Broad School Honor Codes

Undergrads and MBAs create honor codes

During the 2005-06 academic year, two separate committees representing undergraduates and Full-Time MBA students finalized honor codes to serve as ethical guidelines for Broad School students. Both groups had been working on developing the codes for more than two years, a process that allowed them to solicit extensive student input.

The discussions started in separate, public student forums held by the MBA Student Council and the undergraduate Student Senate. Through the leadership of these organizations and with the feedback from several focus groups and surveys, students voiced their concerns about academic dishonesty and what they would like to see in an honor code. This was especially useful for the MBA students because there were no guidelines for those coming into the program, recent MBA alumna Jennifer (Meder) Forest says.

Forest, who was among the early leaders of the MBA effort, says MBA students needed “some sort of guiding light, so they know what’s expected of them when they walk in the door.” She believes that the new honor code will make Broad School graduates more competitive with other MBA program alumni among corporate recruiters because the honor code emphasizes the students’ own core values.

Accounting junior and undergraduate Student Senate member Neeti Chokshi agrees that employers look highly upon students who come from a school with an honor code. “We wanted to show people that Broad School students are ethical,” says Chokshi, adding that the honor code extends beyond cheating on exams. “Being an ethical person doesn’t mean just being ethical in the classroom.”


Beyond the classroom
Both the undergraduate and the MBA honor codes have sections that address “non-academic dishonesty,” which, according to the codes, is violating “the values of integrity, teamwork, and continuous improvement.” This includes things such as falsifying information on résumés. Before the implementation of the honor code, there was nothing the college could do about it, undergraduate Associate Dean Michael Mazzeo says.

“For example, there are students who say they got a 3.5 GPA, when they haven’t,” he explains. “The honor code puts students on notice for what they do. They have to be accountable for their actions.”

John Delaney, associate dean for MBA programs, says the development of the honor codes occurred partially as a response to upheaval in the business environment outside of the college, caused by scandals at Enron and WorldCom. As a result of these incidents, he says, many are questioning the ethics of people in business.

“To respond to that, we need to have something that shows we are paying attention,” he says. “We want to create a microcosm here that mirrors the same kind of pressure and constraints that students will have in the real world.”

But, he adds, “It has to be something the students believe in, and then it can percolate from the bottom up. We are proud of what our undergraduates and our MBA students have been able to accomplish in driving this process.”

The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management Full-Time MBA Program Honor Code

The Broad School MBA program is committed to developing global leaders by embracing the values of integrity, teamwork, continuous improvement, and community service. As members of the Broad MBA community, we share the responsibility to sustain an environment that supports these values at all times.

This Honor Code embodies the standards of professional conduct adopted by the Broad School student body. Each Full-Time MBA candidate is responsible for reading and understanding the Honor Code prior to the first day of classes. All students have the responsibility to adhere to the standards articulated in the Honor Code.

I. Professional Values and Standards.

Integrity
In order to lead others, we as future managers must act with integrity. Our actions must be consistent with our values and reflect our high standards of integrity. We as good managers are expected to behave in a fashion that withstands ethical scrutiny and is consistent with our community standards. As members of the Broad School community, we agree to be held accountable for our actions. As Broad School MBA candidates, our collective and individual actions will exemplify professionalism through the respect and courtesy we direct towards our peers, faculty, staff, prospective employers and members of the external community.

Team Work
We strive to achieve goals that are greater than any one person. To accomplish our goals, we embrace diversity and rely on our abilities to collaborate, coordinate and communicate with others. We believe in our collective ability to achieve more as a team than as individuals. To be effective team members, we must trust, support and learn from each other as we advance toward our common goals. Compromise is an integral component of collaborative efforts. Thus, we must often be open to advancing team interests that require personal sacrifice.

Continuous Improvement
We are members of the Broad School community – a collection of people, property and ideas. As members of the community, we have a collective responsibility to advance the program in a positive direction. Every member is expected to contribute to the program’s continuing success, setting a positive example that others will follow.

As future business leaders, we impose demanding goals upon ourselves in an effort to enhance our knowledge, further expand our intellect and grow as people. We are guided by a constant desire for ongoing self-improvement and realize that the most valuable benefits are realized while stretching ourselves to achieve more than we thought possible. We understand that during this marathon, taking shortcuts will not enable the personal development that we seek. Everyday, ambition, dedication, and determination will compel us to reach ever higher levels of achievement.

Community Service
Give back and respect the community. Giving back to the community may be in the form of time, money or information, all of which have equal importance. As future leaders, we must remember to not only give back to the communities in which we ultimately reside, but also to the community from which we came. We must also remember that our actions as individuals may have a tremendous impact on our community as a whole, an impact that is important to consider at all times.

II. Code Violations.

Conduct that violates one of the Values articulated in the Code, regardless of where the conduct occurs, will be adjudicated under the Eli Broad College of Business and Eli Broad Graduate School of Management Grievance Procedure established in accordance with the provisions of the Academic Freedom Report (AFR) and the Graduate Students Rights and Responsibilities (GSRR) document for students at Michigan State University.

Conduct violates the Honor Code when it is contrary to one of the specified Values and impairs, interferes with, or obstructs the mission, processes, or functions of the Broad program. Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty violates the values of integrity, teamwork and continuous improvement. Academic dishonesty may include, but is not limited to, using another student’s work on an individual assignment or exam, posting or obtaining examination questions and/or answers on the Internet, providing information prohibited by the instructor to another student on an individual assignment or exam, and plagiarism.

