Honor Code
Statement of Academic Integrity
Every graduate student enrolled in Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business is bound to abide by its honor code. As a Gabelli School graduate student, you are part of a community dedicated to the disciplined and rigorous pursuit of knowledge and communication of truth. You are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. Any work that you claim to be your own must be your own; you must give appropriate credit where credit is due; and you must be fair and honest in all of your interactions with other members of the Fordham University community.
Gabelli School Graduate Student Standards of Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an honest, truthful, and responsible manner. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating on exams, falsification, unapproved collaboration, and destruction of library materials. Below are instances of violations of the honor code with which all graduate students at the Gabelli School should be familiar and which they must avoid.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when a student attempts to present as his or her own work what has come from another source without proper attribution. Plagiarism takes place whether such theft is accidental or deliberate. It is no defense to claim that one has “forgotten” to document ideas or material taken from another source. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:
i. Using the ideas of another person, whether or not such ideas are paraphrased, from whatever source, including oral, print, broadcast, or computer‐mediated communication;
ii. Rewriting borrowed material by simply dropping a word here and there, substituting a few words for others, or moving around words or a sentence;
iii. Presenting borrowed material, whether a phrase, sentence, or whole paragraphs, without placing quotation marks around the borrowed material in the approved style and providing an appropriate citation to the source;
iv. Presenting as one’s own an assignment, paper, or computer program partially or wholly prepared by another person, whether prepared by another student, a friend, or a business or online service that sells or distributes such papers and programs;
v. Failing to use proper citation for information obtained from print sources or the internet, according to citation criteria specified by the instructor, or in cases where instructor guidance is not given, by standard manuals of style (e.g. The Chicago Manual of Style).
Cheating
Cheating occurs when a student uses course materials, information, or devices (e.g., programmable calculator, cell phone) when the use of any such aid has not been expressly authorized by the instructor (or has been prohibited). Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to: i. Having or using unauthorized materials, information, or an unauthorized device at an examination, test, or quiz;
ii. Copying from another student at an examination, test, or quiz, or copying another student’s homework assignment, data, research paper, or laboratory report;
iii. Permitting another student to copy from a homework assignment, research paper, computer program, project report, examination, test, or quiz;
iv. Obtaining and/or using an unauthorized examination, test, or quiz prior to its administration;
v. Having another person act as proxy to take an examination, test, or quiz or to complete a homework assignment, research paper, computer program, or project.
vi. Knowingly making false claims on a student’s resume, biographical summary, or CV.
Falsification
Falsification occurs when a student makes false statements that mislead others. Examples of falsification include, but are not limited to:
i. The submission or presentation of a falsified excuse for an absence from a course requirement, examination, test, or quiz;
ii. The presentation of false identification or credentials in order to gain admission to a course, examination, test, quiz, or degree program;
iii. The creation of a false or misleading citation;
iv. The manipulation or falsification of data for an academic assignment.
Unapproved Collaboration
Certain coursework and assignments, such as team projects, research or term papers, and laboratory work, may involve collaboration. Unless expressly permitted or prescribed by the faculty member, students shall not engage in collaboration on any graded assignment. It is the student’s responsibility to ask for clarification from a faculty member as to what extent, if at all, collaboration with others is allowed.
Other Violations of Academic Integrity
Additional violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to:
i. Theft, destruction, or tampering with library materials, audio and videotapes, or computer hardware or software;
ii. Submission of a research paper or project to more than one course during the time in which a student is attending Fordham University, without the explicit permission from all the instructors involved;
iii. Submission of work previously done at another institution, whether modified or not, without the permission of the instructor.
iv. Accepting tuition remission or any other form of payment in exchange for work or services to be provided and then failing to provide the agreed‐upon work or services within a reasonable time frame unless excused by the faculty member or supervisor involved.
Fordham Graduate School of Business Academic Integrity Honor Court
To foster a trusting environment that is essential for learning, it is the responsibility of both students and faculty to maintain and to promote the intellectual community at the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business. To ensure that all members of that community are represented in the process, an Academic Integrity Honor Court (Honor Court) composed of two (2) faculty members and one (1) student will be established to adjudicate alleged violations of the honor code. The Honor Court will oversee the procedures and case reviews involving all alleged violations of the honor code associated with courses taught in the Gabelli School of Business.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the Honor Court are: i) to record and verify receipt of Academic Integrity Violation Reports signed by the faculty member and the student; ii) to further investigate the incident if the student challenges the decision of the faculty member and schedule a case review; iii) to report the violation to the dean of the Gabelli School of Business (dean); iv) to provide annual reports of academic integrity violations and final sanctions to the dean; v) to review periodically the functioning of the Honor Court, including the Standards of Academic Integrity and the Honor Court Procedures, to determine if changes are needed and communicate any recommendations to the dean; and vi) to work with relevant student groups to develop workshops to promote and maintain academic integrity at the Gabelli School of Business.
