| Regulations and Standards of Conduct |
GENERAL REGULATIONSStudents are expected to be familiar with those rules and regulations covered in this handbook that apply to them. Furthermore, it is the expectation of the Graduate School that all students, whether or not they are currently enrolled degree candidates, will behave in a mature and responsible manner. This presumption applies no less to a student’s academic performance than to his or her social behavior. In the words of the Resolution on Rights and Responsibilities adopted by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on April 14, 1970, “By accepting membership in the University, an individual joins a community ideally characterized by free expression, free inquiry, intellectual honesty, respect for the dignity of others, and openness to constructive change.” Thus, plagiarism, sexual and racial harassment, the use of physical violence, or lying to an officer typifies violation of the principles on which the University is founded and requires disciplinary action.ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND PLAGIARISMAll work submitted for credit is expected to be the student’s own work. In the preparation of all papers and other written work, students should always take great care to distinguish their own ideas and knowledge from information derived from other sources. The term “sources” includes not only published primary and secondary material, but also information and opinions gained directly from other people. The responsibility for learning the proper forms of citation lies with the individual student. Quotations must be properly placed within quotation marks and must be fully cited. In addition, all paraphrased material must be completely acknowledged. Whenever ideas or facts are derived from a student’s reading and research, the sources must be indicated. The amount of collaboration with others that is permitted in the completion of assignments can vary, depending upon the policy set by the head of the course. Students must assume that collaboration in the completion of assignments is prohibited unless explicitly permitted by the instructor. Students must acknowledge any collaboration and its extent in all submitted work. Students who are in any doubt about the preparation of academic work should consult with their instructor or the dean for student affairs before it is prepared or submitted. A booklet entitled “Writing with Internet Sources” is available online. Students are expected to record honestly and accurately the results of all their research. Falsification of research results includes misrepresentations, distortions, or serious omissions in data or reports on research, and is considered a serious violation of academic honesty. Plagiarism or falsification of research results will ordinarily result in requirement to withdraw from the Graduate School. The University is deeply concerned for the integrity of science by students and faculty and with sound and safe research practices. Student and faculty researchers are, individually and collectively, expected to safeguard and maintain the University’s policies and practices with respect to scientific misconduct. All researchers are reminded that sponsoring agencies also have such concerns, and that the University must inform sponsors of serious transgressions of sponsors’ policies as well as of any investigations related to sponsored research, and that sponsors may take action independent of the University.
VIOLATION OF EXAMINATION RULESNo communication is permitted between students during an examination, and no student is permitted to keep any books or papers during an examination except with the express permission of the instructor or proctor. Eating and drinking are not permitted in any examination room. For violation of the examination rules or dishonesty in an examination, a student may be required to withdraw from the Graduate School. Students who fail to obey the instructions of an examination proctor are liable to disciplinary action.
SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN WORKStudents are responsible for ensuring that required written coursework is submitted and received on time. Written work should not be left in open mailboxes or other unattended places but rather given personally and directly to the head of the course or a responsible person acting on his or her behalf. Papers that are mailed to instructors should be sent by certified mail, and a receipt of delivery should be requested from the Postal Service. The student should keep both the postal receipt and a copy of the paper.
SUBMISSION OF THE SAME WORK (DUAL SUBMISSION) TO MORE THAN ONE COURSEStudents who would like to turn in the same or similar work to more than one course must get prior written permission from both or all the instructors involved. Instructors expect that each paper or exercise turned in is written specially for that assignment. Under that assumption, failure to get prior written permission can be deceptive and students who do it may be required to withdraw. Instructors do not always give permission, and even when they do give permission, they may ask for a longer or a somewhat different paper than they expect from students who write a paper solely for the one course. Thus it is important to have these conversations well in advance of the paper’s due date(s). Each instructor should write a letter to Rise Shepsle, assistant dean of student affairs, GSAS Dean’s office, Holyoke Center 350, giving permission for the student to submit the material to meet course requirements in more than one class. The student may draft a letter giving permission for the paper to be submitted to both classes and have both instructors sign the letter. These letters, once submitted to Rise Shepsle, will be placed in the student’s academic folder. If a student is planning on submitting work completed for a previous non-Harvard course, the student should consult with the instructor of the current course.
EXCLUSION FROM A COURSEA student who neglects any course may, after written warning by the instructor, be excluded from the course by the instructor. Exclusion from a course is equivalent in all respects to failing it. A notation of EXLD (excluded) on the transcript indicates that the student was not permitted to continue in the course and received no credit. A student may not withdraw from a course from which he or she has been excluded. Students excluded from a course are denied any right to further course evaluation, including final and make-up examinations.
