As an institution of higher learning, MSOE is committed above all to the educational development of its students as responsible and principled human beings, and is an institution accountable in this regard to all whom it serves and by whom it is scrutinized. MSOE has a priority interest in promoting personal integrity and in ensuring the authenticity of its graduates' credentials.
The university is similarly mindful that both the professions and business and industry have, for a long time, been concerned with the ethical, no less than the professional, practice of their members and employees. It follows, therefore, that students of MSOE-preparing for professional careers and leadership roles that are founded on responsibility and trust-must observe and be guided by the highest standards of personal integrity both in and out of the classroom.
The expectations of the university with respect to academic and classroom integrity are reflected in, but not limited to, the following guidelines:
- The student must recognize that even a poorly developed piece of work that represents his or her best efforts is far more worthwhile than the most outstanding piece of work taken from someone else.
- Assignments prepared outside of class must include appropriate documentation of all borrowed ideas and expressions. The absence of such documentation constitutes "plagiarism," which is the knowing or negligent use of the ideas, expressions or work of another with intent to pass such materials off as one's own.
- The student should consistently prepare for examinations so as to reduce temptation toward dishonesty.
- A student may not share examination answers with others for the purpose of cheating, nor should he or she, through carelessness, give them an opportunity to obtain them.
- The student should know that a person of integrity will not support, encourage or protect others who are involved in academic dishonesty in any way, and will furthermore attempt to dissuade another student from engaging in dishonest acts.
The institutional policy that follows includes prescribed procedures for the assigning of penalties by instructors in instances of academic dishonesty as well as procedures for student appeals of such actions. A student who in any way acts dishonestly in class assignments or examinations or who submits a plagiarized or unoriginal work to an instructor shall be subject to sanctions up to and including an "F" grade for the assignment, examination and/or the course at the discretion of the instructor of the course. The numerical value of the "F" will be assigned by the instructor. If the instructor assigns an "F" for the course, the student will not be allowed to drop the course. If the instructor assigns an "F" for academic dishonesty, the student has the right to appeal following established procedures. Upon recommendation of the instructor or at his own initiation, the chief academic officer may decide that repeated or extremely serious acts of dishonesty may be grounds for more severe disciplinary action up to and including student expulsion.