In the pursuit for academic, personal and professional excellence, every student sign an Honor Code which delineates PHSU’s standards of conduct and the student’s commitment to such principles.
Honor Code Statement of Principles
Preamble
In their pursuit for academic, personal and professional excellence, students of the Ponce Health Sciences University have adopted this Honor Code. The principles of this Honor Code are intended to aid students in maintaining a high level of ethical conduct in concordance with the educational philosophy of our institution. These are standards to enable students to determine the propriety of their conduct in relation to peers, members of the faculty, administration and patients.
Principles
- Students have the responsibility to uphold and maintain the highest degree of personal and professional integrity.
- Students are encouraged to seek appropriate counsel if deemed necessary.
- Ethical growth should be coincident with academic growth among the student body.
- To evidence the need to combine personal honor with communal responsibility the following precepts are specifically, but not exclusively, expected to guide the conduct of each member of the Ponce Health Science University student body:
- Each student must work independently and honestly on all examinations.
- Plagiarism is considered a major ethical offense.
- Each student will be trustful and dutiful in carrying out clinical and academic responsibilities.
- The success of the Honor Code depends on the personal integrity, mutual trust, and cooperation of all members of the Ponce Health Sciences University community: students, faculty and administration.
Reporting
A student or faculty member who observes or suspects a violation of the Honor Code shall submit a written report of the incident to the Vice President of Student Affairs or Vice President for Academic Affairs. That representative will deliver the report of the incident to the Vice President of Academic Affairs who will authorize an investigation. The Vice President of Academic Affairs will appoint two investigators from the Ponce Health Sciences University who will notify the accused student of the alleged violation, his/her rights, and the date of the Promotion Committee hearing. All suspected violations would be heard at the Promotion Committee.
Due Process
A student charged with violating this code is guaranteed the following safeguards:
- The student must be informed in writing of any charges at least 48 hours before the case is heard by the Promotion Committee.
- The student has the option of being excused from any tests, assignments, or examinations for a period no longer of two days before or after the meeting of the Promotion Committee.
- The student has the right to be represented by counsel of his/her choosing at the Promotion Committee hearing.
- The student has the right to present witnesses at the Promotion Committee hearing.
- The student has the right to confront the accusers and to cross-examine any witnesses at the Promotion Committee.
- The student has the right to examine any evidence prior to the Promotion Committee hearing.
- All records of prior social or academic infractions having no direct bearing on the present charges shall be excluded from evidence.
- The student has the right, in the event of a not guilty verdict, to request that this finding be made public.
Sanctions
The following actions will be taken against a student who is found guilty of a violation of the Honor Code:
- Reprimand such as: warning letter, verbal or written admonition, place of letter with findings of violation in the formal academic record.
- Probation: Any probation rendered by Promotion Committee shall be entered into the student’s academic record, but shall be removed upon the defendant’s graduation.
- Failure of Course: The Promotion Committee will recommend to the President of the Ponce Health Sciences University and subject to his final authority, that a student be given a failing mark in a course connected to the Honor Code violation.
- Suspension: The student will be suspended for a minimum of one academic semester/trimester, and this will be entered permanently in the School academic record. The conditions for reintegration shall be stated in the order of suspension and must at least require the repetition of the academic semester in which the violations(s) occurred.
- Expulsion: Permanent dismissal from Ponce Health Sciences University.
A combination of the above penalties deemed appropriate by majority vote of the Promotion Committee based on the severity of the infraction, past academic and other performance of the student, the student’s attitude, and the student’s potential for future performance.
Appealing (Due Process) to the Vice President of Academic Affairs
The Vice President of Academic Affairs will evaluate the appeal and the investigation report. Rejection of the appeal by the Vice President is final. However, the Vice President of Academic Affairs may overturn the decision. If the Vice President of Academic Affairs has a reasonable doubt, about the student’s allegation or the investigation, he/she can appoint an Ad Hoc Committee, comprised of members of the faculty, student body and administration to reevaluate all evidence.
The Ad Hoc committee will notify the student in writing of the date and time when the case will be heard. The Ad Hoc committee has the discretion to re-interview the persons involved if necessary. The committee has seven (7) working days to submit to the Vice President of Academic Affairs its report.
The Vice President of Academic Affairs will receive the Ad Hoc committee recommendations, and make the final decision within forty-eight (48) hours.
All decisions, favorable or unfavorable, will be reported to the student in writing. All decisions made by the Vice President of Academic Affairs will be final.
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