LIBRARY POLICIESA student who violates the lending policies of any library may be subject to disciplinary action. In particular, removal of a book from any library without authorization, or mutilation, defacement, or abuse of any library book or library resources will ordinarily lead to requirement to withdraw.
IDENTIFICATION CARDSID cards are the property of Harvard University and are intended for University purposes only. ID cards are required for admission to most Harvard activities and facilities including libraries, museums, dining halls, athletic buildings, and student residences. Some facilities may also require a sticker for entry. The front of the card and the magnetic strip on the back, however, must be kept free from stickers.ID cards are not transferable; a student may not allow any other person to use his or her card for any purpose. Every student is responsible for his or her ID and the consequences of its misuse. A student who alters or falsifies his or her University identification card or produces or distributes false IDs of any kind is subject to disciplinary action. Students must hand over their identification card or otherwise identify themselves upon request to any properly identified employee of the University. Lost cards should be reported immediately to the ID Card office, Holyoke Center 953. There is a replacement fee of $20 for the first and second losses; a fee of $40 is charged for the third and subsequent losses.
POLICIES REGARDING DRUGS AND ALCOHOLHarvard University promotes the health and well-being of its students and employees through its Health Services and other agencies. The unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees on Harvard property or as a part of any Harvard activity, is a violation of University rules as well as the law. Possession, use, or distribution of certain nonprescription drugs, including marijuana, amphetamines, heroin, cocaine, and nonprescription synthetics; procurement or distribution of alcohol if one is under twenty-one years of age; and provision of alcohol to anyone under twenty-one years of age are violations of law and of Harvard policy. The University holds its students and employees responsible for the consequences of their decisions to use or distribute illicit drugs, or to serve or consume alcohol. Further, it expects students and employees to create and maintain an environment for learning and work that is safe and healthy and encourages responsible conduct.The use of illicit drugs and the misuse of alcohol are potentially harmful to health. In particular, synthetically produced drugs, which are readily available in the Boston metropolitan area, often have unpredictable emotional and physical side effects that constitute an extreme health hazard. In addition, students are encouraged to weigh the seriousness of potential loss of function that may come from ingesting illicit drugs or too much alcohol. Because of the considerable health hazards involved in drug and alcohol use, administrative, medical, and psychiatric help for students having drug problems or difficulties controlling their use of alcohol are available on a confidential basis from the GSAS Dean’s office and other offices of the University, and at Harvard University Health Services. Any member of the University may make use of the Health Services on an emergency basis, day and night. Attention is directed to the fact that the University is not, and cannot be considered as, a protector or sanctuary from existing laws of the city, state, or federal government. Students are reminded that there are heavy penalties, including imprisonment, for possession or distribution of illicit drugs and for selling or delivering alcohol to, or procuring alcohol for, someone under twenty-one. There are also serious penalties for anyone under the age of twenty-one who purchases, attempts to purchase, or arranges to procure alcoholic beverages, or to misrepresent his or her age or falsify his or her identification with the intent of purchasing alcohol; anyone, regardless of age, caught falsifying a driver’s license, or selling or distributing false IDs; and anyone, regardless of age, who operates a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or with an open container of alcohol. In addition, the city of Cambridge prohibits consumption of alcohol on public property or on property open to the public. Consistent with the legal sanctions for the inappropriate use of drugs and alcohol, the Graduate School will take disciplinary action when cases of this type come to its attention. Officers of the University will respond to the use of illicit drugs, underage possession or consumption of alcohol, serving of alcohol to underage individuals, and overconsumption of alcohol with warning and/or referral to health or counseling services. A pattern of behavior in violation of these rules may lead to a warning by the dean for student affairs, admonition by the Administrative Board, probation, or requirement to withdraw. The Administrative Board will take serious actions, including probation and requirement to withdraw, in any case involving the possession in quantity or the sale or distribution of drugs, in cases involving a student falsifying his or her identification with the intent of obtaining alcohol, or when cases of drug and alcohol use involve danger to the community.
POLICIES REGARDING HAZING Massachusetts law expressly prohibits any form of hazing in connection with initiation into any student organization. The law applies to both officially recognized and unrecognized groups and to students’ conduct on and off campus. The law defines hazing as “any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, that willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person.” The definition specifically includes “whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, or any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity likely to adversely affect the physical health or safety of any such student or other person, or that subjects such student or other person to extreme mental stress, including extended deprivation of sleep or rest or extended isolation.”
