HONOR CODE

The Undergraduate Academic Honor Code of Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Goizueta Business School, and Oxford College

I. Preamble

The Undergraduate Academic Honor Code of Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Goizueta Business School, and Oxford College (“Honor Code”) is a commitment to our integrity and ethical principles as a community of students and scholars. The student body instituted the Honor System a century ago, and undergraduate students continue to have a fundamental role in supporting the Honor Code and addressing violations. Emory University’s mission “to create, preserve, teach, and apply knowledge in the service of humanity” only advances when the members of the community practice the highest standards of integrity and speak out when students violate the Honor Code.

The Honor Code applies to any action or inaction that fails to meet the communal expectations of academic integrity. Students should strive to excel in their academic pursuits in a just way with honesty and fairness in mind and avoid all instances of cheating, lying, plagiarizing, or engaging in other acts that violate the Honor Code. Such violations undermine both the individual pursuit of knowledge and the collective trust of the Emory community.

II. Honor Pledge

As a reminder of the commitment to academic integrity that everyone in the Emory University community has made, each student will sign the following Honor Pledge on examinations and major academic assessments, unless exempted by the faculty:

I pledge to abide by the Emory Honor Code in all academic work and avoid any action that would provide an unfair advantage.

Failure to sign the Honor Code pledge is neither an offence against the Honor Code nor a defense to an alleged Honor Code violation

III. Jurisdiction and Honor Code Procedures

All students enrolled in any course or program at Emory University are expected to abide by the Honor Code of every school in which they enroll in courses. This Undergraduate Academic Honor Code published here will be enforced by the Honor Councils of Emory College of Arts & Sciences, Goizueta School of Business, and Oxford College for cases of academic misconduct that occur in any course within their respective schools, regardless of the degree program in which the student is enrolled.

The procedures for resolving reports of Honor Code violations are described in the Procedures of the Undergraduate Academic Honor Code of Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Goizueta School of Business, and Oxford College (“Procedures of the Undergraduate Academic Honor Code”) and are administered by the Honor Councils within their respective schools.

IV. Reporting Cases

Apathy or acquiescence in the presence of academic misconduct is not a neutral act. It undermines the bonds of trust and honesty among members of the Emory community, as well as between the Emory community and those who depend on our knowledge and integrity. All members of the Emory University community—students, faculty, and staff—share the responsibility and authority to challenge and report acts of apparent academic misconduct. Any member of the Emory University community who has witnessed an apparent act of academic misconduct or has information that could reasonably lead to the conclusion that such an act may have occurred or has been attempted, is responsible for promptly notifying the course instructor, a member of the Honor Council, the Honor Code administrator, or the dean.

V. Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct is a violation of the Honor Code and is generally defined as any action or inaction that is offensive to the integrity and honesty of the members of the academic community. In addition to the violations enumerated in this article, instructors at Emory University have reasonable discretion to establish specific standards and policies as related to their courses and assignments. Such additional standards and policies should be clearly articulated in the syllabus, in the assignment, or otherwise conveyed as an expectation by the instructor. It is the responsibility of each student to understand the policies established in the Honor Code, syllabi, and assignments, and act accordingly.

Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following actions:

Cheating

Seeking, using, giving, or obtaining unauthorized assistance or information in any academic assignment or examination
Seeking, using, giving, or obtaining information about the content or conduct of an examination, knowing that the release of such information has not been authorized
Violating the electronic device policy as described in the Honor Code
Violating the testing policy as described in the Honor Code

Plagiarizing

Plagiarizing, whether intentionally or unintentionally, in any assignment (see Appendix 1: Crediting the Work and Ideas of Others: Use of Sources and Appendix 4: On the Use of Artificial Intelligence for Assignments)
Submitting duplicate material, or using the same intellectual material in part or in whole more than once without express, prior permission from every instructor for whom the original submission was, is, or would be made, at any educational institution or for any publication (electronic, academic, or otherwise)

Lying and Dishonesty

Intentionally giving false information to professors, instructors, or university officials for the purpose of gaining academic advantage
Intentionally falsifying or fabricating any information or citation in any examination, assignment, or academic exercise
Falsifying, altering, or fabricating academic records, forms, or correspondence, including, but not limited to, transcripts, withdrawal forms, degree applications, or letters of recommendation, whether the documents/information are submitted within Emory University or to a third party
Seeking to gain or to provide an unfair advantage during course registration

Violating Community Standards

Intentionally sabotaging the academic work of another student
Intentionally helping or attempting to help another person to violate any provision of this Honor Code or the academic integrity policy at another educational institution
Disseminating any course materials, including recordings of the class, without the permission of the instructor
Committing any action or inaction which is offensive to the integrity and honesty of the members of the academic community

Violating Standards in the Honor Code Process

Intentionally giving false testimony or evidence in any Honor Council hearing or refusing to testify or give evidence when requested by the Honor Council
Harassing, threatening, coercing, or bribing witnesses involved in any Honor Code case
Obstructing an Honor Code investigation
Breaching any duties prescribed by this Honor Code, including breaching the confidentiality of the Honor Code process (see Procedures of the Undergraduate Academic Honor Code, Article IX: Confidentiality)

Electronic Device Policy

The use of a cell phone, smartphone, tablet, laptop, smartwatch, headphones, or similar device for any reason during times of examination (broadly defined here as quizzes, tests, midterm and final exams, or similar assignments or evaluations) is prohibited. Instructors are entitled to make exceptions to allow the use of an electronic device for any examination. In the absence of explicit permission to use such a device, it is assumed that such devices are not permitted.

