at the university level. Procedures for this second appeal and the process that will be followed at the university level are specified in the Indiana University Code of Student's Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. Students appealing to the university level are strongly encouraged to read the University's Code carefully keeping in mind that there are specific deadlines and procedures that must be followed. A student appealing a case to this level should obtain the advice of the Indiana University Student Advocate's Office as soon as possible.
The EDP Faculty and Staff Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the faculty and staff are as follows: 1) bring to the attention of the EDP chairperson any suspected act of academic or professional misconduct in a timely manner such that the Student Disciplinary Procedures of the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct is precisely followed; 2) aid the CRC in investigation of any accusation of academic or professional misconduct; and 3) strongly consider implementing any sanction(s) recommended by the CRC for any act of academic or professional misconduct.
Requirements for faculty and staff to meet with students accused of misconduct are described in the previous section. Student notification both before and after the EDP chairperson is involved is also outlined above. It is important that faculty and staff members who witness or are made aware of an act of academic or professional misconduct report that act to the chairperson of the EDP. Critical to the success of the Kelley Code of Conduct and achievement of the goal of ethical behavior amongst all Kelley EDP students is the consistent application of the Kelley Code of Conduct. Essential to the consistent application of the code is avoiding any appearance of favoritism or circumvention of due process and equal protection.
Faculty and staff must foster the Kelley Code of Conduct by deriving a personal sense of duty of enforcement.
The Kelley EDP urges faculty members to include references to the Kelley Code of Conduct in their course syllabi and to explicitly state their intention to adhere to the Kelley Code of Conduct on day one of their courses. In addition, the Kelley EDP encourages faculty members to specify in sufficient detail the rules concerning deliverables so that students fully understand what materials are allowed or not allowed for each deliverable (e.g., papers, presentations, exams, quizzes, team projects, etc.).
Appendix A: Standards for Academic Conduct
The Kelley School of Business may discipline a student for academic misconduct, which is defined as any activity which tends to undermine the academic integrity of the institution. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Cheating
A student must not use, or attempt to use, unauthorized assistance, materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise, including, but not limited to, the following:
- A student must not use external assistance on any "in-class" or "take-home" examination, unless the instructor specifically has authorized external assistance. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, the use of tutors, books, notes, and calculators.
- Team based assignments: Students may not work with others outside of their team for the completion of team based assignments unless the instructor specifically has authorized cross-team work.
- Individual assignments: A student may not work with other students in completing an individual assignment unless the instructor specifically has authorized joint work.
- It is at the instructor's discretion whether students may discuss concepts and methodologies when completing an individual assignment. All submitted work must be original work from the individual.
- A student may not use his or her computer to connect to the Internet or communicate with persons inside or outside of the classroom during exams not designated as open-book and open-computer.
- At the instructor's discretion, computers may be used for computations or for composing written essays during closed books exams. A student may only use a blank worksheet/document and may not use any other resource on his or her computer during the examination unless the instructor specifically has authorized use of other resources, and then only the resources authorized may be used.
- A student must not use another person as a substitute in the taking of a test or quiz.
- A student must not steal examinations or other course materials.
- A student must not allow others to conduct research or to prepare work for him or her without advance authorization from the instructor to whom the work is being submitted. Under this prohibition, a student must not make any unauthorized use of materials obtained from commercial term paper companies or from files of papers prepared by other persons.
- A student must not collaborate with other persons on a project and submit a copy of a written report which is represented explicitly or implicitly as the student’s individual work.
- For team projects, students may not work with others outside of their team for team-based assignments unless the instructor specifically has authorized cross-team work.
- A student must not use any unauthorized assistance in a laboratory, at a computer terminal, or on field work.
- A student must not submit substantial portions of the same academic work for credit or honors more than once without permission of the instructor to whom the work is being submitted. (No "double dipping" - originality assumption).
- A student must not alter a grade or score in any way.
Professors will make every effort to clarify what is "authorized" and "unauthorized" aid for each deliverable in the course. In the event that a professor does not make this designation clear, it is each student's responsibility to obtain clarification directly from the course professor. (Email is the preferred method for doing so to establish documentation of the agreement between the course professor and the student.)
Fabrication
A student must not falsify or invent any information or data in an academic exercise including, but not limited to, records or reports, laboratory results, and citations to the sources of information.
Plagiarism
A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, words, or statements of another person or authoritative source without appropriate acknowledgment. A student must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge indebtedness whenever he or she does any of the following:
- Quotes another person’s actual words, either oral or written;
- Paraphrases another person’s words, either oral or written;
- Uses another person’s idea, opinion, or theory; or
- Borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative material, unless the information is common knowledge.
When using text which contains the same wording as the original, that text must appear in quotation marks with the appropriate citation. When paraphrasing text, the appropriate citation must appear in the text or in a footnote or endnote. This same use of citations is required for communicating another person's ideas, opinions, or theories unless that information is common knowledge. In no case should a student leave the reader or listener with the impression that the work is original if it is not.
