Professional Suitability

All students at Memorial University are governed by formal rules and regulations related to academic conduct and (University Regulations (undergraduate), Section 6.12, Academic Misconduct, School of Graduate Studies, Section 4.12, Academic Misconduct). All Memorial students are also expected to adhere to the Student Code of Conduct, which outlines expectations of conduct related to non-academic behaviour. Students who are enrolled in professional programs at the University are subject to further codes of conduct as noted in Section 6.13, Professional Suitability:

Within the University community there is an individual and collective responsibility to maintain a high level of scholarly integrity. While professional programs across the University are unit specific, students enrolled in all professional programs must adhere to those principles and/or codes of ethics, which inform conduct suitable for their profession. (Section 6.13.1, Principles)

The Grenfell Business program is a professional program at Memorial University, and as such, has unique expectations of student conduct based in academic and professional integrity. These expectations apply to all full and part-time undergraduate and graduate students registered in any course offered through Grenfell Business.

 

Grenfell Business Program Code of Academic and Professional Integrity

In the Grenfell Business Program, we believe that academic and professional integrity are fundamental to our success. Grounding our conduct and decision-making in integrity promotes our development as responsible businesspeople and professionals, and positions us for positive contributions to our organizations and meaningful engagement with our communities.

 

Expectations of Your Commitment

As a member of the Grenfell Business Program and a developing business leader, and in keeping with Memorial University’s regulations in Section 6.13, Professional Suitability, you are expected to conduct yourself with “integrity, fairness, courtesy, and in good faith in an honourable, equitable, respectful, and ethical manner toward others” in all areas of your learning and professional experiences. Your conduct is a reflection on you and those who support your academic and professional development, and you share in the responsibility to engage in your scholarly work and with those around you in a way that is consistent with these core values.

 

Expectations of Academic Integrity

The International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI) defines academic integrity as “a commitment to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage” (International Center for Academic Integrity, 2021). As members of the Memorial University community, we are obligated to undertake our academic work through this lens of academic integrity, and in so doing, we are able to hold ourselves and our academic work to the highest standards of excellence in the exploration and creation of knowledge and experience.

As a Grenfell Business student, you have a responsibility uphold the values of academic integrity; this means:

• Demonstrating honesty in your work by doing your own work, communicating truthfully and striving for objectivity, fulfilling your commitments, and respecting intellectual property by appropriately acknowledging where credit is due.
• Building trust in your words and your work through genuine actions, showing mutual respect and understanding, and using clear and transparent communication.
• Engaging with others and your work in fairness and with an open mind, consistently applying impartial judgement and an equitable approach.
• Actively demonstrating respect through attentive listening, validating others’ perspectives and experiences, and practicing empathy and mindfulness as you interpret and express ideas, attitudes, and actions.
• Recognizing your responsibility to model behaviour that protects the integrity of our scholarly community, to understand and respect personal boundaries and institutional expectations, and to accept accountability for your actions.
• Even in the face of discomfort or overwhelming odds, having courage to take risk and give voice to something you believe in, and to defend academic integrity.

Expectations of academic integrity also extend to the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI). Given the reality of the immense and intriguing potential applications of GAI in scholarly work, it is even more important that the use of this type of technology also adheres to the values of academic integrity. While the appropriate use of GAI may be explored in your academic development, you are ultimately responsible for the veracity, reliability, and the validity of your work.

 

Expectations of Professional Integrity

For members of Grenfell Business, professional integrity encompasses all of the elements of academic integrity, but extends beyond guidelines for academic conduct to include broader expectations of ethical, respectful, responsible, and accountable engagement with others within and beyond the University community. This means you are expected to:

• Present and conduct yourself with dignity and respect in all University activities.
• Adhere to fair and ethical decision-making and business practices in any engagement with University stakeholders.
• Demonstrate empathy, honesty, and respect for others, including those with whom you may disagree or have different experiences.

 

Violations of the Code

Violation of the Grenfell Business Code of Academic and Professional Integrity can have serious consequences. All infractions of the Code will be referred to the Grenfell Business Program Chair, who is responsible for assessing whether the violation warrants a formal review. Together with the Faculty of Business Administration, Grenfell Business has established procedures to review any accusation of a breach of the Code; these may be requested from gcbusiness@mun.ca or by contacting the Grenfell Business Program Chair.

Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, the following actions:

• copying another student’s work or knowingly allowing another student to copy one’s own work during examinations;
• consulting with an unauthorized person during an examination;
• possessing unauthorized materials or devices during an examination;
• using unauthorized materials or devices during an examination;
• impersonating another student or allowing oneself to be impersonated to obtain academic credit or accommodations;
• plagiarizing, or representing another’s ideas or works as one’s own;
• including a student’s name or allowing one’s own name to be included on the list of contributors to a group project without having contributed to that work;
• submitting work for one course or work term that has been or is being submitted for another course or work term without the express permission of the instructors involved;
• submitting false information to support a request for special accommodations;
• altering a piece of work after it has been graded and submitting it for re-grading;
• using or taking another’s examinations, assignments, or solutions to examinations or assignments; and
• distributing or using stolen examinations, assignments, or solutions to examinations or assignments.

Violations of professional integrity include, but are not limited to:

• engaging in disruptive or disrespectful behaviour in class, including consistently arriving late or leaving early without notice, using electronic devices for purposes not directly related to the class, and talking or making excessive noise;
• using inappropriate, intimidating, or harassing language in written or oral communications;
• using inappropriate, intimidating, or harassing body language;
• divulging confidential information obtained during research or while engaged in experiential course work;
• making use of inappropriately divulged confidential information;
• stealing or defacing the property of the University and its stakeholders; and
• engaging in behaviours while on a Program- or University-related activity that might reasonably be expected to cause embarrassment to the Program or to the University.

Other examples of conduct unsuitable for the profession may be reviewed in the University Calendar, Section 6.13.2, Conduct Unsuitable for the Profession.

 

Reference

International Center for Academic Integrity. (2021). The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity, 3rd edition. https://academicintegrity.org/images/pdfs/20019_ICAI-Fundamental-Values_R12.pdf