The academic honor program at Allegheny College is designed to promote individual responsibility and integrity in academic affairs and to develop an atmosphere conducive to serious independent scholarship. The Honor Program operates under the following Honor Code:
The Honor Program shall apply to all work submitted for academic credit or to meet noncredit requirements for graduation at Allegheny. This includes all work done in class (examinations, quizzes, and laboratory work), all papers, and any other material so designated by the instructor. All students who have enrolled in the College will work under the Honor Program. The College assumes that the integrity of each student and of the student body will be upheld. A primary responsibility of each student of the College is the maintenance of honesty in one's own academic work. In addition, it is the moral obligation of each student to help maintain the integrity of the entire college community.
By virtue of matriculation in the College, each student acknowledges the following:
I hereby recognize and pledge to fulfill my responsibilities, as defined in the Honor Code, and to maintain the integrity of both myself and the College community as a whole.
1. If one student observes another committing what appears to be an act of dishonesty in academic work, it is the observer's responsibility to take the appropriate action. Students are encouraged to inform either the instructor or a member of the Honor Committee. However, whatever action the observer takes must fulfill the obligation to uphold the integrity of the college community. Failure to do so is as injurious to the honor of the college community as is the observed act of dishonesty and constitutes an infraction of the Honor Code.
2. The following practices are considered to be violations of the Honor Code in examinations, tests, quizzes, and in laboratory and computing exercises: any attempt to receive or to give unauthorized assistance from written, printed, or recorded aids, from any person, or from another's work.
3. Plagiarism is defined as using the ideas or words of another without citing the sources from which the ideas or words are taken. In take-home examinations, papers and reports, the following must be carefully observed:
While each instructor who assigns a paper, report or examination may direct students to a particular style for footnote and bibliographic documentation, the rules noted above must be followed. Ignorance here or in any other part of the code is no excuse.
4. No work submitted for one course may be submitted also for another course except with the explicit approval of both instructors.
5. Instructors are expected to explain their policies regarding help received in any assigned work for their course to each class at the start of each semester, preferably including the material in a printed syllabus for the course. However, it remains the student's responsibility to know and understand these policies.
1. Tests and examinations at Allegheny need not be proctored. Instructors may remain in the room or in a nearby room, but must remain in the building to be available to answer questions which may arise during the course of the examination.
2. Examinations are confined to the building in which they are given. Students shall have freedom of movement within that building. Students may not leave the building or take materials related to the exam into the restrooms unless explicitly permitted to do so by the instructor, or unless the instructor declares that the test may be written at home or other parts of the campus. Additionally, exams may not be taken behind a locked door. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the door to the room remains unlocked during the entire exam.
3. Regardless of where the test or examination is taken, the student is responsible for obtaining any changes or corrections. Instructors are not under obligation to search out students to provide this information. Furthermore, the exam must be handed in at the time requested.
4. In recognition of the responsibilities of the Honor Program, a student, when submitting a test or paper, shall sign both the pledge and full name in signature. If a student neglects to do this, the instructor must notify the student and allow an opportunity for signing the paper. Moreover, work is not to be considered as graded until the pledge and signature appear.
An Honor Committee educates the College community and investigates alleged violations of the Honor Code. This self-perpetuating committee, in fulfillment of its responsibilities, complies with all provisions of the College Judicial Articles. The failure of any section of the Honor Code to comply with documents superseding it shall not negate the remaining sections. Any section(s) of the Honor Code may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Honor Committee, after consultation with the Dean of the College and the Dean of Students.
The members of the Honor Committee explain the Honor Code to entering students during Orientation Week. Acts of dishonesty are to be reported to the Honor Committee. Information on reporting procedures can be obtained from materials distributed by the Honor Committee or by contacting the Office of the Dean of Students. The names of the members of the Honor Committee may be obtained from the Office of Dean of Students and the Residence Hall Staff.
(Revised April 1996)
All regular academic courses, all independent study courses including senior projects, and all internships involving research with human participants will be conducted in an ethical manner. Proposals for study will be reviewed in advance by appropriate departmental and/or College review boards to ensure that this will be the case. In all instances the health, safety, and welfare of the individuals involved will be protected. Participation in such research or classroom projects will be by informed and voluntary consent, in accordance with accepted and appropriate general and disciplinary research guidelines. All research subjects will be given full clarification of the nature of the study. The laws of the nation, state, and community will be respected, and care will be taken that interpersonal relationships within the College community are not abused.
