Ethics Committee sees increase in cases this year
Dustin Burke, Elizabeth Kent, Matthias Weisheit, WG'07, Co-Chairs of the Ethics Committee
Issue date: 3/26/07 Section: Insider
As our term of service comes to a close, we want to update you on the happenings of the Ethics Committee and pass along some helpful tips. While the year got off to a promising start, in this current semester there has been a significant increase in the number of cases brought to the committee. There is not one simple explanation for the marked increase in the number of ethics cases compared to other years. It is probably not a safe assumption to attribute this solely to an increase in cheating. This is a question that the next Ethics Committee will need to investigate and address.
While we certainly would have preferred not to sit on so many cases and conduct so many investigations, we have all learned from being members of the Ethics Committee. We encourage First Years to consider running in the upcoming Ethics Committee elections and want to remind both First and Second Years to take voting seriously. When you elect people to the Ethics Committee, you are putting them in an important position.
It is with this backdrop that we would like to pass on some helpful hints. We realize that some of these are Wharton specific, but many can apply more broadly to work-place situations that we all will soon be entering.
1. The rules are different for each class. Wharton leaves the task of deciding how much collaboration students are allowed to engage in on assignments to each professor. Check the syllabus and if you are still unclear about what is allowed, ask the professor or your ethics liaison. Chances are, if you are confused some of your classmates might be as well. More generally, rules of behavior also differ by company, industry, country, etc. Ignorance is not an excuse.
2. You are responsible for anything on which you place your name. If you feel that your teammates are getting into dangerous territory, speak up. You will protect yourself and your team. Going through even a preliminary ethics hearing is not pleasant.
3. Delete files from public computers. Some people seem to believe that the computer hard drives in the computer labs and study rooms get purged frequently. This is not true. A recent random check of three study rooms and two computer lab computers found files dating back to January. Do not let your hard work be someone else's source material.
4. It is costly to cheat. While you may feel pressure to earn a good grade, meet a deadline or perform better, getting caught for cheating will always result in a worse outcome than if you had just done your best within the rules in the first place. View your time at Wharton as practice for the work world. Grades are nowhere near as attractive as the incentives that you will encounter in life after business school. If you are willing to cheat to earn a higher grade, what will you do to earn more money?
5. Don't forget to graduate! For those Second Years who can see the start of beach week just around the corner, remember that in order to actually enjoy Miami you need to be sure you are graduating in good standing. Do not get sloppy in the last month of classes. Taking the zero is a better option than risking your degree, job and career.
If you have further questions about the Ethics Committee, ask any Committee member, or check our webcafe: webcafe.wharton.upenn.edu/eRoom/mba/ethics
While we certainly would have preferred not to sit on so many cases and conduct so many investigations, we have all learned from being members of the Ethics Committee. We encourage First Years to consider running in the upcoming Ethics Committee elections and want to remind both First and Second Years to take voting seriously. When you elect people to the Ethics Committee, you are putting them in an important position.
It is with this backdrop that we would like to pass on some helpful hints. We realize that some of these are Wharton specific, but many can apply more broadly to work-place situations that we all will soon be entering.
1. The rules are different for each class. Wharton leaves the task of deciding how much collaboration students are allowed to engage in on assignments to each professor. Check the syllabus and if you are still unclear about what is allowed, ask the professor or your ethics liaison. Chances are, if you are confused some of your classmates might be as well. More generally, rules of behavior also differ by company, industry, country, etc. Ignorance is not an excuse.
2. You are responsible for anything on which you place your name. If you feel that your teammates are getting into dangerous territory, speak up. You will protect yourself and your team. Going through even a preliminary ethics hearing is not pleasant.
3. Delete files from public computers. Some people seem to believe that the computer hard drives in the computer labs and study rooms get purged frequently. This is not true. A recent random check of three study rooms and two computer lab computers found files dating back to January. Do not let your hard work be someone else's source material.
4. It is costly to cheat. While you may feel pressure to earn a good grade, meet a deadline or perform better, getting caught for cheating will always result in a worse outcome than if you had just done your best within the rules in the first place. View your time at Wharton as practice for the work world. Grades are nowhere near as attractive as the incentives that you will encounter in life after business school. If you are willing to cheat to earn a higher grade, what will you do to earn more money?
5. Don't forget to graduate! For those Second Years who can see the start of beach week just around the corner, remember that in order to actually enjoy Miami you need to be sure you are graduating in good standing. Do not get sloppy in the last month of classes. Taking the zero is a better option than risking your degree, job and career.
If you have further questions about the Ethics Committee, ask any Committee member, or check our webcafe: webcafe.wharton.upenn.edu/eRoom/mba/ethics
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