COMPUTERS AND NETWORKSStudents who are provided access to University computer facilities and to the campus-wide communication network assume responsibility for their appropriate use. The University expects students to be careful, honest, responsible, and civil in the use of computers and networks. Those who use wide-area networks (such as the Internet) to communicate with individuals or to connect to computers at other institutions are expected to abide by the rules for the remote systems and networks as well as those for Harvard’s systems. Be advised that, in addition to violating GSAS rules, certain computer misconduct is prohibited by federal and state law and is, therefore, subject to criminal and civil penalties. Such misconduct includes knowingly gaining unauthorized access to a computer system or database, falsely obtaining electronic services or data without payment of required charges, intentionally intercepting electronic communications, and obtaining, altering or destroying others’ electronic information. Similarly, serious legal penalties may result from the use of Harvard’s computers or network to violate copyright laws, as is possible with the use of peer-to-peer filesharing programs. Moreover, a student may be held responsible for misuse that occurs by allowing a third party access to the student’s own computer, account, or network connection.The basic rules for appropriate use of computers and networks are outlined below. Other policies are published in “Computer Rules and Responsibilities,” available from FAS Information Technology at https://www.fas-it.fas.harvard.edu/services/student/policies. Students are expected to abide by these rules and policies and to consult an official of FAS Information Technology prior to any activity that would appear to threaten the security or performance of University computers and networks. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.
USE OF FACILITIES Computer and network facilities are provided to students primarily for their educational use. These facilities have tangible value. Consequently, attempts to circumvent accounting systems or to use the computer accounts of others will be treated as forms of attempted theft. Students may not attempt to damage or to degrade the performance of Harvard’s computers and networks and should not disrupt the work of other users. Students may not attempt to circumvent security systems or to exploit or probe for security holes in any Harvard network or system, nor may students attempt any such activity against other systems accessed through Harvard’s facilities. Execution or compilation of programs designed to breach system security is prohibited unless authorized in advance. Students assume personal responsibility for the use of their accounts. Consequently, students may not disclose their passwords or otherwise make Harvard’s facilities available to unauthorized individuals (including family or friends). Moreover, the possession or collection of other’s passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs), private digital certificates, or other secure identification information is prohibited. Use of Harvard’s computers and networks for business-related purposes without authorization is prohibited.
PRIVACY OF INFORMATIONInformation stored on a computer system or sent electronically over a network is the property of the individual who created it. Examination, collection, or dissemination of that information without authorization from the owner is a violation of the owner’s rights to control his or her own property. Systems administrators, however, may gain access to user’s data or programs when it is necessary to maintain or prevent damage to systems or to ensure compliance with other University rules. Computer systems and networks provide mechanisms for the protection of private information from examination. These mechanisms are necessarily imperfect and any attempt to circumvent them or to gain unauthorized access to private information (including both stored computer files and messages transmitted over a network) will be treated as a violation of privacy and will be cause for disciplinary action. In general, information that the owner would reasonably regard as private must be treated as private by other users. Examples include the contents of electronic mail boxes, the private file storage areas of individual users, and information stored in other areas that are not public. That measures have not been taken to protect such information does not make it permissible for others to inspect it. On shared and networked computer systems certain information about users and their activities is visible to others. Users are cautioned that certain accounting and directory information (for example, user names and electronic mail addresses), certain records of file names and executed commands, and information stored in public areas, are not private. Nonetheless, such unsecured information about other users must not be manipulated in ways that they might reasonably find intrusive; for example, eavesdropping by computer and systematic monitoring of the behavior of others are likely to be considered invasions of privacy that would be cause for disciplinary action. The compilation or redistribution of information from University directories (printed or electronic) is forbidden. For further explanation and details, see Computer Rules and Responsibilities.
