Specific Standards of Scholarship

Chicago Booth’s Learning Environment

The mission of Chicago Booth is to create enduring knowledge and to educate future business leaders. The ability and willingness to learn reside with the individual, but very high levels of learning can be achieved only if all members of the Chicago Booth community understand and respect their mutual obligations. Each community member defines the quality of this learning environment through their daily actions and choices. The learning environment extends beyond the classroom to the myriad interactions and working relationships of the larger community of students, faculty, alumni, and staff.

Four considerations shape Chicago Booth’s perspective of the ideal learning environment:

1. Respect for the Individual: There is a deep respect for the individuality of each student and faculty member. Through a wide choice of electives, access to detailed course descriptions within the online Curriculum Guide, and the bidding system to select courses, students can satisfy their particular interests and learning styles. Likewise, faculty members each have the opportunity to decide what they teach and how.
2. The Classroom as a Place of Learning: Classrooms at Chicago Booth call for students and faculty to work together to ensure learning. Learning is not a spectator sport; powerful learning experiences require the commitment of both students and teachers. The role of the students is to participate actively in the learning process rather than consume knowledge passively.
3. Personal Integrity: Both faculty and students are subject to the highest standards of personal integrity in their interactions with Chicago Booth colleagues and with external constituencies. All participants are expected to adhere to the norms established for standards of scholarship.
4. Continuous Improvement: Chicago Booth is committed to continuous improvement of all aspects of the school’s learning environment. Faculty members are encouraged to view the classroom as a laboratory for the testing of cutting-edge, evolving knowledge and techniques. Consistent with Chicago Booth’s long-standing empirical traditions, a commitment to continuous improvement necessarily requires the measurement of the key elements in the learning environment, the wide dissemination of the results throughout the institution, and the tracking of progress through time.

Excellence in a learning environment is attainable only if faculty and students adhere to the ideals listed above. What follows is a set of specific expectations for both students and faculty that follow directly from those ideals.

Student Responsibilities in Class

Academically, each student is responsible for the following:

1. Preparing for class in accordance with the instructor’s requests.
2. Arriving promptly and remaining until the end of each class meeting, except in unusual circumstances.
3. Participating fully and constructively in all classroom activities and discussions.
4. Displaying appropriate courtesy to all involved in the class sessions. Courteous behavior specifically entails communicating in a manner that respects and is sensitive to the cultural, racial, sexual, and other individual differences in the Chicago Booth community.
5. Adhering to deadlines and timetables established by the instructor or study groups.
6. Providing constructive feedback to faculty members regarding their performance. Students should be as objective in their comments about instructors as they expect instructors to be in their evaluations of students.
7. For remote classes, students are expected to actively participate in class. This includes participating actively in discussions and in breakout groups. If requested by the faculty, cameras should be active and turned on.

The same standards apply to all meetings and communication with University of Chicago and Chicago Booth staff members.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the practice of taking somebody else’s written work or ideas and passing it off as one’s own. In the preparation of all work, students should distinguish between their own ideas and those that have been derived from other sources. Information and opinions drawn from sources, even one’s own writings or research, should be attributed to its original sources.

Punishment for plagiarism may include expulsion from the university. Refer to the section covering “Academic Honesty and Plagiarism” in the university’s Student Manual of University Policies and Regulations.

Examinations and Other Graded Work

Graded work is intended to gauge student learning. Accordingly, students should approach exams and other graded work with three guiding principles:

1. Faculty set the terms of evaluation.
2. It is the responsibility of students to abide by those terms.
3. A student should not represent the work of another as their own.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, communication is not permitted between students during an examination or on an assignment. Faculty will indicate whether reference materials can be accessed and what tools (such as laptops or tablets) may be used.

A paper or project may be submitted for one course only. Students seeking to use the paper or project of one course for evaluation in another course must get prior approval from the professor. The title page on a paper should indicate the course (or courses) for which it is submitted. Failure to follow these rules will result in disciplinary action.

Examination Policies

Final exams are to be administered and taken during predetermined finals periods. Students are expected to be available to complete examinations during scheduled exam periods.

Students with unavoidable circumstances, such as serious illness, grave personal difficulty, professional conflict, or a death in the family, should provide Academic Services with documentation and a staff member will work with the faculty in appropriate cases to find a resolution.

Periodically students face conflicts between scheduled exams and work-related commitments. For example, an unanticipated business trip or the start of a new job (obtained after the date when it costs less to drop a course) can create a conflict with pre-announced exam periods. In the event of a conflict, students need to speak directly with their faculty regarding the conflict. The resolution of this conflict rests solely with the faculty member.

Notice of Non-Discrimination

In keeping with its long-standing traditions and policies, the University of Chicago considers students, employees, applicants for admission or employment, and those seeking access to university programs on the basis of individual merit. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX, which provides that: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. The university prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX, including in admission and employment. Inquiries about Title IX may be referred to the university’s Title IX coordinator, the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To report information about conduct that may constitute discrimination, unlawful harassment, retaliation or sexual misconduct or make a complaint under the university’s non-discrimination policies, please refer to the CARES website or the other reporting options described in the Policy on Title IX Sexual Harassment, the Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct and/or the Policy on Consensual Relationships.

Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct

The University of Chicago is a community of scholars dedicated to research, academic excellence, and the pursuit and cultivation of learning. Members of the university community cannot thrive unless each is accepted as an autonomous individual and is treated without regard to characteristics irrelevant to participation in the life of the university. Freedom of expression is vital to our shared goal of the pursuit of knowledge and should not be restricted by a multitude of rules. At the same time, unlawful discrimination, including harassment, compromises the integrity of the university. The university is committed to taking necessary action to prevent, correct, and, where indicated, discipline unlawful discrimination.

Sexual misconduct may violate the law, does violate the standards of our community, and is unacceptable at the University of Chicago. Sexual misconduct can be devastating to the person who experiences it directly and can adversely impact family, friends, and the larger community. Regardless of the definitions provided below, people who believe they have experienced any sexual misconduct are encouraged to report the incident and to seek medical care and support as soon as possible.

Matters that do not meet the definition of Title IX Sexual Harassment (as described in this Policy) are not within the scope of this Policy, but may still constitute misconduct that is incompatible with the University's standards and may be addressed by the University of Chicago's Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct, or other applicable University policies or procedures.

For the entire Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct, students should refer to the university’s Student Manual of University Policies and Regulations. The Policy on Title IX Sexual Harassment can be found online.

Civil Behavior in a University Setting

At the University of Chicago, freedom of expression is vital to our shared goal of the pursuit of knowledge, as is the right of all members of the community to explore new ideas and learn from one another. To preserve an environment of spirited and open debate, we should all have the opportunity to contribute to intellectual exchanges and participate fully in the life of the university.

The ideas of different members of the university community will frequently conflict, and we do not attempt to shield people from ideas that they may find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even offensive. Nor, as a general rule, does the university intervene to enforce social standards of civility.

There are, however, some circumstances in which behavior so violates our community’s standards that formal university intervention may be appropriate. The university may restrict expression that violates the law, that falsely defames a specific individual, that constitutes a genuine threat or harassment, that unjustifiably invades substantial privacy or confidentiality interests, or that is otherwise directly incompatible with the functioning of the university. In addition, the university may reasonably regulate the time, place, and manner of expression to ensure that it does not disrupt the ordinary activities of the university.

For additional information regarding the university’s commitment to free, robust, and uninhibited debate and deliberation among all members of the university community, please see the Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression.