College of Engineering Statement of Principles

The UW College of Engineering prepares students to enter the engineering profession and to hold themselves to the highest standards of integrity and honesty – including a commitment to the health, safety, and well-being of the communities they serve. Therefore, we are committed to promoting integrity in our teaching, learning, and research endeavors.

As a member of the UW College of Engineering and in preparation for entering the engineering profession students are expected to:

• Adhere to the University of Washington Student Code of Conduct and related policies.
• Hold yourself to highest standards of ethics, integrity, and accountability in line with becoming a professional engineer.
• Promote Academic Integrity by:
  • Only submitting your own work -- neither giving nor receiving unauthorized aid on exams or assignments.
  • Always crediting the intellectual work of others by providing proper citations or acknowledgements.
  • Only using or submitting accurate and verifiable data, records, or other information
  • Upholding the standards of conduct established by an instructor or outlined in a course syllabus.
  • Always observing strict standards of laboratory, fabrication, and experimental safety to protect yourself and others.

As a UW engineering student, you are expected to follow these conduct codes:

• Code of Ethics for Engineers
• University of Washington Student Conduct Code

Academic misconduct

The full Student Conduct Code is described in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 478-121. The University has developed a companion policy on academic misconduct, Student Governance Policy, Chapter 209, which explains how student academic misconduct proceedings work and a student’s rights in the process.

Per the conduct code, all alleged academic misconduct by College of Engineering students must be reported to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Student conduct process

A brief overview of the process for reviewing reports of possible academic misconduct is outlined below. More information is available from Community Standards & Student Conduct: 

• An instructor submits information and documentation about a case of possible academic misconduct to Community Standards & Student Conduct and the COE Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs using the online reporting tool.
• The report is forwarded to a Conduct Officer. A conduct proceeding will be initiated by the Conduct Officer. The fact finding process will focus on gathering all of the pertinent information necessary to determine whether or not a violation of the Student Conduct Code occurred.
• An investigative interview will be scheduled for the respondent to review the alleged violation(s) of the Student Conduct Code and the report with the Conduct Officer.
• During the investigative interview, the respondent is provided with an overview of the Student Conduct Process and their rights.
• The respondent has the opportunity to provide their account of what occurred, present relevant evidence, and provide names of witnesses for further consideration by the Conduct Officer during the fact finding process.
• During the fact finding process, the Conduct Officer may initiate a full hearing and the respondent will be notified of this decision. The respondent will then receive further information from the Hearing Officer.
• At the conclusion of the fact finding process, the Conduct Officer will make a decision regarding whether there was a violation of the Student Conduct Code based on a “preponderance of evidence” standard, and if so, the Conduct Officer will also determine what sanctions are appropriate for the violation(s). This written decision is called an Initial Order.
• The respondent has the option to request an administrative review of the decision within 21 days of service of the Initial Order.
• If an administrative review is not requested the Initial Order is considered final.