GSAS STUDENT E-MAIL ACCOUNTSEvery GSAS student must designate an official e-mail account. Since the Graduate School and other offices at Harvard will send official information and notifications to this designated account, it should be on a server such as fas.harvard.edu that is maintained all the time.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONHarvard neither sanctions nor censors individual expression of opinion on its systems. The same standards of behavior, however, are expected in the use of electronic mail as in the use of telephones and written and oral communication. Therefore electronic mail, like telephone messages, must be neither obscene nor harassing (see Obscene or Harassing Telephone Calls, Chapter VII). Similarly, messages must not misrepresent the identity of the sender and should not be sent as chain letters or broadcast indiscriminately to large numbers of individuals. This prohibition includes unauthorized mass electronic mailings. For example, e-mail on a given topic that is sent to large numbers of recipients should in general be directed only to those who have indicated a willingness to receive such e-mail.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND COPYRIGHTED MATERIALSComputer programs written as part of one’s academic work should be regarded as literary creations and subject to the same standards of misrepresentation as copied work (see Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism, Chapter VII). In addition, attempts to duplicate, use, or distribute software or other data without authorization by the owner is prohibited. All Harvard users must respect the copyrights in works that are accessible through computers connected to the Harvard network. Federal copyright law prohibits the reproduction, distribution, public display, or public performance of copyrighted materials without permission of the copyright owner, unless fair use or another exemption under copyright law applies. In appropriate circumstances, Harvard will terminate the network access of users who are found to have repeatedly infringed the copyrights of others. Information about the application of copyright law to peer-to-peer file sharing of music, movies, and other copyrighted works is available at www.dmca.harvard.edu. Students with questions about copyright or this policy are invited to raise those questions with an appropriate dean, tutor, or academic officer.
FIRE SAFETY REGULATIONS AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Fire: 617-495-1511 FIRE REGULATIONSViolation of any of the fire safety or fire emergency regulations listed below, including those pertaining to the abuse of fire alarm, smoke detector, or fire extinguisher systems, can lead to requirement to withdraw. 1) Any abuse of, or tampering with, fire alarm, smoke detector, or extinguisher systems is strictly forbidden. 2) Falsely pulling any alarm or maliciously setting off a smoke detector alarm is illegal and may be punishable by a fine of up to $500 or imprisonment. 3) Corridor fire doors must be kept shut at all times. • There is a fine, equal to the cost of replacement, for breaking the glass that covers the lock of a fire alarm. • There is a fine, equal to the cost of replacement, for any damage to a smoke detector.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURESAny smoke detector in a stairwell or corridor can initiate a general alarm when a predetermined concentration of smoke reaches it. This alarm has the same sound as the alarms initiated manually and is a signal to leave the building.
If the Alarm Sounds
If You Find a Fire 1) Sound the alarm. 2) Alert your neighbors. 3) Leave the building immediately. Do not try to put out the fire. Use your common sense. Your safety is more important than property.
BOMB SCARES Please take careful note of the following provision of Massachusetts law concerning bomb scares:
FIREARMS, EXPLOSIVES, COMBUSTIBLE FUELS, FIRECRACKERS, AND DANGEROUS WEAPONSPossession and/or use on University property of firearms or ammunition, explosives, combustible fuels, firecrackers, and potential ingredients thereof is forbidden. Please take careful note of the following statute of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Whoever, not being a law enforcement officer, and notwithstanding any license obtained by him under the provisions of chapter one hundred and forty, carries on his person a firearm as hereinafter defined, loaded or unloaded, or other dangerous weapon in any building or on the grounds of any elementary or secondary school, college or university without the written authorization of the board or officer in charge of such elementary or secondary school, college or university shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year or both. For the purpose of this paragraph “firearm” shall mean any pistol, revolver, rifle, or smoothbore arm from which a shot, bullet, or pellet can be discharged by whatever means. Any officer in charge of an elementary or secondary school, college or university or any faculty member or administrative officer of an elementary or secondary school, college, or university failing to report violations of this paragraph shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars. In addition, Massachusetts law requires a permit or firearms identification card or compliance with other specialized rules (depending upon the type of weapon) for possession of any firearms. The definition of firearms is a broad one and includes pistols or guns operated by air, carbon dioxide, or other gases. Carrying any firearm (even if unloaded) in violation of the law is punishable by imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of one year, which cannot be suspended or reduced. Students should consult the Cambridge Police if they intend to possess firearms on non-University property, in order to assure strict compliance with the applicable statutes. According to Harvard’s legal counsel, the definition of “dangerous weapon” includes items designed to do bodily injury, such as a stiletto, ballistic knife, blackjack, brass knuckles, billy stick, switchblade knife, and martial arts items such as throwing stars, kung fu sticks, and nunchaku (sticks connected by a rope, chain, wire, or leather)
OBSCENE OR HARASSING TELEPHONE CALLSThe placement of an obscene or harassing telephone call is a criminal offense, punishable to the full extent of the law in the courts. It is treated as a serious disciplinary issue within the Graduate School. Information from the Harvard Police is available in the office of the dean for student affairs for anyone receiving such a call. |