Standards of Conduct Code of Conduct
A standard of conduct is firmly observed throughout the course of the program in order to uphold the high academic standing of the School. All members of the community are expected to treat others with respect. Honesty in academic matters, as in all others, is an expectation of all members of the Hult community. Violations of the standards of conduct are considered a serious breach of conduct and may result in placement on disciplinary probation by the School. Students, staff, and faculty at the School are expected to:
be civil in words and deeds
be honest in work, action, and speech
respect the privacy of others’ feelings and property respect the cultural differences of every individual
extend courtesy to every individual
attend every class, appointment, or assigned commitment on time
obey copyright law
uphold the Honor Code
All students are expected to read and sign the Academic Honesty Contract indicating that they have read, understood, and will abide by the Honor Code during the course of their study (See Appendix I for a copy of the contract).
Honor Code
The Honor Code expresses the importance of honesty and respect shared by all members of the Hult community:
As members of the Hult community, we expect an atmosphere of trust, honesty, and respect, and we assume that each individual will live up to his or her highest personal standards as well as those of the community.
We agree to respect the property of our School and of others. We agree not to tolerate theft, vandalism, and other such forms of disrespect. We agree not to tolerate cheating by giving or taking improper academic aid, and not to plagiarize [as defined in the following section of this
handbook]. We also agree that if we witness any violations of this code, we will handle the situation with responsibility by either addressing the situation directly, or discussing it with a person of authority. We further agree that we will consult with an Instructor or other person of authority when policies toward academic assistance are unclear.
Hult International Business School is committed to enforcing its Honor Code.
27 Definitions
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is copying another person’s work without providing credit to the original source. Any information extracted from other sources (including oral communication, written texts, audiovisual and other technological resources such as CD-ROM or the Internet) without changing or with only minor changes, must be footnoted, giving credit to the source. If no source citation is provided, it is considered plagiarism. Please refer to online resources such as www.plagiarism.org for more information.
Cheating
Cheating is considered getting help on an examination or assignment from a disallowed source. This includes using notes or outside sources of information during in-class examinations and assignments, as well as copying or paraphrasing the work or ideas of another person (except for texts and notes associated with the course) without the permission of the Instructor. Cheating includes voluntarily assisting in another student’s cheating and/or helping another student in an unauthorized manner whether the latter has requested assistance or not. Collaborating on an assignment when individual work has been required by an Instructor is also considered unacceptable academic behavior.
General Policies and Responsibilities 1. Notice and Honor Code Contract
a. During the orientation and Toolbox period, staff will distribute a copy of this handbook to students (in paper or electronic form), discuss its contents and describe Hult’s honor code, including its impact on both the School and students.
b. Also during the orientation period, staff will obtain a signed copy of the Hult Honor Code Contract from each student stating that the student has read, understood, and agreed to abide by the honor code as stated in this handbook and in the Honor Code Contract itself.
2. Community Responsibilities
a. All members of the Hult community are equally responsible for adhering to the highest personal and professional conduct as they represent the School and are a reflection upon one another.
b. Staff shall assist students wherever possible to answer any questions students may have about the Honor Code and honor code violation procedures.
28
c. Faculty are expected to maintain Hult’s honor code throughout the learning and examination process. In doing so, they will:
i. Give students clear instructions, both on the syllabus and in the classroom early in the course, regarding what is expected of them in terms of academic integrity related to individual and team assignments.
ii. Require Honor Statements or Certificates of Originality for students to sign when handing in exams, papers, and other major assignments. [see Appendix II]
iii. Inform students that any suspected incidences of an honor code violation will be passed directly to the Academic Standards Committee for review and adjudication.
iv. Urge students to consult with faculty prior to submitting anything about which the student has questions concerning possible Honor Code infractions.
It is each student’s responsibility to understand the School’s Honor Code and procedures directly. Thus, failure of a faculty member to adhere to any of the items above will not be considered grounds for dismissal of an Honor Code investigation.
d. The Academic Standards Committees shall be responsible for conducting a complete and impartial review of any suspected infraction, notifying the student, his or her faculty member(s), and the administration of its
findings and any sanctions imposed.
3. Honor Code Review Procedures
a. Once a student’s name is submitted to the Academic Standards
Committee, the student will be notified that a case has been reported and will be given details of the suspected violation.
b. The student will be given the opportunity to describe what happened in his/her own words including any extenuating circumstances the student wishes to present.
c. The Academic Standards Committee will investigate the suspected violation, taking care to include all relevant information and speaking to the relevant parties.
d. The Academic Standards Committee will make a determination whether a violation occurred using a “more likely to have happened than not”
standard.
29
e. If the Academic Standards Committee determines that a violation occurred, it will impose sanctions and notify the appropriate parties.
Sanctions are discussed under “Penalties” below.