Membership
The dean will solicit nominations for membership on the Honor Court, including substitute faculty members and students. The dean will then appoint two (2) faculty members and one (1) student from the Gabelli School of Business and identify substitute faculty members and students who are willing to serve, if needed. The Honor Court will be chaired by one faculty member selected by the dean from among the two faculty appointed. Agreement to serve on the Honor Court is a serious commitment. Faculty members will serve a term of three (3) years with an initial staggering of term to ensure continuity and the student member will serve a term of one (1) year. The acting chair of the Honor Court will serve in that capacity for a one (1) year period with the possibility of yearly renewals up to three years.
Case Reviews
Case reviews are to be conducted by a quorum composed of the full Honor Court. The chair will verify members’ attendance. A member of the Honor Court may be excused from a particular case review when a conflict of interest is disclosed to the chair. In that event, a substitute faculty member or student, as the case may be, will be appointed by the dean from the approved list of substitutes. In the event that an academic integrity violation is filed against a student just prior to graduation and the student challenges the faculty member’s claim, the chair of the Honor Court is empowered to convene an emergency Honor Court. This emergency Honor Court will consist of two (2) faculty members and one (1) student.
Confidentiality
Faculty, administrators, and students engaged in academic integrity procedures involving honor code violations shall treat as confidential all information disclosed during such procedures, as well as the fact of occurrence of the case review. Persons nominated to the Honor Court as members will only be permitted to serve after they sign a non‐disclosure agreement that limits the discussion of cases to Honor Court members and the dean on a “need to know basis” only.
Statement of Honor Court Procedures
Initial Handling of the Alleged Honor Code Violation
A. When an instructor suspects that a student has engaged in academic dishonesty, the instructor shall hold a conference with the student regarding the basis for the suspected violation and the sanction(s) to be imposed according to the Sanctions for Violations of the Honor Code.
B. The instructor shall fill out an Academic Integrity Violation Report (Report) and attach the appropriate documentation to justify reporting a violation. The instructor and the student will meet to discuss the charge. As a consequence of the discussion, the instructor may inform in writing the chair of the Honor Court and the student that the charge(s) has (have) been removed. Alternatively, as a consequence of the discussion, the instructor may inform the student that the charges remain, and in such a case the instructor will inform the student that he/she must notify the chair of the Honor Court by email or in writing within 24 hours of his/her having received the charge(s) from the instructor. Both the instructor and student will sign the report. Within two weeks of signing the report the student will either acknowledge in writing to the chair of the Honor Court that he/she has committed a violation of Honor Code and accepts the instructor’s sanctions, or indicate that he/she intends to challenge the instructor’s claim. The student may submit documentation to support a refusal to acknowledge commission of a violation of the honor code. Failure of the student to sign the report without an expressed challenge made to the instructor’s claim shall be deemed an acknowledgement of the violation and an acceptance of the sanctions.
C. The report and documentation will be sent directly to the chair of the Honor Court. The chair will then notify the other members of the Honor Court that a report has been filed and apprise the members of the student’s signed statement.
D. If the student has signed an affirmative statement of violation and acceptance of the instructor’s sanctions in accordance with this Statement of Honor Court Procedures, then the dean will be notified as such. Under this circumstance, no case review by the Honor Court will be held, and the case report will be sent directly to the dean.
E. In all cases, the instructor will file a grade of "NGR’ pending the actions of the Honor Court and notification from the chair of any relevant sanction that is imposed by the dean.
The Student Challenge and Case Review
F. If the student intends to challenge the instructor’s claim, he/she must declare that intent to the chair of the Honor Court in writing within two weeks of the initial conference between the instructor and the student. This challenge declaration must include a descriptive statement that explains his/her reasons for the challenge.
G. Upon receipt of the student’s declaration to challenge, the chair, in consultation with the department/area chair or the program director, will seek a second reviewer in order to conduct a blind review of the report and the student’s letter. The reviewer should be a member of the department or interdisciplinary program from which the report originated. The second reviewer will submit his/her evaluation to the chair of the Honor Court. A second reviewer from outside the University will be utilized only when circumstances warrant.
