Academic Integrity and Ethics
in Professional Practice
Integrity
Integrity:
What is it???
Integrity
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines
Integrity as:
1: firm adherence to a code of especially moral
or artistic values : incorruptibility
2: an unimpaired condition : soundness
3: the quality or state of being complete or
undivided : completeness
Academic Integrity
The material on Slides 4 through 12 come
from the International Center for
Academic Integrity ‘s (ICAI’s)
The Fundamental Values of Academic
Integrity
http://www.academicintegrity.org/icai/assets/Revised_FV_2014.pdf
Academic Integrity
The International Center for Academic
Integrity (ICAI) defines academic
integrity as a commitment to five
fundamental values:
Honesty
 Trust
 Fairness
 Respect
 Responsibility

Academic Integrity - Honesty
Honesty – the cornerstone of integrity!
Students and faculty must be honest
with each other.
Honesty is the foundation for lifelong
integrity!
Academic Integrity - Trust
Trust – accrues over time and with
experiences.
It has to do more with what “you do”
versus what “you say”!
Allows collaboration, sharing of work
and discussing of ideas without fear of
them being stolen.
Academic Integrity - Fairness
Fairness is essential between students
and faculty!
Faculty are fair when they communicate
clear course expectations, respond to
dishonesty, uphold academic integrity
and lead by example.
Academic Integrity - Fairness
Students are fair when they:
do their own work honestly
 acknowledge borrowed work correctly
 respect and adhere to academic integrity
policies, and
 uphold the proud reputation of Penn State!

Academic Integrity - Respect
One must respect themselves as well as
others
Students can show respect by:
Valuing and taking advantage of new
learning opportunities
 Taking an active role in your education
 Contributing to discussions and listening to
others’ viewpoints
 Performing to the best of your abilities

Academic Integrity - Respect
Faculty show respect to students by:
Taking their ideas seriously
 Recognizing students as individuals
 Assisting them to develop their ideas
 Providing honest feedback
 Valuing students’ perspectives and goals

Academic Integrity Responsibility
Standing up against wrongdoing
Resisting negative peer pressure
Serving as a positive example
Being accountable for one’s own actions
Discouraging and preventing
misconduct by others
Recognizing and resisting to engage in
wrong behavior
Ethics
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines
Ethics as:
an area of study that deals with ideas
about what is good and bad behavior; a
branch of philosophy dealing with what
is morally right or wrong
a belief that something is very
important
Ethics (as further defined by Merriam Webster)
1 : the discipline dealing with what is
good and bad and with moral duty and
obligation
2 a : a set of moral principles : a
theory or system of moral values
b : the principles of conduct
governing an individual or a group
<professional ethics>
The Golden Rule of Ethics
“Do unto others as you would
want others do unto you.”
ASCE Code of Ethics
ASCE is committed to the highest levels of ethical
conduct. To preserve the high ethical standards of
the civil engineering profession, the society maintains
and enforces a code of ethics
Applicability: All Society members must subscribe to
the Society’s Code of Ethics (the “Code”).
Duty: It is the duty of every Society member to report
promptly to the Committee on Professional Conduct
any observed violation of the Code.
ASCE Code of Ethics
Fundamental Principles
Fundamental Canons
Code of Ethics
History
The code was first adopted in 1914 and has been amended numerous
times since.
1.
Background: From 1877 to 1914, the Society’s Board of Direction
believed that ethics was a matter of an engineer’s personal
responsibility and honor and not appropriate for a written code. In
response to a motion concerning professional conduct in 1877, the
Board resolved “[t]hat it is inexpedient for the Society to instruct its
members as to their duties in private professional matters.” In 1914,
a special committee of the Board of Direction was appointed to a
draft a Code. The original Code contains six principles. It was
approved by letter ballot of the membership and was adopted on
September 2, 1914.
Code of Ethics
History
2.
3.
4.
5.
Original Scope: The original Code focused largely on relationships of
engineers with their clients or with other engineers, rather than
responsibilities to the public.
Guidelines to Practice: On April 10-11, 1961, the Board of Direction
adopted the Guidelines to practice, as an adjunct to the Code.
Fundamental Principles: The fundamental Principles were approved
by the Engineers’ Council for Professional Development on
September 30, 1963, and endorsed by the ASCE Board of Direction
on May 11-12, 1964. There have been periodic revisions to the Code
since this time.
Antitrust: Periodically, the Code has been the subject of Department
of Justice antitrust investigations.
Fundamental Principles –
2017 Code
Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor, and
dignity of the engineering profession by:
1. Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement
of human welfare and the environment;
2. Being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity
the public, their employers and clients;
3. Striving to increase the competence and prestige of
the engineering profession; and
4. Supporting the professional and technical societies of
their disciplines.
Fundamental Canons 2017 Code
1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health,
2.
3.
4.
and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply
with the principles of sustainable development in
the performance of their professional duties.
Engineers shall perform services only in areas of
their competence.
Engineers shall issue public statements only in an
objective and truthful manner.
Engineers shall act in professional matters for each
employer or client as faithful agents or trustees,
and shall avoid conflicts of interest.
Fundamental Canons
5. Engineers shall build their professional reputation
6.
7.
on the merit of their services and shall not compete
unfairly with others.
Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold
and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of
the engineering profession and shall act with zerotolerance for bribery, fraud, and corruption.
Engineers shall continue their professional
development throughout their careers, and shall
provide opportunities for the professional
development of those engineers under their
supervision.
Fundamental Canons
8. Engineers shall, in all matters related to their
profession, treat all persons fairly and encourage
equitable participation without regard to gender
or gender identity, race, origin, ethnicity,
religion, age, sexual orientation, disability,
political affiliation, or family, marital, or economic
status
.
Ethical Decision Making Guidelines
The general guidelines presented are
provided to help ASCE members, memberowned companies, and others better
understand what should be expected from
them in their professional dealings. In making
decisions, all ASCE members are encouraged
to use the following guidelines (PLUS):
Ethical Decision Making Guidelines
Policies - Is it consistent with your Employer’s policies,
procedures, and guidelines and ASCE’s Code of Ethics?
Legal - Is it acceptable under applicable laws and regulations?
Universal - Does it conform to the universal principles/values
that your Employer and the profession have adopted?
Self - Does it satisfy your own personal definition of right,
good, and fair?