Code of Conduct
Aspen University is committed to fostering a spirit of honesty, integrity and respect. All members of the Aspen University student community and prospective students are responsible for following Aspen University’s Code of Conduct Policy. The Code of Conduct Policy is composed of two sections: Conduct (behavioral) and Plagiarism (academic). A violation of these policies will be deemed to be misconduct and will not be tolerated, even if the violation remains undiscovered until after credits have been awarded or a degree has been conferred. Sanctions may be imposed up to and including dismissal from the University or revocation of credits or degrees.
Students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Pre-licensure) program are subject to the additional policies identified in their location’s BSN Pre-licensure Clinical Handbook.
Conduct
Aspen University students are members of an academic community founded upon principles of integrity and mutual respect. Students are expected to abide by these principles during their interactions with students, instructors, and Aspen University staff.
Any student reported for violating the Conduct Policy will be subject to a formal investigation. If the student is found to have violated University policy, it will be reflected on their academic record.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of actions that are considered student conduct violations, for which students are subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the University:
- Falsification, forgery, alteration, or invention of information, including, but not limited to, any document used for admission or eligibility to the University, or other official University documents
- Communicating or behaving in any form that disrupts or interferes with the educational process or any institutional function
- Behaving in any manner that creates a disruption, or a hostile or offensive educational environment for a student, faculty member, or staff member, including bullying, hazing, menacing, threatening, intimidating, or violent behavior.
- Discriminatory or inappropriate comments towards or about students, faculty, or staff related to sex, race, color, height, weight, national origin, religion, age, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, physical or mental disability, medical condition as defined by law, or any basis prohibited by law.
- Communication or behavior towards a student, faculty, or staff member that is disrespectful, derisive, or offensive in nature
- Failing to comply promptly with any reasonable directive, including health and safety directives, from a faculty member or University official
- Failing to cooperate with officials in a University investigation
- Permitting anyone, with the exception of university-authorized persons, access to one’s classroom, to attend class in one’s stead, or to attend class for another
- Sharing answers or documents related to course materials and submissions, or soliciting or hiring others to complete course assignments
- Submitting work that is written or produced by another person/organization as their own.
- Using unauthorized materials or unauthorized assistance on an exam
- Sharing one’s password or using someone else’s password for any University system or network
- Using any University system, network, or other IT resources to upload, download, or otherwise share and/or distribute any copyrighted music, video, software, written works, or other materials without the written consent of the copyrighted owner
- No student or person, individually or on behalf of any business or organization of any kind, whether for-profit or not-for- profit, is permitted to solicit, market, offer goods or services, or operate on behalf of such organization in any way on the University’s campus without the prior written consent of the University’s President or Provost. In addition, no student or person, individually or on behalf of any business or organization of any kind, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, may use the University’s name, marks, seal, logos or other identifying symbols, without the prior written consent of the University’s President or Provost.
Aspen University students reported for violating the conduct policy may be subject to sanctions. Any reported student is allowed due process according to Aspen University’s conduct violation procedure.
Plagiarism
Higher education requires a greater level of self-monitoring to ensure academic integrity. Aspen University expects accuracy and integrity in coursework submitted by students. All coursework submitted by a student must represent original work produced by that student. All sources used in an assignment must be documented through acceptable references and citations and the extent to which the sources have been used must be apparent to the instructor through the use of Turnitin. Faculty will review originality reports for greater than a 20% similarity rate and communicate with students concerning it prior to reporting it as a plagiarism violation. Where coursework is not submitted through Turnitin, e.g. discussion posts, faculty may use other means of determining potential plagiarism.
Students found guilty of plagiarizing will be subject to academic and disciplinary consequences. Instructors are responsible for determining whether or not a work includes plagiarized material. The instructor may unilaterally take academic action against the student (such as assignment or course failure) and will officially report the incident to the University. Any reported student is allowed due process according to Aspen University’s plagiarism violation procedure.