Professional Standards

Graduate students are required to observe professional ethical standards in their graduate studies and research. Graduate students should talk with their advisors and their Graduate Studies Committee Chair if they have questions about the specific expectations of the local graduate program. Research Standards and Scholarly Conduct (Appendix C) describes the Graduate School’s general expectations for ethics and conduct in graduate research and scholarship. University processes exist to address allegations of research misconduct by graduate students. Graduate students have the responsibility to be aware of and to follow these standards.

Research and Scholarly Misconduct. As a recipient of federal funding, the university is obligated to have an administrative process for reviewing, investigating, and reporting allegations of research misconduct. When the Research Integrity Scholarly Committee (RISC), as defined in the University Policy and Procedures Concerning Research Misconduct, forwards allegations of research misconduct by a graduate student to the Graduate School, the Graduate School follows the procedure outlined in “Research Standards and Scholarly Conduct” (Appendix C).

Academic Misconduct. The university’s Code of Student Conduct defines the expectations of students in the area of academic honesty.