Please note: To preserve an open and fair academic community for all, Hult takes its Honor Code seriously. In order to investigate a claim exhaustively, contact all relevant parties, and insure a fair decision made on full facts, the Academic Standards Committee may, on occasion, take substantial time before making a ruling. Furthermore, due to privacy concerns, individual results of all Academic Standards Committee hearings will not be publicly disclosed. A fair process normally takes about thirty days, but the timing of rulings will depend upon the situation.
Student Responsibilities
1. Communication with other persons (within the classroom or externally) through any medium during examinations is expressly prohibited and may invalidate the exam.
Questions about the examination may be asked directly to the Instructor or proctor.
2. The use of books, notes, computers, calculators, dictionaries, phones, and other information sources are subject to the restrictions of individual Instructors and will be announced in advance of the examination. Use of restricted materials will result in disciplinary action.
3. A student’s use of the ideas or writings of another individual, whether in an
examination, paper, or any assignment, and submitting such to an Instructor as his or her own work is considered plagiarism and is in direct violation of the honor code.
4. It is an honor code violation for a student to submit for credit any work that he or she has already submitted for credit, at Hult or another academic institution, without the prior written approval of the Instructor in the second course. If material is being submitted simultaneously for credit in multiple courses, the student must disclose such and obtain prior written approval from all involved Instructors.
5. Leaving an examination room with exam materials while an exam is still in progress is prohibited and may invalidate the individual’s exam. All examination materials are to be given to the Instructor or proctor immediately upon completion of the examination or during a justified absence from the examination room (for example: if a student must go to the restroom, all materials must be given to the professor or proctor for the duration of the absence). Students who must leave the examination room for a justified reason may not make up the time lost in doing so.
6. If a student witnesses any of the above violations, the student should act responsibly by confronting the situation directly, or failing that, by reporting the violation to the
Instructor or to the Administration.
30 Penalties
Consequences
Any infringement on the Standards of Conduct or violation of the Hult Honor Code Contract may result in any of the following consequences:
Lower examination and/or assignment grade or failure of examination/assignment
Lower course grade or failure of course
Denial of Academic Honors (including the Dean’s List and/or Graduation Honors)
Placement on academic and/or disciplinary probation
Written reprimand in the student’s permanent record
Suspension (student is not allowed to enter the School or attend classes for a defined period of time ranging from a few days up to an entire year)
Dismissal from the program (student must leave the School) Disciplinary Probation
Students may be placed on disciplinary probation by the School for violation of the Standards of Conduct. For the term of the probation, access to School privileges and services may be limited or denied. Such privileges and services may include but are not limited to the following:
Social events sponsored by the School
Specified services offered by Hult’s Career Services office
Specified services offered by Hult’s Student Services office
Specified facilities, which may include conference rooms, study spaces, and computer facilities
Participation in student government
Participation in student clubs
Participation in surveys distributed by the School
Participation in internships coordinated by the School
Students may be required to submit letter(s) of apology to offended party or parties.
Violations of the terms of probation may result in additional penalties, which may also include suspension from the School.
Grievances and Appeals Procedures
Students who have formal complaints regarding the professional conduct of any member of the School’s faculty or administration, or regarding the enforcement of and adherence to academic and student policies and procedures, have the right to file grievances through the governance structure of the School.
If you have a grievance, you should first discuss the objection with the individual involved. If not satisfied, you should discuss the objection with the individual’s
supervisor, and if still not satisfied you should submit a written complaint, including the outcome that you are seeking, to the Dean, allowing 30 days for the necessary review and settlement.
31 Academic Achievement
Grading
Grading Standards
Course Instructors will evaluate and assess student performance. Grades are assigned according to the Instructor’s assessment of performance on the intellectual and professional criteria established for the course. The Instructor has full authority and responsibility to establish performance criteria, evaluate students’ performance, and award grades.
Instructors will use the following grading system to evaluate student performance:
Points Grade Performance
This grading system may differ from other systems in use at other schools. For clarification purposes only, the system above is roughly equivalent to the following grading scales in other regions:
Hult Grade
A- 65-69 Sobresaliente
B+ 60-64 12-13.9 Notable
F 0-39 0-7.9 Reprobrado/Suspendido 4.1-6
32
Hult Grade Latin America Asia Africa Australia Europe
A 4.0-5.0 / 9.0-10.0 5 (80-100) A/AB (70-100) High Distinction 5
D Conceded, Conditional,
or Compensatory Pass
F 0-2.9 / 0-5.9 2 (0-59) F (0-39) Failure 0
*7.0 is a minimum passing grade at selected universities in Latin America.
Source: World Education Services (www.wes.org)
Please take note: these grading charts show rough equivalencies. They are meant to be a basic guide to clarify grading standards. Hult in no way guarantees that your grades will convert to any of the other grading systems in use at other schools in the manner indicated above or vice versa.
The campus Registrar releases official final course grades at the end of each module via the student portal. Individual grade breakdowns (participation, homework, and exam grades, for example) are available only from Instructors. Every Hult student is entitled to know the manner in which his or her course grade was calculated.
