Lehigh University Student Code of Conduct
Philosophy
Intellectual honesty and mutual respect are not accidental values in a university. They are, for students and professors alike, a presupposition of the pursuit of truth, which brings universities into existence in the first place. It is essential that an academic community uphold these values through rules designed to protect the freedom to teach and learn. The Student Conduct System is one mechanism by which the University endeavors to develop in all students a sense of responsibility to the Lehigh University community. When students fail to act in accord with the rules and regulations of the community, the University must hold them accountable for their actions. The purpose of the Student Conduct System is not solely to punish students for transgressions, but to help them understand and accept their obligations as citizens of this academic community. This University Code of Conduct (the “Code”) has been developed to promote student growth, to provide accused students with fundamental fairness and educate the University community about the meaning of that phrase, to protect the rights of individuals, and to uphold the educational mission of the University.
Please note: The University Student Conduct System is regularly reviewed and amended.
Please see this webpage from Student Affairs which contains the full, most current version of the Code of Conduct.
Letter from the Provost
Dear Students,
As the new semester begins, we encourage you to be active in fostering academic integrity and community standards. A culture of integrity is essential on our campus to promote intellectual honesty and respect for intellectual property. We strive to provide an environment that encourages the ethical pursuit of knowledge and understanding. This is one part of a broader expectation of respect for all members of our community.
As a community of learners, we know that humans make errors in judgment at times. Sometimes these errors in judgment involve academic dishonesty. Sometimes they involve actions that violate the community of trust and respect that we expect our classrooms to foster. We want to foster an educational climate that helps prevent actions that violate our expectations of respect, integrity and understanding.
This year faculty are being asked to engage students in discussions to assist their understanding of the distinctions between appropriate and inappropriate actions. To aid in these discussions, they may consider the use of one or more vignettes made available to them through CourseSite. Greg Reihman, Associate Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, developed seven short vignettes describing cases where student actions bring into question issues of academic integrity and community standards. These vignettes are available at http://www.lehigh.edu/lts/official/Academic_Integrity_Vignettes.pdf. The five vignettes on academic dishonesty cases are all based on actual cases that have come before the University Committee on Discipline.
Additional resources on academic integrity for students and faculty are available here. Included are sample syllabus statements for different course types that faculty can consider including in their course syllabi to outline their expectations and policies. You'll also find information about Turnitin plagiarism detection service for both faculty and students. The web resources also provide an understanding of the student Code of Conduct's expectations, ways to report violations of the Code, and the thoughtful adjudication of Code violations to which the Dean of Students Office is committed.
The Undergraduate and Graduate Student Senates have affirmed students' responsibility to uphold academic integrity by creating student statements of academic integrity (http://go.lehigh.edu/integrityresources). During orientation, first-year students sign a pledge to abide by the Undergraduate Student Senate's affirmation of the Code of Conduct. At the first-year convocation, a representative of the Student Senate presents a binder containing those signatures to the President. This symbolic ritual highlights the core values of honesty and integrity in Lehigh's culture. The Undergraduate and Graduate Student Senates have also affirmed Lehigh's Principles of Our Equitable Community.
We thank you in advance for partnering to demonstrate that Lehigh University is a community of academic integrity and respect for others.
Verification of Student Identity in Lehigh University Distance Education Courses
This policy applies to all courses and programs offered through the Office of Distance Education at Lehigh University, beginning with the application for admission and continuing through to a student’s graduation, transfer, or withdrawal from study, in compliance with accreditation-relevant federal regulations (HEOA).
All credit-bearing courses and programs offered through the Office of Distance Education will verify that the registered student is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives academic credit. One or more of the following methods will be used:
- A secure login and pass code for access to the course and associated course materials.
- Proctored examinations using student-obtained proctors screened and verified by the Office of Distance Education.
- New technologies and/or practices that are effective in verifying student identification.
- Pedagogical and related practices that are effective in verifying student identity (faculty review, questioning students, etc...)
All methods of verification of student identity must protect the privacy of student information. Personally identifiable information collected by the university may be used, at the discretion of the institution, as the basis for identity verification. For example, a student requesting that their password be reset may be asked to provide two or more pieces of information for comparison with data on file. Each student has their own University-assigned User Name and student-generated password to log into the course management system. All users of the course management system are responsible for maintaining the security of usernames, passwords and any other access credentials assigned. Access credentials may not be shared or given to anyone other than the user to whom they were assigned. Users are responsible for any and all uses of their account. Users are held responsible for knowledge of information contained in the University’s Student Code of Conduct posted on the University’s website, and linked to from the Office of Distance Education’s website. Students are responsible for providing complete and accurate information in any identity verification process, Failure to read university guidelines, policies and regulations will not exempt users from responsibility.
Examination proctors for ODE online courses are instructed to protect student privacy regarding all student information, specifically relating to Lehigh University courses and assignments, must be kept confidential at all times. All documents and files handled/accessed as part of proctoring Lehigh University, Office of Distance Education online examinations must be kept in a secure location until the exam is administered and returned according to the required provisions submitted with the exam.
Lehigh’s Office of Distance Education will continue to monitor, assess, and implement new and/or emerging processes and resources to assist in the verification of student identities for those taking distance education courses.