School of Law Honor Code

Preamble

Baylor University School of Law (the "Law School") students must act in academic matters with the utmost honesty and integrity and in a manner consistent with this Honor Code ("Code"). This Code specifies the conduct that violates this obligation and establishes a process for dealing with breaches of the Code.

ARTICLE I. SCOPE OF THE CODE

  1. This Code applies to any alleged incident of misconduct related to any academic matter involving the Law School’s program of education, regardless of where such alleged incident occurred.
  2. "Academic matter" includes any activity that may affect a grade or in any way contribute toward satisfaction of the requirements for graduation or that may result in academic credit or recognition. Such activities include, but are not limited to, examinations, research for course papers, independent studies, or projects and performance of requirements in connection with externships and clinical courses, Law Review, or interscholastic competitions (for the purposes of this Code, this non-exclusive list of activities is included within the term “course”).
  3. This Code is not intended to replace or supersede applicable federal and state laws, municipal ordinances, Baylor University or Law School regulations or Law School Library or Career Development Office internal rules governing conduct of law students not involving an academic matter as defined above, provided, however, that this Code will be presumed applicable where no other procedure is available to address the alleged misconduct.

ARTICLE II. STUDENT MISCONDUCT

Student misconduct in connection with any academic matter covered by this Code includes, but is not limited to:

  1. In connection with any examination, test, quiz, class performance or other assessment, whether or not graded: 
  1. Substituting for another student or permitting any other person to substitute for oneself to take the examination or perform other work relating to the examination.
  2. Copying from or looking upon another student's examination paper during an examination with the intent to obtain information relevant to the examination or intentionally permitting another student to see and copy from one's examination paper.
  3. Collaborating during the examination with any other person by giving or receiving information without authority.
  4. Using material during an examination not authorized by the person administering the examination.
  5. Taking time beyond that allowed other students for the completion of an examination without the express permission of the person administering the examination.
  6. Divulging in a systematic and coordinated way, during or after the exam, the contents of an essay or objective examination where the instructor has stated that the contents of the examination are not to be divulged, until such time as the instructor releases the examination.
  7. Invading or attempting to invade the security measures maintained for the preparation and storage of examinations.
  8. Stealing, buying, otherwise obtaining, selling, giving away, or bribing another person to obtain all or part of an unadministered examination or information about an unadministered examination or an examination which is to remain confidential or any unauthorized information concerning an examination.
  9. Failing to inform the Dean or the appropriate faculty member of the fact that one has come in contact, through no fault of the student, with an unadministered examination, or an examination which is to remain confidential, or any unauthorized information concerning an examination, after becoming aware of the fact that the material involved is confidential.

B. In connection with any report, paper, memorandum, article, brief or any other written work in fulfillment of academic requirements or to directly or indirectly obtain academic credit or recognition:

  1. Submitting as one's own written work prepared totally or in part by another person, unless such collaboration is expressly authorized by the instructor, provided that, unless all discussion is expressly prohibited by the instructor, merely discussing the subject matter generally with another student is not a violation of this Code.
  2. Submitting a writing incorporating another person's work, whether copyrighted or not, by taking the substance of such work or the literal expression from such work of another without acknowledging and crediting the original author's work with quotation marks and footnotes or other appropriate written explanation.
  3. Submitting written work previously offered by the student for credit or recognition in another course or program without the instructor's permission secured in advance of submission.

C. In general:

  1. Failing, upon witnessing or learning of the probable violation of this Code, to report the fact immediately to the Dean or a member of the faculty.
  2. Refusing to provide information about a possible violation of this Code to faculty or administration of the Law School, except that a person suspected of violating this Code may not be compelled to bear witness against himself or herself.
  3. Taking, keeping, misplacing, tampering with, or damaging the property of Baylor University, a faculty member, another student or any other person, if one knows or should reasonably know that one would by such conduct obtain an unfair academic advantage. This section is intended to include, but not be limited to, material in the law library.
  4. Misrepresenting facts about oneself or another for the purpose of obtaining an advantage, either academic or financial, or for the purpose of injuring another student academically or financially, including providing false grades or other information in resumes for placement use.
  5. Knowingly or negligently submitting false or misleading information concerning hours worked or requirements fulfilled in connection with any externship or clinical program undertaken for credit or recognition.
  6. Acting contrary to accepted principles of honesty in any academic pursuit, it being recognized that no enumeration can exhaust the possible applications of a law student's obligation to conduct himself or herself in a manner consistent with the Code and that the enumeration above is by way of illustration and not limitation, provided, however, that if at all possible one or more of the enumerated sections should be utilized rather than this general provision.

ARTICLE III. Procedures for Addressing Suspected Honor Code Violations

A.        Faculty Determination of a Violation.  If a faculty member suspects that a student has violated this Code in a course for which that faculty member is an instructor of record or in any other aspect of the Law School’s program of education for which the faculty member is responsible, the faculty member must handle the matter directly with the student and should resolve the matter within 21 days of learning of the possible violation.  If the faculty member determines that a violation has occurred, the faculty member must report in writing the violation and any sanction imposed to the Dean or the Dean’s designee or designees within 7 days of the faculty member’s determination that the student violated this Code. If the faculty member finds the student did not violate this Code, the matter is closed and no report to the Dean or the Dean’s designee or designees is required.

B.        Opportunity to be Heard.  A faculty member must provide a student who is suspected of a violation of this Code an opportunity to be heard on the matter in-person, telephonically, via videoconference, or in writing.  The student may also present any relevant evidence to the faculty member, including written material and witnesses with knowledge of relevant facts.  Students have these same rights in all appeals under this Code.

C.        Sanctions.  Upon determining that a student has violated this Code, the faculty member may impose sanctions short of suspension or expulsion which may include but are not limited to reducing the grade or assigning a failing grade for the assignment connected to the violation of this Code and/or reducing the grade or assigning a failing grade for the course in which the violation occurred. The Dean or the Dean’s designee(s) may impose sanctions in addition to those imposed by a faculty member, which may include but are not limited to suspension or expulsion.

D.        Repeated Violations.  Repeated violations of this Code are to be considered in determining an appropriate sanction.

E.         Appeal.  A student may appeal in writing a faculty member’s determination of a violation of this Code to the Dean or the Dean’s designee or designees.  A student may also appeal in writing a suspension or expulsion decision to the Academic Standards Committee less any members designated by the Dean to make the initial suspension or expulsion decision. 

09.27.2021 unanimously approved by Baylor Law Faculty