Statement of Academic and Professional Ethics
The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics for Engineers defines the standards of conduct that should be understood, appreciated and fulfilled by all engineering graduates – that all engineering educators must seek to instill in these graduates. It reads in part:
Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall: Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully ...
Engineers having knowledge of any alleged violation of this Code shall report thereon to appropriate professional bodies and, when relevant, also to public authorities ...
The Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering recognizes its responsibility to prepare students to meet these standards of professional ethics. It has chosen to meet this responsibility by giving students taking it's courses experience within a system of academic ethics that is analogous to the NSPE Code for Professional Engineers and that is compatible with the KSU Honor System.
Students taking courses in the IMSE Department should familiarize themselves with the University Handbook, Appendix F: Academic Conduct, Academic Dishonesty, Undergraduate Honor Code, and Student Grievance Procedures. This Appendix defines many forms of academic misconduct that students are responsible to avoid, including plagiarism and other forms of cheating, including but not limited to:
- consultation of textbooks, library materials, or notes in an examination where such materials are excluded
- use of crib sheets or other hidden notes in such an examination
- looking at another student's test paper to copy strategies or answers
- having a confederate supply questions or answers from an examination to be given or in progress
- having a person other than the one duly registered and taking the course stand in at an examination or any other graded activity
- falsification of laboratory results, or submission of samples or findings not legitimately derived in the situation and by the procedures prescribed or allowable.
The KSU implied honor pledge states: On my honor as a student I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment. Students taking courses in the IMSE Department should be aware that they are further expected to behave honorably in these courses by not attempting to receive improper aid. For example, looking at another student's paper during an examination is considered attempting to receive improper aid, whether or not any benefit was gained.
Furthermore, in keeping with the responsibilities ascribed to Professional Engineers by the NSPE Code of Ethics, students taking courses in the IMSE Department are strongly encouraged to accept the additional ethical responsibility of reporting to department faculty any and all forms of academic misconduct of which they become aware.
The IMSE Department recognizes that the ethical responsibilities of Professional Engineers practicing in this country are not dependent on their race, sex, culture, age, college major, or any other individual difference. Therefore, the IMSE Department holds all students taking its courses equally and fully responsible for observing the ethical responsibilities of engineering students that are described above.
A breach of academic ethics can, depending upon severity, result in a grade of XF for the course and a recommendation for expulsion from the university. The X indicates the failure in the course to have resulted from a violation of the KSU Honor Pledge. The IMSE Department supports the KSU Honor System. All breaches of academic ethics will be sanctioned in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth by the KSU Honor System. For more information, visit K-State's Honor System web page.