Professionalism and Ethics:What You Need to Know

“Today I give you two examinations, one in trigonometry and one in honesty. I hope you pass them both, but if you must fail one, let it be trigonometry for there are many good [people] in this world today who cannot pass an examination in trigonometry, but there are no good [people] in the world who cannot pass an examination in honesty.”

– Madison Sarratt

Self-Study Material (BEFORE LECTURE)• The material in the following slides and links therein forms the basis of the quiz you must pass on academic integrity and professionalism (found on Blackboard), due prior to lecture (be sure to follow the links where indicated)

• While you may refer to these slides and other written materials during the quiz, it is timed and you will need to study the materials carefully before you start in order to complete it successfully. You will not have time to look up all the answers!

• If you do not pass the quiz on your first attempt, you will need to study these materials again and pass a second, similar quiz (with different questions)

• If you fail the quiz a second time (85% score required), you will have to write a three-page, single-spaced, word-processed essay on this topic to demonstrate your mastery in order to pass this unit

• The quiz will test your understanding in depth; study carefully so you can pass it the first time

What is the Fulton Honor Code?• Developed in Spring 2013 by a team of faculty, students, and administrators, for implementation in Fall 2013

• Expands upon, but does not replace the ASU-wide Academic Integrity Policy (AIP)

• Describes in detail how the core FSE principle of “doing the right thing” applies to academic work

• Prepares you to follow the principles of professional ethics you will be required to follow once you graduate and begin to practice engineering, as embodied for example in the Code of Ethics of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and those of other engineering professional societies

Fulton Honor CodeGiven the profound impact of engineering on public health, safety and welfare, I recognize the great importance of ethics to the engineering profession. I further recognize that integrity and ethical behavior as an engineer are directly linked to academic integrity and ethical behavior as an engineering student. In recognition of these principles, I promise to act in accordance with ASU’s Academic Integrity Policy and Student Code of Conduct at all times, and to encourage others to do the same. Specifically, I affirm that I will:1. Seek out, acquaint myself with, and obey the instructor’s rules concerning the materials I am allowed to use and the types of collaboration in which I am permitted to engage in each of my courses.2. Help my fellow engineering students to succeed both academically and professionally, while both following the instructor’s guidelines on collaboration and encouraging my classmates to behave ethically.3. Ensure that all of my individual work products reflect my own abilities and not those of someone else. I will never copy the work of others or give others the opportunity to copy mine.

Fulton Honor Code (cont.)4. Contribute a fair share of work to all teamwork in which I participate, and

acknowledge the contributions of others. I will accept responsibility for the integrity of all work submitted by my team.

5. Use only aids authorized by the instructor during all examinations, quizzes, projects, assignments and other evaluations.

6. Provide aid to, or receive aid from other students only as permitted by the instructor.

7. Give full credit to others for their words and ideas, whether directly quoted or paraphrased, using proper citation practices in all of my work, including text, figures and computer code, and all materials obtained from the Internet.

8. Never act dishonestly including lying, cheating, stealing, or attempting to corrupt the academic enterprise in any way.

9. Ensure that all data I record or report are objective, true, accurate and properly documented.

Fulton Honor Code (cont.)10. Treat all students, faculty and staff with respect, courtesy and dignity, the way

I would like to be treated myself.11. Recognize that it is how I act when no one else is watching that defines my

true character.12. Act at all times with integrity, as the true professional that I am to become.

Students voluntarily accept the above honor code in a ceremony held during orientation, by reciting the following pledge:

As a student in the Fulton Schools of Engineering, I take pride in my integrity, professionalism and teamwork; I behave honorably and ethically in all my work as a member of the ASU community; and I encourage and support my fellow Fulton Engineers to do the same. The ethical standards I follow as an engineering student prepare me to follow the ethical standards of my chosen profession.

NSPE Code of Ethics• Adopted by the National Society of Professional Engineers; similar to the

ethical codes of most other engineering professional societies• Go to http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/CodeofEthics/index.html now to read the

full code

Fundamental Canons

Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:

1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. 2. Perform services only in areas of their competence. 3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner. 4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees. 5. Avoid deceptive acts. 6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as

to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession.

Order of the Engineer• The Order of the Engineer is an organization that was

formed in the United States to foster a spirit of pride and responsibility in the engineering profession, to bridge the gap between training and experience, and to present to the public a visible symbol identifying the engineer

• All those who are seniors in EAC of ABET-accredited programs will be invited to accept the Obligation of the Engineer and receive a stainless steel ring in annual ceremonies held at ASU (end of each academic year)

• The Obligation is a creed similar to the Hippocratic oath generally taken by medical graduates, which sets forth an ethical code. The Obligation likewise, contains parts of the Canon of Ethics of major engineering societies

• No dues or membership fees• Members wear a stainless steel band on the little finger of

their working hand, to show their pride as an engineerhttp://www.order-of-the-engineer.org/

Order of the EngineerThe ObligationI am an Engineer. In my profession I take deep pride. To it, I owe solemn obligations.Since the Stone Age, human progress has been spurred by the engineering genius. Engineers

have made usable nature’s vast resources of material and energy for Humanity’s benefit. Engineers have vitalized and turned to practical use the principles of science and the means of technology. Were it not for this heritage of accumulated experience, my efforts would be feeble.