Grade Point Average
A weighted grade point average (GPA) is computed by multiplying the point value corresponding to the letter grade (see page 31 for point values) received for each course by the number of credit hours per course, totaling these figures, then dividing the sum by the total credit hours. "Pass" and "Incomplete" grades and their corresponding credits are not factored into the weighted average. A "Fail" will be factored into the weighted average as a numerical grade of zero.
Every course in which a student has enrolled and for which a student has been assigned a letter grade, will be denoted on his or her transcript.
Pass/Fail Courses
Some courses, as determined by the faculty, may be graded on a "Pass" or "Fail" basis. A
"Pass" grade has no associated point value, and thus the course credits are not factored into the overall weighted GPA. If a student does not pass, however, a "Fail" will be factored into the overall GPA as a numerical grade of zero and given weight equal to the number of credits for the course.
Incomplete
While at Hult, a student is expected to attend all of his/her classes and participate in class discussions; submit his/her written assignments in a timely fashion; and participate fully in the team projects assigned, including team classroom presentations. The only
exceptions made will be for sickness or other extenuating circumstances deemed
33
acceptable by the Instructor and the Dean of the student’s campus. Please note that you may be asked to provide documentation of serious and/or profound illness or injury.
If you, the student, are unable to meet the above requirements, the responsibility lies with you to open up clear lines of communication with your Instructor and the Deans. You must notify your Instructor of the reason for your absence, lateness in submitting a written assignment, or non-participation in a team project. In addition, you must get permission to miss a class, submit a written assignment late, or miss some of your team meetings/presentations in advance of the deadline in question. (See also the section on Attendance in General Academic Policies and Procedures, page 37.)
If you have not completed your course requirements by the end of the term, one or more of the following actions may be taken:
The student may be given an “Incomplete” for the course (to be dealt with in accordance with the procedure that follows below)
The student may be given an “F” for the course (to be dealt with in accordance with the procedure that follows below)
The student may be given an “F” for the assignment not completed, and the course grade adjusted accordingly.
As a student at Hult, you have the right to appeal the Instructor’s decision to the Dean at your campus and the Academic Standards Committee, which will play an advisory role for the campus Dean. If you earn an “Incomplete” or “F” grade in a required course, you will not be allowed to graduate.
Procedure to replace an “Incomplete” grade
Within 30 days after the grades are issued, you and your Instructor must agree to a plan by which you will make up the work missed. The work must be completed within three years after the “Incomplete” grade was issued. This plan must be in writing and is subject to review by the Dean at your campus. If a substantial portion of the coursework was missed, the plan may call for the student to repeat the same course or find another suitable replacement course. A replacement course will be deemed suitable only after your Instructor and the Dean at your campus have reviewed it, and they may choose to call on the Academic Standards Committee to review the proposed replacement course, as well. The grade received in the replacement course will be substituted for the
“Incomplete” grade in your academic record. If there is no agreed upon plan to replace the “Incomplete” grade within the 30 day time limit, the “Incomplete” grade will be replaced by an “F” in the student’s academic record. The student has the right to appeal this to the Dean at his/her campus and the Academic Standards Committee.
Procedure to replace an “F” grade
After the grades are issued for a required course, if you received a grade of “F” you must agree to a plan formed with the help of a Dean by which you will make up the lost course credit. This work must be completed within three years after the “F” grade was issued.
Your plan must be in writing and is subject to review by the Dean at your campus. Your
34
plan must be submitted to the Dean at your campus for his/her approval and may be reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee.
Exemption from Formal Class Work
No exemptions from formal course work will be granted, unless in exceptional
circumstances at the discretion of the campus Dean in consultation with the Instructor concerned. If you wish to obtain an exemption from formal course work, you are required to consult with the Dean. In such cases, appropriate substitute work will be assigned and graded by the Instructor.
Class Participation
Class participation is an important part of the learning experience at the School and will factor into your overall grade for each course. Each Instructor will grade class
participation and determine grading standards and the appropriate weight given to class participation in the overall course grade. These standards and weighting will be outlined in the syllabus for each course, and may include participation in online discussion forums and other such media beyond the traditional “classroom.”
Examinations and Assignments
Examinations are an important and integral part of the Hult graduate programs.
Instructors will announce their own examination policy at the beginning of their courses and may give quizzes and examinations at their discretion. It is the policy of the School, however, that examinations are to be given during class, or assigned as take-home group projects. The faculty will not give individual take-home examinations.
Students are required to take examinations as scheduled. Absence from an exam may be authorized by the faculty and administration only in extreme and unavoidable situations.
Medical or other serious personal emergencies (when reported prior to the examination) are legitimate reasons for scheduling a make-up exam. Although important to the individual concerned, attending a wedding, exploring a job opportunity, taking exams in a successive period, house-hunting, participating in a conference, attending an event, or travel scheduling are not sufficient reasons to be excused from an exam. Generally, make-up exams are scheduled after rather than before the regular exam.
Dean’s List
Students who earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.60 or above for any module are
Students who earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.60 or above for any module are