The School of Pharmacy holds students to high academic and professional standards. Therefore, we put this section at the beginning of the Student Handbook. We take this seriously and expect you will as well.

A. Statement of Philosophy

The University of Findlay School of Pharmacy recognizes that honesty, truth and integrity are values central to the school’s mission as an institution of higher education. Therefore, the School of Pharmacy has assembled current policies and procedures involving academic integrity into this Honor Code of behavior. The code described in this document articulates the responsibilities of Doctor of Pharmacy students, faculty and administration in upholding academic integrity, while at the same time respecting the rights of individuals to the due process offered by administrative hearings and appeals. All persons enrolled in any course or program offered by The University of Findlay School of Pharmacy, and all persons supervising the learning of any student are responsible for acting in accordance with the provisions of this policy.

Students are responsible for:

1. Understanding the types of conduct, which are deemed unacceptable and, therefore, are prohibited by this policy.

2. Refraining from committing any act of cheating, plagiarizing, facilitating academic dishonesty, abusing academic materials, stealing or lying.

3. Reporting every instance in which the student has a suspicion or knowledge that academic conduct which violates this policy or its spirit has taken place to the faculty member responsible for instruction, or to a member of the Pharmacy Student Affairs Committee

Faculty members are responsible for:

1. Understanding the procedures of this policy relative to how faculty are to handle suspected instances of academic dishonesty.

2. Developing an instructional environment that reflects a commitment to maintaining and enforcing academic integrity.

3. Handling every suspected or admitted instance of the violation of the provisions of this policy in accordance with the current school and university procedures.

B. Academic Integrity

In attempt to maintain academic integrity, the School of Pharmacy has outlined a code of conduct (an Honor Code), which describes acceptable behavior for students in all its academic settings. This code has been developed using University and school standards. The Honor Code says:

“I will not knowingly engage in any dishonorable behavior, cheat, steal, lie or commit any act of plagiarism during my academic work, course or endeavor. If I observe an act which I believe violates the University’s Honor Code, I may, in my discretion, report it to the appropriate personnel.”

Elements of this code can be categorized into six broad areas.

1. Cheating

Definition: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, notes, study aids or other devices, or obtaining unauthorized assistance from any source for work submitted as one's own individual efforts in any class, clinic, assignment or examination. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to, the following actions:

a. Copying from another student's paper or test, or receiving assistance from another person during an exam or other assignment in a manner not authorized by the instructor.

b. Possessing, buying, selling, removing, receiving or using at any time or in any manner not previously authorized by the instructor a copy or copies of any exam or other materials (in whole or in part) intended to be used as an instrument of evaluation in advance of its administration.

c. Using material or equipment not authorized by the instructor during a test or other academic evaluation, such as crib notes, a calculator or a tape recorder.

d. Working with another or others on any exam, take home exam, computer or laboratory work or any other assignment when the instructor has required independent and unaided effort.

e. Attempting to influence or change an academic evaluation, grade or record by deceit or unfair means, such as: (1) damaging the academic work of another student to gain an unfair advantage in an academic evaluation; or (2) marking or submitting an exam or other assignment in a manner designed to deceive the grading system.

f. Submitting, without prior permission the same academic work that has been submitted in identical or similar form in another class or in fulfillment of any other academic requirement at the University.

g. Permitting another to substitute for one's self during an exam or any other type of academic evaluation.

h. Gaining an unfair advantage in an academic evaluation by receiving specific information about a test, exam or other assignment.

2. Plagiarism

Definition: Representing orally or in writing, in any academic assignment or exercise, the words, ideas or works of another as one's own without customary and proper acknowledgment of the source. Examples:

a. Submitting material or work for evaluation, in whole or in part, which has been prepared by another individual(s) or commercial service.

b. Directly quoting from a source without the customary or proper citation. Note that quoting is rarely needed in professional writing. Also, extensive quotations, even when placed in quotation marks and properly cited may be considered to be plagiarism.

c. Paraphrasing or summarizing another's work without acknowledging the source.

d. Downloading material from web sites without appropriate documentation.

3. Facilitating Academic Dishonesty

Definition: Helping or attempting to help another person commit an act of academic dishonesty. Examples:

a. Providing assistance to another during an exam or other assignment in a manner not authorized by the instructor. This can include, but is not limited to, providing answers to exams or even copies of the exams, including photos taken by cell phone cameras.

b. Acting as a substitute for another in any exam or any other type of academic evaluation.

c. Providing specific information about a recently given test, exam or other assignment to another student who thereby gains an unfair advantage in an academic evaluation.

d. Permitting one's academic work to be represented as the work of another.

e. Preparing for sale, barter or loan to another such items as unauthorized papers, notes or abstracts of lectures and readings.

4. Abuse of Academic Materials

Definition: Destroying or making inaccessible academic resource materials. Examples:

a. Destroying, hiding or otherwise making unavailable for common use library, computer or other academic reference materials.

b. Destroying, hiding or otherwise making unavailable another's notes, experiments, computer programs or other academic work.

5. Stealing

Definition: Taking, attempting to take or withholding the property of another thereby permanently or temporarily depriving the owner of its use or possession. Examples:

a. Unauthorized removal of library materials, examinations, computer programs or any other academic materials, including obtaining advance access to an examination through collusion with a University employee or otherwise.

b. Taking another's academic work, such as papers computer programs, laboratory experiments or research results.

6. Lying

Definition: Making any oral or written statement that the individual knows to be untrue. Examples:

a. Making a false statement to any instructor or other University employee in an attempt to gain advantage or exception.

b. Falsifying evidence or testifying falsely, such as in a Pharmacy Student Affairs Committee hearing.

c. Inventing or counterfeiting data, research results, research procedures, internship or practicum experiences or other information.

d. Citing a false source for referenced material/data.

C. Honor Pledge

In order to address the first two areas, cheating and plagiarism, the school has developed an honor pledge statement that has been used by many faculties to reinforce the importance of academic integrity. This pledge statement will be used in the following manner: Work assigned for classes, clinics, internships and all other types of instruction offered at the School of Pharmacy may be accomplished in either of two ways: (1) as "individual" work for which the student will sign a pledge statement indicating that the work was completed independently, without giving or receiving assistance from another: or (2) as "collaborative" work, which may be completed in collaboration with others as directed by the instructor and for which no pledge statement is required. All work is individual work unless the instructor specifies otherwise. For all "individual" work, instructors may require students to sign the following pledge statement:

“I acknowledge that I have fully complied or will comply with all aspects of the University’s Honor Code in submitting this work.”

Student's signature:___________________ Date: __________

Thus, students will state that the work that was submitted is their own and will be held accountable if evidence appears that is contrary to this statement. Students are reminded that neither the presence nor the absence of a signed pledge statement will allow students to violate established codes of conduct as described above.

D. Disciplinary Procedures

The Pharmacy Student Affairs Committee will be responsible for implementing and monitoring aspects of this code for Doctor of Pharmacy students. The penalties and procedures will be used from The University of Findlay Faculty Handbook.

E. Implementation

The Dean’s office will be responsible for presenting the Honor Code to each class. Each incoming student as well as students presently attending the School of Pharmacy will do the following:

1. Receive a copy of the Honor Code.

2. Sign a document indicating that they have received, understand and will abide by the Honor Code.

3. Keep a copy of the signed document in each student's file.