As an Engineer, I pledge to practice integrity and fair dealing, tolerance and respect, and to uphold devotion to the standards and the dignity of my profession, conscious always that my skill carries with it the obligation to serve humanity by making the best use of Earth’s precious wealth.

As an Engineer, I shall participate in none but honest enterprises. When needed, my skill and knowledge shall be given without reservation for the public good. In the performance of duty and in fidelity to my profession, I shall give the utmost.

All students must be aware of and adhere to the ASU Academic Integrity Policy (AIP) and the Student Code of

Conduct

Visit these web sites now:http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity

https://students.asu.edu/srr/code

Student Obligations (from the ASU AIP)Each student must act with honesty and integrity, and must respect the rights of

others in carrying out all academic assignments. A student may be found to have engaged in academic dishonesty if, in connection with any Academic Evaluation or academic or research assignment (including a paid research position), he or she:

A. Engages in any form of academic deceit; B. Refers to materials or sources or uses devices (e.g., computer disks, audio

recorders, camera phones, text messages, crib sheets, calculators, solution manuals, materials from previous classes, or commercial research services) not authorized by the instructor for use during the Academic Evaluation or assignment;

C. Possesses, reviews, buys, sells, obtains, or uses, without appropriate authorization, any materials intended to be used for an Academic Evaluation or assignment in advance of its administration;

D. Acts as a substitute for another person in any Academic Evaluation or assignment; E. Uses a substitute in any Academic Evaluation or assignment; F. Depends on the aid of others, including other students or tutors, in connection with

any Academic Evaluation or assignment to the extent that the work is not representative of the student's abilities;

Student Obligations (cont.)G. Provides inappropriate aid to another person in connection with any Academic

Evaluation or assignment, including the unauthorized use of camera phones, text messages, photocopies, notes or other means to copy or photograph materials used or intended for Academic Evaluation;

H. Engages in Plagiarism; I. Uses materials from the Internet or any other source without full and appropriate

attribution; J. Permits his or her work to be submitted by another person in connection with any

Academic Evaluation or assignment, without authorization; K. Claims credit for or submits work done by another;L. Signs an attendance sheet for another student, allows another student to sign on

the student's behalf, or otherwise participates in gaining credit for attendance for oneself or another without actually attending;

M. Falsifying or misrepresenting hours or activities in relationship to an internship, externship, field experience, clinical activity or similar activity; or

N. Attempts to influence or change any Academic Evaluation, assignment or academic record for reasons having no relevance to academic achievement.

Common PitfallsThinking that you can use materials you find on-line, because your instructor never

said you couldn’t do so (you must have explicit permission to use solution manuals, old exam or HW papers, old lab reports, etc.)

Thinking that because you were allowed to collaborate on HW in all of your other classes, it is OK in your new class too (every instructor defines their own policies)

Working together so closely on a HW assignment or computer program so that your finished product is essentially identical to that of another student (this is always a violation, even if “collaboration” is allowed and you didn’t actually “copy”)

Loaning your paper, computer, or memory stick to a friend, trusting them not to copy your work (you have no real control over what they do with it, even if they promise not to copy, and you could be held responsible as well)

Thinking that you can automatically use books and on-line resources, or consult with other students because the exam is take-home or given on-line (you need explicit permission from the instructor to do this, no matter how the exam is given)

Thinking that instructors will not notice if a student copies someone else’s computer code or lab report (sophisticated software is used by most instructors to check for similarities, and is not fooled by changing variable names or comments)

How Can You Report a Violation?• Instructors are not the only ones who can report violations!• Anyone with a good faith belief that an AIP violation has occurred

may report it (see ASU AIP)• You may contact the Assistant Dean directly, Prof. Brian Skromme (

skromme@asu.edu, 5-5151)• Or, contact your instructor, your Advisor, your Program Chair, your

School Director, or a Dean, as you prefer• ASU Ethics and Compliance Hotline: (877) SUN-DEVL [(877) 786-

3385], http://audit.asu.edu/asu-hotline (full details will be needed to pursue)

Typical Sanctions for Violating the Academic Integrity Policy in FSE

1. Zero points for the project, homework assignment, or exam2. Zero points for the project, homework assignment, or exam

and course grade lowered by one letter grade3. E (failing) grade or XE (failure due to academic dishonesty)

grade for the course (latter is a permanent notation on your transcript)

4. Being ineligible to continue in the Fulton Schools of Engineering, or suspension or expulsion from ASU

5. Degree revocation, for offenses discovered after graduationTwo-strike policy in FSE: Second offense results in automatic XE

grade and disqualification, suspension, or expulsion (min. one year)

What Other Consequences Apply To First-Time Violators? (as of Fall 2013)

• Might not be admitted to various honor societies and the Grand Challenges Scholars Program

