As a program that helps to foster responsible business and government leaders, we have an obligation to ensure academic integrity. The University of Victoria has set standards and we in the School of Business are bound by them.

Developing course material and choosing assignments or discussion material are crucial elements of a teaching pedagogy. Assignments and cases may be used in successive semesters because they make a unique or valuable contribution to learning. Cases and problem solving assignments are designed to help you learn by doing. Trying to shortcut this approach hinders your learning and, in classroom case discussions, that of your classmates. It is unfair to classmates and seriously undermines the teacher's course objectives.

How to know what's allowed

In some cases, professors will encourage you to use all available sources of information. In other cases, they may want you to rely on your own problem-solving skills and knowledge. Your instructor or professor may explicitly tell you that you may view old exams or assignments, use alternate sources of information, etc. If you are not sure whether a certain activity is allowed, do ask your instructor or professor. Otherwise, it is best to assume the use of outside material is not permitted.

Examples of circumventing the learning process in this way may include, but are not limited to: 

•  Receiving or seeking copies of, or notes about, graded assignments, exams and cases from students in previous semesters.
• Giving or selling notes about graded assignments, exams and cases to students taking or about to take the course.
• Providing hints and answers to students in another section of the course (e.g. day section to evening section) about graded cases, exams and assignments.
• Trying to find out what happened in the case in advance of the class discussion. Contacting the case company to obtain additional information concerning the decision situation.

What happens if there's a violation?

Instructors decide how severe the problem actually is. He or she may handle the situation or refer it to the standards committee.

What to do if you observe or are aware of a violation?

You may report the cheating or plagiarism to the instructor of the course. If, for any reason, you are uncomfortable doing that, the Ombudsperson is available to help.

We provide computers, networks, databases, scanners, printers and other such electronic resources for the benefit of, first, business students, faculty and staff, and, second, other members of the university community. Students also have access to computing resources in various locations on campus. These resources are a privilege and must be shared by a large number of people. In addition, the information they contain or produce often has commercial value and should be handled as below:

Appropriate use of these resources.

Appropriate use of these information resources is specified by law, university policy and fair practice. To that end, students are expected to abide by the following standards:

• All members of the business school community must comply with computing policies laid out in the University of Victoria's Computing User Responsibilities, as well as to all regulations specified by the management of other facilities which you may use (such as the HSD Computing Facility).
• School of Business equipment and resources are for use only for course work, school activities, or work related to one's role in the school. Using faculty or university resources for commercial purposes or providing access to the resources to friends, relatives or employers is strictly prohibited.
• Photocopying or reproducing material extracted from online databases is expressly prohibited under the terms of the permission. We are allowed one copy of such material for personal use, but may not give that copy to anyone for copying or copy it ourselves.
• Copying of other material is governed by copyright laws. All members of the School of Business community are bound by those laws. Copies of the laws, regulations and restrictions are available from the library and posted near photocopiers.

What happens if there's a violation?

Violation of these standards will be referred to the standards committee for discipline and potential legal actions. Specific sanctions will depend on the severity of the violation and whether or not this is a first violation. Possible sanctions include (but are not limited to):

• temporary or permanent withdrawal of privileges for the use of computing, communications or Electronic Library resource;
• laying of charges under the Criminal Code (in the event, for example, of theft, malicious damage or violation of intellectual property rights).

What to do if you observe or are aware of a violation?

You may report the problem to the computer staff or any instructor or administrator. If, for any reason, you are uncomfortable doing that, the Ombudsperson is available to help.

When you go out on work terms or interview companies for the purposes of class assignments, you may be exposed to confidential or sensitive information related to the job or assignment.

Be sure you understand how much confidentiality your host company expects when it comes to information about an organization, its structure and activities. Some information may only be shared with your professor or co-op co-ordinator. If your assignment requires that you share information with classmates during a group presentation, the employer/contact should be made aware of this prior to providing you with the information in question. As an added safeguard, obtain permission to use information from the contact, in writing, before proceeding with the assignment.

In cases of flagrant abuse, which might include disclosing an employer's plans to a competitor or using classified information for personal gain, disciplinary proceedings may result. If the breach of trust causes an employer to lose profit or potential profits, you could be held liable for damages. Other legal penalties could apply.

Confidentiality and co-op work term reports

Before using any information as part of a work term report or class assignment, consult with your employer or work supervisor. In some cases, the work may be classified as a proprietary document and may not be removed from your employer's premises without specific permission. In this instance, the employer may prefer to assess and assign any grades for the work.

This is the procedure for co-op work term reports that are confidential. This may not be applicable to other class assignments.

It is also important to remember that information gained while on a work term should not be used for subsequent assignments without the permission of the employer.

An example of a conflict of interest would be working for a company which is a competitor to a company in which you hold a controlling interest.

What to do if there's a problem?

If you are unsure about whether accepting a co-op job or class assignment would place you in a potential conflict of interest, discuss the issues with your supervisor, co-op co-ordinator, or instructor.

• Credit work to all members of the group, especially when using the work for other purposes (e.g. when submitting a group report to a potential employer as a sample of your writing ability, you should cite the names of the other students who worked on the paper).
  It is unprofessional to let one or two members of the group do most of the work when the final grade or reward will be shared by the entire group.
• Collaboration on class assignments is only permitted with the professor's or instructor's permission and then only to the extent stipulated by the professor or instructor. Be sure you understand the acceptable level of collaboration in each of your courses.
• We should each be a responsible and professional part of the group. This means delivering on work commitments, being prepared and on-time for meetings, and carrying an equitable share of the work load.
• We all deserve respect, consideration and common courtesy. Deal with anger, tension and personality conflicts in constructive ways. Rude, insulting or disrespectful language or actions is neither professional nor appropriate.
• If group members reveal anything about themselves in confidence to other group members, and do not wish this information to be divulged outside the group, this should be respected. This would also apply to any confidential information about a third party or organization (e.g. a previous employer) that a member may divulge for group work purposes only.

What to do if there's a problem

If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, discuss it with your group first. If the group cannot resolve the problem, it should be discussed with your instructor or supervisor.

Unprofessional behaviour may be resolved by the instructor in the course, or referred to the standards committee. In the event that behaviour is referred to the Gustavson School of Business Standards Committee, that committee will appoint an individual to collect all material and information relevant to the breach. All involved parties will be entitled to speak before the Committee or provide written submissions to a hearing. The committee will render its decision in writing as advice to the dean, who will advise the candidate of his or her (the dean's) final decision.

In all cases, privacy of information, due process and procedural justice will be adhered to with respect to the individuals involved. Furthermore, any discipline will be based on clear and convincing evidence of guilt. No sanctions or disciplinary action shall be taken against any individual who brings a complaint on a good faith belief in its validity, even if the complaint is later dismissed.