Senate Policies and Regulations

From time to time, the Senate of the University adopts policies governing administrative and academic affairs of all members of the University Community, including Undergraduate Students in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. These policies can be found on Senate Websites. The most convenient entry to these is the index is at http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/senate/policies/index.html.

Faculty Regulations must conform with Senate policies. All Faculty Regulations are approved by Senate. Digests of some of the Senate Policies of particular relevance to students in Applied Science are given here. The date after the title is the year in which the policy was adopted or most recently amended.

Policy on Academic Dishonesty (1989) http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/senate/policies/acaddish.html

Definition: Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism as well as any deliberate attempt to gain advantage. Dishonest practices include fabrication of data, cheating, or uttering by a student of false statements relating to academic work.

Definition: Plagiarism means presenting work done (in whole or in part) by someone else as if it were one’s own.

Plagiarism should be distinguished from cooperation and collaboration. Often, students may be permitted or expected to work on assignments collectively, and to present the results either collectively or separately. This is not a problem so long as it is clearly understood whose work is being presented, for example, by way of formal acknowledgement or by foot-noting.

The following are some examples of academic dishonesty. As it is not possible to cover every circumstance of academic dishonesty or plagiarism, this list should be considered only as a guide.

1   Examinations and Tests

a   Impersonating someone in an examination or test.

b   Copying from another student, or making information available to another student.

c   Submitting a take-home examination written, in whole or in part, by someone else.

d   Failing to obey or comply with examination regulations or instructions of a proctor.

2   Laboratories, Field Work, and Research Reports

a   Copying a laboratory or field report, or allowing someone else to copy one’s report.

b   Using another student’s data unless specifically allowed by the instructor and the author.

c   Allowing someone else to do the laboratory or field work without the knowledge and approval of the instructor.

d   Using direct quotations or large sections of paraphrased material in a laboratory or field report, research report, thesis, publication without appropriate acknowledgement. (For additional information refer to Code of Research Ethics, Queen's Gazette Vol. 19, Dec. 8, 1987.)

e   Fabricating or falsifying laboratory or research data.

3   Essays and Assignments

a   Submitting an essay written in whole or in part by someone else as one’s own.

b   Preparing an essay or assignment for submission by another student.

c   Copying an essay or assignment, or knowingly allowing one’s essay or assignment to be copied by someone else for the purpose of plagiarism.

d   Using direct quotations, or large sections of paraphrased material without acknowledgement.

e   Buying or selling of term papers or assignments and submitting them as one’s own for the purpose of plagiarism.

f   Submitting the same piece of work in more than one course without the permission of the instructor(s).

g   Unauthorized removal from the library, or deliberate concealment of, library materials.

4   Official Documents

a   altering transcripts or other official documents relating to student records.

b     misrepresenting one’s credentials.

c   creating or altering letters of reference.

Individual instructors or academic units will normally point out areas of specific concern not covered above.

Each student in Applied Science is responsible at all times for conduct that will maintain and contribute to the reputation of the Faculty and of Engineering students at Queen's. In preparing students for the profession of engineering, the Faculty must send a clear message that the highest ethical standards are expected. Honesty is an essential component of these standards.

All forms of academic dishonesty are considered serious offences. A student who commits such an offence risks a range of sanctions including failure in the course in which the offence was committed, to a requirement to withdraw from the University.            

Code of Conduct (1991)

http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/senate/policies/codecond.htm

In general terms, acceptable conduct does not infringe on the rights of other members of the University community and conforms to the regulations of the University and its subordinate jurisdictions and to the law of the land. Hence it must be emphasized that the University’s system of non-academic discipline should not be regarded as a substitute for the civil or criminal law but rather as a complementary system that may be derived naturally from our existence as a clearly distinguishable community of interests. The following conduct is unacceptable and constitutes an offence within the University community:

a   a violation of published rules and regulations of the University or of any authorized rule-making body within the University.

b   failure to comply with the directions of officials of the University acting within the scope of their authority.

c   theft, vandalism, and wilful or negligent damage to the property of Queen's or of a member of the University community, of the AMS, SGPS, or of any other University organization.

d   i. assault of any nature;

     ii. discrimination or harassment, based, among other grounds, on race, religion, gender, handicap, ethnicity, national origin or sexual orientation.

e   all forms of academic dishonesty such as plagiarism, cheating, furnishing false information to the University, forgery, misuse of university documents.

f   a violation of the rights of any member of the University community.