H. Upon the receipt of the second reviewer’s evaluation, the chair shall schedule a case review with the other Honor Court members, the instructor submitting the charges, and the student charged.
I. The Honor Court will review the case materials and the written statement of the student. The student will be given the opportunity to appear before the Honor Court to present an oral argument. The chair of the Honor Court may request the faculty member to appear before the Honor Court to present an oral argument. In any case where the student may be expelled for committing the charged violation, both the student and faculty member shall have the right to call witnesses and to cross‐examine witnesses. All such witnesses shall testify under oath. All proceedings in which witnesses testify shall be recorded. After reviewing the case materials, and listening to oral arguments and such testimony as is presented, the Honor Court will deliberate and vote on whether a violation of the honor code has occurred. A majority vote will be considered an affirmative determination that a violation of the honor code has occurred. The chair will notify the student, the instructor, and, in cases of an affirmative determination, the dean of the Honor Court’s evaluation.
Meeting with the Dean and Administration of Sanctions
J. Upon receipt of the Honor Court case report, the dean will meet with the student to discuss the Honor Court’s evaluation of the student’s case and, in the case of an affirmative determination, impose appropriate sanctions in accordance with the Sanctions for Violations of the Honor Code according to the seriousness of the offense. The dean will also warn the student of sanctions for any future violations of the honor code. A report of the imposed sanctions will be made to the Honor Court for its records.
Record Keeping
K. The Honor Court will keep for its records and analysis all reports and actions taken by the Honor Court. These records are education records and are therefore subject to federal rules and regulations outlined in FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). Records kept for the purpose of analysis and program evaluation by the Honor Court will have all personal identifying information removed.
The Right to Grieve Grades When Alleged Violations of the Honor Code Are Pending
L. Any other grades given for work in the same course, unless the grade itself is the sanction, can be grieved in accordance with the established policy of the Gabelli School of Business only after any and all questions of violations of the honor code have been resolved through the Honor Court procedures outlined above.
Procedure for a Student to Report an Honor Code Violation
If a student witnesses a violation of the honor code or otherwise has a reason to believe that a violation has occurred, he or she may choose among several possible courses of action:
A. Talk with the student urging him/her to report himself/herself to the instructor of the course or to the chair of the Honor Court.
B. Discuss the observed action with the instructor, not naming those involved, to obtain guidance and determine if an observed act merits action under the honor code.
C. Submit a written report to the chair of the Honor Court. If the student wishes to remain anonymous, the Honor Court will honor that request during the initial inquiry prior to a case review.
Sanctions for Violations of the Honor Code
If a Fordham University Gabelli School of Business student is found in violation of the honor code, the following sanctions shall be imposed:
First Offense
i. The student shall receive an F on the assignment/examination. The student may in addition receive an F in the course at the discretion of the instructor. In the event that the student receives an F in the course and elects to withdraw from the course prior to the withdrawal deadline, the student shall receive the grade of WF, a grade which is equivalent of an earned F in the cumulative quality point index.
ii. The case shall then be documented in the student’s file, where it will remain until the time of the student’s graduation from Fordham University, at which time the material will be removed from his or her file. Any records kept for the purpose of analysis and program evaluation by the Honor Court and not destroyed will have all personal identifying information removed.
Second Offense
i. The student shall receive an F for the course and shall be subject to suspension or expulsion from the Gabelli School of Business, at the discretion of the dean. In the event that the student receives an F in the course and elects to withdraw from the course prior to the withdrawal deadline, the student shall receive the grade of WF, a grade which is equivalent of an earned F in the cumulative quality point index. If the student is expelled, the notation – Withdrawn– will appear on his/her transcript.
ii. The case shall be documented in the student’s file, where it will remain until the time of the student’s graduation from the Gabelli School of Business, at which time the material will be removed from his or her file. Any records kept for the purpose of analysis and program evaluation by the Honor Court and not destroyed will have all personal identifying information removed.
Third Offense
i. If the student is found guilty of a third violation of the honor code, the student will receive an F for the course and will be expelled from the Gabelli School of Business, at the discretion of the dean. In the event that the student receives an F in the course and elects to withdraw from the course prior to the withdrawal deadline, the student shall receive the grade of WF, a grade which is equivalent of an earned F in the cumulative quality point index. If the student is expelled, the notation – Withdrawn - will appear on his/her transcript.
ii. Any records kept for the purpose of analysis and program evaluation by the Honor Court and not destroyed will have all personal identifying information removed.