Scope:

The honor council in each college functions to discharge the responsibility entrusted by students and faculty to discourage dishonesty and, within their purview, recognize dishonest practices that directly bear upon students and their relationships with their fellows, faculty, patients, college, and MUSC. Every student enrolled at MUSC is expected to abide by the Honor Code.

The Honor Code applies to all activities and all behaviors pertaining to the academic, research, and clinical work of every student enrolled at MUSC, as well as any conduct within the MUSC community which undermines either the trust of one's fellow students or the spirit of the Honor Code. All academic assignments, all laboratory work, all research, all examinations, and all clinical work are encompassed, as is the professional character and conduct of students enrolled at MUSC.

This Honor Code cannot anticipate every offense. Any unethical behavior not specifically mentioned in this code is a violation. Specific incidents must be considered with regard to the context in which they occur, the alleged infraction, as well as the magnitude of the alleged offense.

Violations of the Honor Code include, but are not limited to, the following acts that violate academic integrity:

    1. Lying: Lying is the statement of an untruth with the intent to mislead fellow students, faculty, patients, hospital staff, or administrative officials. Lying includes "lies of omission" or failure to divulge voluntarily the whole and complete truth. Fabrication or falsification of information (verbal or written) in any academic or clinical exercise is in violation of the Honor Code. Lying also includes any false testimony presented during Preliminary or Formal Hearings.

    2. Cheating: All tests, quizzes, written work, laboratory work, research, and examinations at the Medical University of South Carolina are conducted under the Honor Code. Cheating is defined as using or attempting to use unauthorized assistance, devices, material, or study aids in or prior to examinations or any other academic work; or cheating or attempting to prevent others from using authorized assistance, material or study aids.

        a. Plagiarism: using the ideas, information, work, or writings of another person and accepting credit for the work as one's own without proper acknowledgment on any paper, test, essay, lab work, research, or similar course activity.

        b. Altering records: misrepresenting or tampering with transcripts, academic records, research data, or computer programs; obtaining or using another's ID code, social security number, or electronic password.

        c. Knowingly using, buying, selling, transporting, or soliciting, any or all of or in part of the contents of an examination or other assignment not authorized for release, including the use of previously administered exams without the permission of the instructor.

    3. Stealing: Possession of MUSC property or another individual's private property without permission or knowledge.

    4. Any of the following also constitute a violation of the Honor Code, but this list should not be interpreted as all-inclusive.

        a. Facilitating academic dishonesty: colluding with another in the violation of any provision of this code.

        b. Breach of appropriate standards of behavior in the presence of patients.

        c. Breach of confidentiality with respect to information about patients.

        d. The use of pressure, threat, abuse, bribery, or other practices that results in harassment.

        e. The failure to report any violation of this Honor Code or the withholding of evidence pertinent to any case under investigation.

    5. Unauthorized entry or presence in any office, laboratory, clinic, or other location is a violation of the Honor Code. Likewise, the abuse or destruction of any instruments, equipment, supplies, property, or books constitutes an offense of the Honor Code.