Any reprisal or express or implied threat of reprisal for making or pursuing a complaint under any Procedure authorized by the University is deemed to be an offence against the University Code of Conduct.

Student Access to Final Examination Papers (1987)

http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/senate/policies/finexam.html

Informal Access

Instructors may informally review the final examination paper with a student who requests it and are encouraged to do so. However access may not be granted before the final marks are released.

Formal Access

As a part of the process of appeal, and on request, the student will obtain access by a method determined by the Department or School. This may be either supervised access to, or a copy of, the final examination paper as well as all other material submitted by, but not returned to, the student and for which a mark has been assigned. (See Faculty Regulation 13)

Confidential Exams (1994)

http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/senate/policies/confexam.html

a   Final examination question papers will normally be made available by the end of September to students for reference purposes. Exemptions from the policy for particular examination question papers may be granted by the relevant Faculty or School.

b   Final examination question papers administered through the Examinations Office which are not exempted from the policy will be released to the Library.

c   Procedures for releasing final examination question papers administered by the instructor or by the department which are not exempted from the policy will be determined by the relevant Faculty or School.

d   The procedures for releasing and for exempting from release examination question papers will be published in the relevant university calendars.

Computer User Code of Ethics (1998)

The information below is an extract of the Senate’s policy on use of computers. Students are responsible for making themselves fully aware of the complete policy, which is available at the following web address: http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/senate/policies/codes.html.

1 Users are ultimately responsible for any and all use of their computing accounts. Consequently:

a   Users should maintain secure passwords for all accounts assigned to them

b   Users should take precautions against others obtaining unauthorized access to their computing resources. This obligation applies particularly to users who are responsible for confidential information.

c   Users should not willingly divulge passwords and other access control information for their personal accounts to any other person. 

2 Users must not use or attempt to use computing facilities or accounts to which they have not been granted explicit access by an appropriate system administrator. Users must use only those computing facilities and accounts for which they have proper authorization.

3 Users must use computing facilities and services only for the purposes for which they were authorized. Specifically, University computing accounts must not be:

a   Used for private consulting or for any form of direct personal financial gain (except for appropriate contract and external accounts)

b   Sold to any other person

c   Provided as free resources to other persons for unauthorized purposes 

4 Users must respect all copyrights and licenses associated with university computing facilities. Terms and conditions in software licenses can vary considerably. The onus is on users/owners to familiarize themselves with their responsibilities and limitations under each software license agreement. Users must not attempt to:

a   Access and use software belonging to or licensed to other users or to Queen's University without proper authorization to do so.

b   Move or copy programs, subroutines and any other forms of software from one computing system to another without proper authorization. This includes personal computer, microcomputer and personal workstation software.

c   Distribute, sell or otherwise make available software when such activity is prohibited by the license agreement for that software.

d   Access data or information stored on personal or University-owned computers without the permission of the owner or custodian of that information. 

5 Users must not attempt to interfere with the normal operation of a shared system.

6 Users must not attempt to encroach on others’ use of computing facilities or to deprive others of resources.  

7 Users must not attempt to subvert the restrictions associated with their computing accounts.  

8 Users must not use computing facilities to send obscene, vulgar or harassing messages.

9 Users must not attempt unauthorized access to computing installations outside of Queen's using Queen's computers or communications facilities. More generally, users must adhere to all conditions associated with agreements between Queen's and external network providers. (For example, see “Use of the ONet Network.”) 

Although system administrators may attempt to provide and preserve security of files, account numbers, passwords and programs, it is possible that security can be breached through action or causes beyond reasonable control. Users are therefore urged to safeguard data and to take full advantage of file security mechanisms built into systems (for example by changing passwords as often as necessary). System administrators of shared facilities have a responsibility to inform users of their obligations in the use of these systems)

Alleged violations of the Code shall be dealt with as outlined in the document Procedures for Cases of Computer Abuse. Individuals or groups who feel that there has been a violation of the Code are directed to the document Procedures for Lodging a Complaint of Computer Abuse.