• Would be considered if applying for positions as a Residential Peer Mentor, E2 Camp Counselor, Undergraduate TA, ASU 101 Section Leader, Career Peer, Fulton Ambassador, or Tutor within the Engineering Tutoring Center

• Always reported to the Dean’s office, who maintains a database of prior violations (faculty have no choice about doing this)

What is Plagiarism? (see www.plagiarism.org)• Taking credit for the words or ideas of another; this practice is dishonest,

and much like stealing• Can also be “self-plagiarism,” where a paper you wrote for a previous class is

“recycled” and any portion of it is re-used• Case #1: Direct Quotations

– If you use someone else’s words exactly (or with minor changes), they must be: 1. Enclosed in double quotation marks “…” or inset in small type; AND2. Immediately followed by an in-text citation, after every such quotation [3]

– The corresponding reference at the end of your report (or at the bottom of the page) must be formatted exactly as prescribed in a commonly accepted style manual (e.g., MLA, APA, or that of your professional engineering society)

– It is NOT enough to list the source in a bibliography; that only tells the reader that the entry is a useful source of information on your topic, not that you took anything at all from it

– An in-text citation without the quotation marks is also not enough! That only tells the reader that you took information, facts, or ideas from the source, not exact wording

– This rule applies whether or not the source is copyrighted, and applies equally to Internet sources and non-Internet sources (even if no author is listed)

What is Plagiarism? (cont.)• Case #2: Paraphrasing

In this situation, you put material from a source into your own words, e.g., by substituting synonyms, changing sentence structure, re-arranging it, etc.

Many people have the mistaken notion that paraphrasing is not plagiarism. In fact, it can be. A simple rule is this: If you are following the essential structure and content of a source, that goes beyond just using information, facts, or ideas. You must therefore do two things:1. State explicitly that you are paraphrasing; AND2. Include an in-text citation, before or after every such section [3]

A typical way to state that you are paraphrasing is as follows: “The following discussion closely follows that by Mary Doe et al. [5].”

As with direct quotations, the corresponding reference at the end of your report (or at the bottom of the page) must be formatted exactly as prescribed in a commonly accepted style manual

What is Plagiarism? (cont.)• Case #3: Figures and Tables

Plagiarism is not limited to text. If you copy a figure, table, graph, chart, or image, etc., you must also cite the source (even if you re-draw it)

The usual way of doing so is in the figure caption, where you would state, “After John Doe, Ref. [13].” (In professional writing, all figures should have captions.)

• Case #4: Computer CodeComputer code can also be plagiarized. Even if you are permitted by your

instructor to use a subroutine from a code library, or code you find on the Internet, you must still state & acknowledge the source clearly in the comments in the program. Software is used at ASU to check for similarities

Your citation must make clear which parts you wrote, and which parts came from the cited source

Changing variable names & comments does not make it your work!

Plagiarism in Team Projects• Be especially careful of plagiarism on team projects, where

you might each be writing a portion of a report or program• Keep actual written records showing who wrote what, or

better yet, turn in an extra page listing the contributions of each team member (signed by all)

• Allow time for every team member to read over the whole report. Ask yourself if your teammates’ sections sound like they wrote them, and check some sentences if necessary in a search engine (or using plagiarism detection software)

• In a team effort, everyone is potentially responsible for all of the work products, so help each other and encourage integrity

Recommended Writing Practices• Carefully following the above rules will ensure you are not charged with plagiarism

or an honor code violation.• But, you also probably want to get a good grade. What do engineering instructors

typically expect?– Direct quotations and paraphrasing should generally be avoided altogether, or kept

to a bare, essential minimum• What is the best way to do this?

– Write from your notes; don’t even have the original source in front of you when you write!

– Your notes should reflect the basic information, facts, and ideas from your sources, not copy their language or structure, and they should include your critical analysis of the material

– Your writing should reflect your understanding of the topic, not someone else’s (even if that someone else is a highly respected expert!)

Study Questions (to help review for the quiz)• Is paraphrasing ever considered plagiarism? (p. 18)• Besides the grade penalty, what else happens to first-time violators of the AIP in FSE? (p. 16)• To whom is the foremost obligation of a professional engineer? (p. 7)• What is the “two-strike” policy in FSE? (p. 15)• What is the XE grade? When is it applied? (p. 15)• What is the proper way to give citations when you copy figures or computer code? (p. 19)• Who can join the Order of the Engineer? What is it? (p. 8)• Is it OK to use another’s words exactly, if you just list the source in your bibliography? (p. 17)• Can you be held responsible if a friend copies a paper you loaned to them, even though they

promised they wouldn’t? What if you just loaned them your laptop? (p. 13)• Should engineering students help each other? (p. 4)• Are engineering students governed by the FSE Honor Code, the ASU AIP, or both? (p. 3)• How could cheating on an exam or project lead to a violation of Fundamental Canon #2 of the

NSPE? (p. 7)• Is it plagiarism to copy anonymous, uncopyrighted material without citing it? (p. 17)• How are students allowed to report AIP violations? (p. 14)