Interference
A student must not steal, change, destroy, or impede another student's work. Impeding another student's work includes, but is not limited to, theft, defacement, or mutilation of resources so as to deprive others of the information they contain.
A student must not give or offer a bribe, promise favors, or make threats with the intention of affecting a grade or the evaluation of academic performance.
Violation of Course Rules
A student must not violate course rules as contained in a course syllabus which are rationally related to the content of the course or to the enhancement of the learning process in the course.
Facilitating Academic Dishonesty
A student must not intentionally or knowingly help or attempt to help another student to commit an act of academic misconduct.
Appendix B: Standards for Professional Conduct
The Kelley School of Business expects students to behave in a professional manner at all times. The reputation of Kelley should be protected, upheld, and advanced by each student.
This code of conduct applies to all students attending Kelley, including exchange students.
The Kelley School of Business may discipline a student for professional misconduct, which is defined as any activity which tends to undermine the integrity and reputation of the institution.
Settings
Professional behavior is expected and required in following settings:
- Break-out rooms
- Classrooms
- Off-campus locations where EDP is hosting sponsored events
- Off-campus events that are sanctioned by the Kelley School
- Any team related activities
Events that are clearly identified as purely social in nature are not covered under this agreement. Those would include private social gatherings.
Classroom Behavior
Classroom behavior will be specifically addressed by each professor in the course syllabus. As a general rule students are expected to adhere to the following guidelines:
- Contribute, participate, and engage in the classroom learning experience
- Do not eat noisy or odiferous foods
- Do not surf the Internet or check email
- Turn the sound off on computers
- Do not disturb classmates with excessive noise or talking
- Always close computers during any guest speaker
- Respect your classmates
- Turn off cell phones, pagers, blackberries, and other such devices
- Do not leave during a class session unless you have discussed the need to leave with the professor in advance, or an urgent personal matter arises (such as sudden illness)
You should be on time to classes and avoid absences. If you must be late or absent due to an emergency, illness (personal or family), interview, other course event (sponsored trip), inform the instructor in advance if possible (either via email, telephone call, or through face-to-face communication). If advanced notice is not possible, contact the instructor afterwards to brief him/her on the reason for your absence/tardiness. Some (but not all) instructors may allow you to make up the class by attending another section, but you must ask permission in advance (unless given advanced authorization by the instructor to do so). Some (but not all) instructors may allow you to make up the class with an assignment.
For a more comprehensive list of behaviors (inside and outside of the classroom) that fit under the definition of "professionalism" see Appendix C.
Appendix C: Professionalism
[Note: This document was prepared by the Curriculum Advisory Committee and included in the Core Syllabus]
Characteristic | |||
Team Work | • Builds team spirit and motivates team. Carefully balances interests of the team and personal interests. | ||
• Able to compromise in order to reach agreement to benefit the goal of the group. | |||
• Willing and able to work with others toward a common goal. | |||
• Pitches in to help the group and maintains contributions to the team throughout the entire project. | |||
• Respects team members' personal situations and conflicts. | |||
Integrity | • Honors commitments. | ||
• Keeps information confidential when appropriate. | |||
• Carries out tasks and responsibilities in an ethical and honest manner. | |||
• Knows when to be discreet. | |||
Coordinating/ | • Commands respect and attention. | ||
Leading | • Influences the opinions, attitudes, and actions of others. | ||
• Inspires others to achieve greater performance. | |||
• Motivates and influences others to achieve a common goal. | |||
• Understands the tasks at hand and ensures that everyone is "on the same page". | |||
Interpersonal | •Open and considerate of needs and views of others. | ||
• Sensitive and responsive to others and their opinions. | |||
• Achieves results working in a positive, supportive and cooperative manner. | |||
Flexibility | • Shifts priorities when appropriate. | ||
• Adapts well to ambiguity and stress. | |||
• Copes with unforeseen circumstances. | |||
• Responds to suggestions and comments from others. | |||
Tact | • Acts respectful and politely when dealing with others. | ||
• Maintains keen sense of what to do or what to say; diffuses potential conflicts. | |||
• Deals with students and faculty in a sensitive and responsible way. | |||
• Understands what to say, or not to say, in order to avoid offending others. | |||
• Handles others effectively in trying situations. | |||
Conflict and Stress | • Avoids escalating conflict by keeping focused on priorities and accommodating different perspectives. | ||
• Openly encourages cooperative solutions in conflict situations. | |||
• Seeks to prevent personal differences from exacerbating conflicts. | |||
• Recognizes and faces problems or stresses that test coping skills. | |||
• Responds gracefully to failures and setbacks. | |||
Civil Behavior | • Avoids disruptive or discourteous behaviors in classroom and at school events. | ||
• Sets a good example, when appropriate. | |||
• Treats classmates with dignity and respect. | |||