Plagiarism includes appropriating another person’s ideas or work without giving them credit or using information from the Internet, books or magazines without citing the source. If a student is unsure of what may constitute cheating in a specific case, he/she should consult the syllabus and/or professor of the class.

Non-Academic Dishonesty: Non-academic dishonesty violates the values of integrity, teamwork and continuous improvement. Non-academic dishonesty may include, but is not limited to, conveying an untruth to gain an unfair advantage over other students. Examples include putting false information on a résumé or job application.

Misuse of Property: Misuse of property violates the values of integrity, teamwork, continuous improvement and community service. Misuse of property may include, but is not limited to, misusing or taking Broad property or the property of others without permission, or misusing or misappropriating funds. Examples include misuse of copyrighted material, vandalism or embezzlement of student organization funds.

Harassment/Discrimination: Harassment and discrimination violate the values of integrity, teamwork, continuous improvement and community service. This category includes conduct that is unlawful or in violation of University policy.

Other Violations: Conduct that would violate a student group regulation, general student regulation or University policy, if the conduct occurred on campus, may also constitute a violation of the Honor Code where that conduct is contrary to one of the specified Values and impairs, interferes with or obstructs the mission, processes or functions of the Broad School program. Failure to report an Honor Code violation is considered a violation of the Honor Code. Any MBA student with knowledge of a violation has the responsibility to report the incident to the MBA Program Director.

III. Amendments.

Amendments to the Honor Code may be implemented with a majority vote of the Full-Time Broad MBA Student Council.


The Eli Broad College of Business Undergraduate Program Honor Code

We, the members of the Eli Broad College of Business (the “College”), continually strive to strengthen the values of the College. Honesty and integrity empower College members to be upstanding individuals, and by practicing ethics of the highest caliber, members of the College will continue to be leaders and role models in the business world. By committing ourselves to the highest ethical standards and working as a community to ensure the integrity of the College, we enhance the College’s pride and tradition today and into the future.

This Eli Broad College of Business Honor Code (the “Honor Code” or the “Code”) embodies the values and standards of professional conduct adopted by the College’s undergraduate student body. As members of the College, each undergraduate Broad School student is responsible for reading and understanding the Honor Code. All undergraduate Broad students have the responsibility to adhere to the professional values and standards articulated in the Honor Code.

I. Professional Values and Standards.

Integrity
Successful and effective managers must act with honesty. Our actions must be consistent with our values and reflect our high standards of integrity. To succeed, we must rely on our abilities to collaborate, coordinate, and communicate with others. Trust, support, and compromise enable us to learn from each other by embracing diversity as we advance toward our common goals. Upholding these actions, we bring further merit to the College and the accomplishments of its graduates.

Respect
As Broad students, our collective and individual actions exemplify professionalism through the respect and courtesy we show our community – a collection of people, property, and ideas.

Continuous Improvement
As future business leaders and members of the Broad community, we have a responsibility to enhance our knowledge, expand our intellect, grow as people, and advance the College and its programs.

II. Code Violations.

The Honor Code applies to all undergraduate students enrolled in the College or in any course sponsored by the College. Undergraduate students enrolled in the College are expected to comply with the Honor Code in all of their endeavors, including participation in course work, student organizations, internships, co-op programs, research, publications, community service, and study abroad programs.

Conduct that violates any of the Values articulated in the Code, regardless of where the conduct occurs, will be adjudicated under The Eli Broad College of Business Grievance Procedure established to hear cases of academic dishonesty and violation of professional standards. Where appropriate, alleged violations of the Honor Code should be resolved informally between the student and faculty member.

Conduct violates the Honor Code when it is contrary to one of the Code’s Values and impairs, interferes with, or obstructs the mission, processes, or functions of the Broad program. Such conduct includes, but is not limited to: Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty violates the values of integrity, respect, and continuous improvement. Academic dishonesty may include, but is not limited to:

  • using another student’s work on an individual assignment or examination
  • posting or obtaining examination questions and/or answers on or from the Internet or another electronic resource
  • using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise
  • submitting the same paper, or substantially similar papers, to meet the requirements of more than one course without the consent of all instructors concerned
  • depriving another student of necessary course materials or sabotaging another student’s work
  • providing information prohibited by the instructor to another student on an individual assignment or examination

Non-Academic Dishonesty: Non-academic dishonesty violates the values of integrity, respect, and continuous improvement. Non-academic dishonesty may include, but is not limited to, conveying an untruth to gain an unfair advantage over other students. Examples include falsifying a résumé or job application.

Misuse of Property: Misuse of property violates the values of integrity, respect, and continuous improvement. Misuse of property may include, but is not limited to, misusing or taking Broad property or the property of others without permission, or misusing or misappropriating funds. Examples include misuse of copyrighted material, vandalism, or embezzlement.

Violent Crime/Harassment/Discrimination: Violent criminal conduct, harassment, and discrimination violate the values of integrity, respect, and continuous improvement. This category includes conduct that is unlawful or in violation of University policy.

Other Violations: Conduct that violates an MSU General Student Regulation may also constitute a violation of the Honor Code where that conduct is contrary to one of the Code’s values and impairs, interferes with, or obstructs the mission, processes, or functions of the Broad program. Failure to report an Honor Code violation is considered a violation of the Honor Code. Any Broad student, staff or faculty member with knowledge of a violation has the responsibility to report the incident to the instructor or to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, where appropriate.

III. Amendments.

Amendments to the Honor Code may be implemented with a majority vote of the Eli Broad College of Business Student Senate. Suggestions may be presented to the Honor Code Committee of the Eli Broad College of Business Student Senate.