Forms and Policies

The Gies College of Business is committed to an engaging, high-quality, online graduate student experience through a digital classroom approach. This student-developed honor code recognizes Gies’ commitment to providing a rigorous global online program for a diverse cultural population with expectations for student behavior found among business professionals with sound ethics and judgement.

The honor code will be updated with advancements in technology and program over time. The honor code is focused on four areas:

1. Respect: As Gies Online graduate students we respect one another, our professors, the administrative staff, and the program. We strive to demonstrate this respect in all interactions. Recognizing the global footprint of Gies programs, we respect all cultures and perspectives, listen actively to their contributions, and promote a safe space for sharing and discussing socially challenging ideas. It is our responsibility to have these discussions thoughtfully and respectfully while discouraging discrimination of any kind toward our fellow students, professors, and staff.
   
2. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the claim that another individual’s language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions are one’s own without giving proper credit. We will cite our sources appropriately in submitted work and respect guidelines provided by professors in using resources allowable for assignments and exams. This includes citing our prior individual and group work in addition to any information or cases found online. In order to protect the integrity of the program, we will not directly or indirectly share specific course information for our completed courses that is not widely available. If you need information on how to cite a source appropriately, go to the citation resource in our University Library. We take ownership to understand all academic integrity infractions as set by the University of Illinois.
   
3. Collaboration: Working collaboratively is an important part of the learning process in this program but must be done by maintaining our academic integrity and respecting intellectual property. If we are unsure, we will check with the faculty team through i-support@illinois.edu for each course. We may and should share our experience and general information. We will also not share required purchased materials such as case studies, course packs, and books that are considered individual licenses. We will respect and consider students in different time zones when collaborating. We will also work to find and use communication platforms and styles that work for all team members.
   
4. Accountability: As individuals, we hold both ourselves and others accountable in following this honor code. This is particularly true with group assignments, where we commit to attending meetings, contributing fairly, and including all members in decisions on how work shall be completed and submitted. If we are unable to contribute fairly, we expect teammates to reflect this in teammate evaluations, which may impact our final grade. We will uphold the 3Rs of Digital Citizenship and hold our peers accountable to be good digital citizens.

We will adhere to these principles in all interactions, including but not limited to: live sessions, live session chats, class Q&As, office hours, other school-sanctioned or provided platforms such as Workplace and GiesLink, other virtual or in-person meet-ups and events, and when addressing classmates, professors, teaching assistants, guest speakers, and staff. We recognize that failure to adhere to this honor code can result in disciplinary action including a score of zero on an assignment; a reduction in course grade; or dismissal from the program depending on the violation.

We advance the well-being of our online community through our actions, interactions, and choices made on digital platforms. We will uphold this through the 3Rs of Digital Citizenship:

• Recognize -- We recognize that digital platforms make it easy to accidentally or intentionally copy the work of others. This is a violation of the Gies Online Honor Code and university policies. We also recognize that it is sometimes more difficult to maintain the necessary level of professionalism when we are not face-to-face with our colleagues.
• Respect -- We respect Gies digital platforms as professional environments where we value differences through respectful and professional discourse. As good digital citizens, we earn respect for ourselves and promote respect for others, the University, and Gies Online Programs.
• Represent -- As part of the digital community, we represent values and ethics that are important to us. Through them, we represent our families, countries, cultures, languages, companies, the University of Illinois, Gies College of Business, and the iMBA program.

Attestation

As a Gies Online Student, I acknowledge and commit to advance the well-being of the Gies Online community through my actions and choices and adhering to the 3Rs of Digital Citizenship.

More About Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship is an extension of the honor code. As Gies Online students we recognize our responsibility to be good digital citizens. This means being respectful in our online interactions with fellow students, faculty, staff, and alumni, especially while using any technology provided to us by the Gies College of Business and the University of Illinois. Examples of this technology include: Illinois email, Workplace, Compass2g, Canvas, Coursera, and Zoom (including live classes, virtual events, webinars, office hours). Through our individual actions, we all represent Gies College of Business and the University of Illinois on a global level. As students, we agree to be collaborative and inclusive members of the digital community, to build trusting relationships, and to address conflict with integrity.