If a student is found using an electronic device during an examination, the instructor should inform the student of the issue and may ask the student to store the device until the completion of the examination. The instructor should allow the student to complete the examination before reporting the incident to the Honor Council.

Testing Policy

Instructors are entitled to establish reasonable policies to protect the security and integrity of their examinations (broadly defined here as quizzes, tests, midterm and final exams, or similar assignments or evaluations). These policies may include, but are not limited, to: prohibitions against large bags, coats, hats, notebooks, electronic devices, or course materials; requirements to place materials unrelated to the examination outside or at the front of the classroom; assigning seats to students; moving students during an examination; requiring a student to stop writing when time is called; and prohibiting the replication of examination materials or their removal from the testing environment. Any additional policies should be outlined in the syllabus and/or written instructions for the examination.

If a student fails to comply with the stated policies of the examination prior to its start, the instructor may withhold the examination until the student complies with the testing policies (the instructor will not be compelled to provide additional time for the completion of the examination). If a student fails to comply with or violates the stated policies of the examination after it has begun, the instructor may take reasonable steps to secure the integrity of the examination but should allow the student to complete the examination before reporting the incident to the Honor Council.

The Honor Code includes an appendix (Appendix 2: Common Forms of Misconduct) that provides information about common forms of academic misconduct. These examples are instructive and not exhaustive. The undergraduate Honor Councils will update the appendix on a regular basis. As the purpose of the appendix is to provide information and instruction about academic integrity, it may be revised without amendment.

VI. Sanctions for Academic Misconduct

When the Honor Council has determined that a violation of the Honor Code has occurred, the following is a non-exhaustive list of potential sanctions that may be imposed:

An educational program
A verbal warning
Honor Code probation for a specified period with a reportable record. Honor Code probation will signify that the student is not in good academic standing with the University during the period of probation.
Partial or no credit on the examination, evaluation, or assignment
Failure of the course
Any other penalty to the student’s grade in the course
Suspension from the undergraduate program and/or Emory University for a specified period of time
Dismissal from the undergraduate program
Permanent expulsion from Emory University
Revocation of an Emory University degree that has been previously awarded
Such combination of sanctions or a sanction different from those listed above that may be appropriate under the circumstances

VII. Rights of Students

Undergraduate students have several rights in the Honor Code process.

Students are presumed not to have violated the Honor Code unless it has been determined that they are responsible in the Honor Code process.
Students have a right to the appropriate level of confidentiality in the Honor Code process, though this right will not restrict communication to officials of the University where knowledge is necessary in the performance of the officials' duties, nor will it restrict disclosure required by law.
Students have a right to a fair and impartial process.
Students have a right to request a full hearing of the Honor Council that includes at least one student representative from their own school at Emory University.
Students have a right to make an opening and closing statement and to actively participate in any Honor Council hearing, though they may not directly question witnesses.
Students have a right to include an advisor in the Honor Code process so long as that advisor is not involved as a reporting party, reported student, or witness in the case. The advisor must be a current undergraduate student at Emory University; a current faculty or staff member in Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Goizueta Business School, or Oxford College; or a current staff member in Campus Life. No student, faculty, or staff member will be required to serve as a student’s advisor.
Students may waive any of these rights if they so choose.

VIII. Amendment of the Honor Code

The Honor Code may be amended with a vote of the students or designated student governance body and the faculty or designated faculty governance body of Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Goizueta Business School, and Oxford College. These governance bodies include the following:

Emory College of Arts and Sciences: 1) the general student body and 2) the Emory College Curriculum, Assessment, and Educational Policy Committee
Goizueta Business School: 1) the general student body and 2) the faculty body
Oxford College: 1) the general student body and 2) the faculty body

A majority of those voting in the respective bodies of two of the three schools or programs are required to pass changes. In the event that one of the undergraduate schools or programs does not approve the changes, the dean of the school may give approval for the school to adopt the new Honor Code or discontinue the school’s participation in the Honor Code and institute a different academic integrity policy.

The Procedures of the Undergraduate Academic Honor Code may be amended through the separate process described in Article IX of that document.

Approved: By Emory College of Arts and Sciences on April 20, 2022, by Goizueta School of Business on June 15, 2022, and by Oxford College on April 22, 2022.

Honor Code

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