Thirty-four graduate students at Duke University's School of Business were found guilty of cheating on a take-home exam last Friday by an administrative judicial board.
The final exam was an open-book test given outside of classrooms; however, students were required to take the test individually.
The first-year Master of Business Administration students collaborated with one another and violated the honor code, according to the judicial review conducted by the Fuqua School of Business Honor Committee.
Fuqua officials declined to reveal the course, professor or students involved, saying it could interfere with the Honor Committee's investigation. Officials did say the professor noticed similarities among the student's answers while grading the exams.
Out of the 38 students charged with offenses, 34 were found guilty of violating the Fuqua honor code. Nine students were charged with extremely severe offenses, 15 with severe offenses and 10 with minor offenses, according to a letter by Gavan Fitzsimons, chair of the Fuqua Honor Committee.
The penalties outlined in Fitzsimons' letter said students found guilty of extremely severe offenses could face expulsion and a notation on their transcripts for four years.
For severe offenses, Fitzsimons said students could face a one-year suspension from the university, an F in the course and a notation on their transcripts for three years.
The nine students receiving minor offenses could receive an F and a notation on their transcripts for one year, Fitzsimons said. One student received a zero on the exam and a three-month notation on his or her transcript.
The penalties will go into effect June 1.
Bill Boulding, associate dean for the daytime MBA programs, sent a letter to Doug Breeden, dean of the business school, reiterating the procedures taken by Duke to ensure all Fuqua students are informed about the honor code.
Boulding said students are first aware of the honor code when they apply to Fuqua and are required to sign a statement indicating they have agreed to the code.
Students are then informed again during orientation and during a first-year leadership and ethics course, according to Boulding.
Mark Matosia, director of student services for the University of Wisconsin School of Business MBA program, said the UW Business School instituted an honor code for its full-time MBA program three years ago, which all students sign during orientation.
"We have 100-percent compliance with signing the code," Matosia said. "Every time a student submits an exam or a paper they must sign the code. The guidelines and expectations are very clear."
Matosia said the business school created an honor board two years ago — comprised of four students, two faculty members and himself — and have yet to find a student guilty of academic misconduct.
If a student were ever found guilty by the board, Matosia added, the judicial process would take its normal course through the Offices of the Dean of Students.
"We are proud of our School of Business as it comes to incorporating an honor code," Matosia said. "Students are even working to incorporate an outgoing code of ethics at graduation to take into the corporate world."
