Student Ethical Principles, Responsibilities, and Code of Conduct

Yeditepe University expects its students, who are part of the academic community, to exhibit behavior that is of the highest standard in terms of personal, moral, and ethical aspects. A Yeditepe University student does not deviate from truthfulness under any circumstances, adheres to rules, keeps their promises, and treats everyone with respect.

OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE

These rules aim to define the ethical principles, responsibilities, and code of conduct expected from all students studying at Yeditepe University. Students who are registered at other institutions of higher education but temporarily studying at Yeditepe University are also subject to these rules.
In cases related to discipline, the Higher Education Institutions Student Discipline Regulation shall be applied.

ETHICAL BEHAVIORS REGARDING SOCIAL LIFE:

As an essential aspect of social life, Yeditepe University students are expected to act with the consciousness of the following responsibilities in their interactions with each other, academic staff, administrative employees, and all other University members:

They exhibit respectful language and behavior in their communication with each other.
They do not discriminate based on different aspects (race, native language, religion, gender, nationality, political views, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, physical/social disability, etc.).
They avoid any actions of physical, digital, verbal, written, or visual harassment; they do not support or encourage such actions and do not engage in prejudiced hate speech against specific groups.
They refrain from causing damage to University property and services; they do not use them without authorization from competent individuals.
They do not use closed, locked, or restricted areas/services of the University without permission.
They comply with the legal instructions of University officials regarding health and safety.
They intervene when there is a threat to the health and safety of others or the University community and inform University administration.
They do not support or participate in activities of temporarily or permanently closed student associations; they do not encourage or participate in their events.
They do not misuse scholarships intended for those in need, causing harm to others' rights.

They consider the following aspects in their interactions with faculty members:

  • Being fair, honest, and objective when evaluating faculty members.
  • Not offering any gift or favor that might influence the professional decisions and behavior of faculty members.
  • Not making knowingly false and malicious statements about faculty members.
  • Avoiding personal relationships with faculty members during the course of education.

They consider the following aspects in their interactions with fellow students:

  • Respecting the academic rights and freedom of learning of fellow students.
  • Not causing harm to the belongings and academic work of fellow students.
  • Not misrepresenting the attitudes and opinions of other students when advocating their own views.

They refrain from making statements and actions on social media that would undermine the reputation of the University.

BEHAVIORS REGARDING ACADEMIC ETHICS:

Yeditepe University students:
Do not engage in behaviors that violate the principle of academic integrity, such as plagiarism, cheating, and all forms of academic misconduct (misuse of sources and services, intellectual property theft, misuse of computer applications, data, equipment, or computer networks, etc.).

They do not cheat and do not engage in deceptive behavior towards academic staff:

  • They do not seek help from others or help others in activities that are meant to be completed individually and assess knowledge and competence (exams, assignments, projects, reports, theses, etc.).
  • They do not use unauthorized resources during exams (mobile phones, calculators, textbooks, class notes, etc.).
  • They do not take exams or attendance on behalf of others, nor do they let someone else take their place.
  • They do not submit the same or substantially similar work that has been previously evaluated in the same or another course to get a grade again without obtaining permission from the instructor of the course.
  • They do not present someone else's ideas/work as their own without proper attribution; they do not appropriately reference.
  • They do not falsely present unused sources as used.

Without the permission of the course instructor, they do not reproduce their own course notes or materials and share them with others.
They do not take books from the library without permission; they use borrowed books carefully.
They do not engage in actions such as forgery, alteration, or fabrication of identity cards, records, reports, grades, diplomas, or any University documents; they do not possess or purchase forged identity cards.
They do not claim medical excuses to avoid exams or classes in a way that abuses trust.
In group assignments, they do not take advantage by not contributing to group work and exploiting the efforts of their peers.

In Courses Conducted with Remote Education:

  • They complete all necessary preparations (internet connection, functioning computer, camera, and audio system) to participate in the class before the class starts and log into the system.
  • They adhere to the rules set by the instructor regarding the conduct of the class. For example, if the instructor requests that the camera be turned on, they ensure it is functional and the background is not distracting.
  • They keep their microphones muted when not interacting with the class.
  • They understand that attending classes and participating on time and appropriately is not an option but a responsibility.
  • They understand that leaving the class for any reason during the class will count as absenteeism. If they experience connection issues during the class, they take a screenshot and share it with the instructor to avoid counting as absent.
  • They share their individual opinions and requests regarding the content and delivery of the course with the instructor after the class.
  • They refrain from making non-course-related posts using the chat box.
  • Without the permission of the course instructor, they do not record, photograph, or share videos of the classes in any form.

They acknowledge that they will actively play a role in ensuring others also undertake these responsibilities in all ethical behaviors mentioned above.
References:
Gerçek, H., Güven, M.H., Özdamar, Ş.O.,Yanpar Yelken T., and Korkmaz T. (2011). Yükseköğretim Kurumlarında Etik İlkeler, Sorumluluklar ve Davranış Kuralları. Yükseköğretim ve Bilim Dergisi 1(2), 80-88.
https://mim.itu.edu.tr/universite-yasaminda-etik-degerler/
https://apdd.ku.edu.tr/arastirmacilar-icin-akademik-ingilizce-programi/kurallar-ve-etik-davranis-ilkeleri/
Syracuse University- Code of Student Conduct