Code of Conduct

1. PREAMBLE

The aim of the University of Rijeka is to provide every student with the best possible education and to create conditions for their personal intellectual and ethical development. Every successful educational process assumes the encouragement of free and reasonable discussion, intellectual honesty, openness to constructive changes and respect for the rights of others.

The Student Code of Ethics has been created with the aim to maintain an environment that enables the achievement of these goals at the University of Rijeka.

Students of the University of Rijeka are expected to conduct themselves as responsible members of the university community, respecting the laws and regulations of the University of Rijeka, fundamental human rights, integrity and dignity of other persons, academic freedom, principles of equality and justice, and to fulfil their obligations in a conscientious and scholarly manner.

2. GENERAL PROVISIONS

This Student Code of Ethics is a set of behavioural principles that all students and student organisations at the University of Rijeka are obliged to respect.

The Student Code of Ethics derives from the University of Rijeka Code of Ethics and represents the application of general principles of ethics and professionalism to the special domain of student rights and obligations. Students and student organisations are obliged to respect both the principles of the University of Rijeka Code of Ethics and this Student Code of Ethics.

Students who violate these principles will be subject to disciplinary sanctions aimed at influencing their further personal development, protecting the rights of members of the university community, and the property and stability of the University of Rijeka.

The rights and obligations stipulated in this Code of Ethics refer only to the actions and conduct of students within the premises occupied, used or controlled by the University of Rijeka, and to actions off University that are related to the presentation or representation of the University.

The Honour Council and the Ethics Commissions are the bodies responsible for the implementation of the Student Code of Ethics. Processes before the Honour Council and the Ethics Commission are regulated by the University of Rijeka Code of Ethics.

The Student Code of Ethics is subject to revision on a regular basis and to possible modifications in accordance with the development and understanding of ethical and professional values. The Honour Council of the University of Rijeka conducts a revision of the Student Code of Ethics every five years.

The adoption of this Student Code of Ethics does not contradict the adoption of supplementary rules at the member institutions of the University of Rijeka that are in compliance with the specificities of their respective profession or domain. Additional rules of the member institutions of the University of Rijeka should not contradict the rules of this Student Code of Ethics. Ethics Commissions and/or the Honour Council of the University of Rijeka are to determine the compliance of additional rules with this Code of Ethics.

The University has the obligation to provide the necessary conditions for all students to be made familiar with the content of the Student Code of Ethics.

The Student Code of Ethics shall enter into force on the day of its adoption by the University Senate.

3. DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of the Student Code of Ethics, the meaning of the following terms shall be:

·         "Code of Ethics" - the Student Code of Ethics as prepared and adopted by the University of Rijeka.

·         "University" - the University of Rijeka including all member institutions of the University of Rijeka.

·         "Regulations of the University of Rijeka" - all applicable regulations at the University, including all applicable regulations at the member institutions of the University of Rijeka.

·         "University community" - all the students, teachers, scientists, artists, associates, officials and all the employees, regardless of the type and duration of the contract their rights and responsibilities at the University of Rijeka are based on.

·         "Academic community" - all individuals participating in teaching, scientific research and mentoring activities at the University of Rijeka.

·         "Teaching Staff"–the academic staff imparting education to students at the University of Rijeka, regardless of their teaching, scientific or associate position, and the type and duration of the contract their teaching position is based on.

·         "Students" - all those included in the educational programme at the University of Rijeka, regardless of the duration and type of program.

·         "Student organisation" -an organisationgenerally composed of students, duly authorised in compliance with the regulations and procedures of the University of Rijeka or any of its components.

·         "Property of the University" - any property occupied by the University of Rijeka, namely: land, buildings and other facilities, finance, intellectual property and other property owned, used or controlled by the University.

·         "Violation of the Code of Ethics" –any behaviour that is contrary to the principles of the Code of Ethics and is subject to disciplinary sanctions.

·         "Authorised person" - any member of the university community who is in charge and responsible for carrying out a certain procedure.

4. STUDENTS' RIGHTS

The University of Rijeka shall foster and protect the following rights of students:

·         the right to participate in the educational process

·         the right to freely express and exchange opinions and beliefs

·         the right to participate in discussions

·         the right to scientific research, publication and exchange of research results to the extent of their compliance with the laws of the Republic of Croatia and the regulations of the University of Rijeka

·         the right to impartial and fair process of evaluation of work and work results, equal for all

·         the right to protection from violence, coercion and forceful threats

·         the right to protection from circumstances dangerous to life, physical and mental health

5. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The free exchange of ideas depends on the credibility of members of the academic community, mutual trust and the trust of all members of the academic community in institutions that ensure that their work will be appropriately professionally valued and appreciated. Therefore, all members of the academic community should be responsible for their words and actions, the application of appropriate research methods, and the results achieved.

Since words and ideas are the property of intellectual individuals, any form of plagiarism, forgery and other forms of fraud represent forms of academic dishonesty and are considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

Not reporting cases of academic dishonesty is not a neutral act because it enables such practices to take root in the mission of the University, and directly endangers the educational and scientific processes and damages the reputation of the University of Rijeka.

6. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Academic dishonesty threatens the quality of education and devalues the true achievements of members of the academic community.

6.1. Any type of fraud related to the process of application, examination or other type of knowledge assessment is a violation of this Code of Ethics, which includes, but is not limited to the following:

·         obtaining, copying, duplicating, using or intended using of test materials without the permission of authorized persons

·         obtaining, transferring, receiving, using or intended using of test solutions

·         using or intending to use notes, data, computers or other electronic devices or programs during the exam unless expressly permitted

·         misrepresentation and passing off someone else's work as one's own

·         assisting in the performance of any academic task in a situation where the student is expected to complete the task independently

·         using already graded papers or larger parts of the content of already graded papers for the purpose of re-grading; only exceptionally, small parts of the content of already graded works can be used with the special approval of the teacher or mentor

·         changing or intending to change grades or evaluation results of exams or reports from other knowledge assessment tests

·         deliberately destroying the academic work or efforts of other students

6.2. Plagiarism and falsification of other individuals’ works or parts of other individuals’ works and passing off other individuals’ ideas as one's own, without the knowledge of the author or without citing the source, is a violation of this Code of Ethics.

6.3. Producing, using, forging, printing, reproducing, copying, altering, moving or destroying any academic material, university file, document or identification document without the permission of authorised persons constitutes a violation of this Code of Ethics.

·         the right to protection from discrimination and harassment on religious, ethnic and national basis, race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, family or marital status, pregnancy, family obligations, age, disability, physical appearance, political affiliation and health status

·         the right to freely choose the way of conduct as long as one’s behaviour does not violate the laws of the Republic of Croatia and the regulations of the University of Rijeka

·         the right to participate in peaceful, non-violent, duly authorised protests or demonstrations to the extent that one does not violate the rights of other members of the university community

·         the right to be protected from any type of unreasonable, illegal or unauthorised interrogation or investigation; in case of an investigative process by authorised persons, it is necessary to inform the student against whom the investigative process is being conducted about the course of the process and about their rights

·         the right to an equal and fair process to determine the validity of accusations of violation of the University of Rijeka regulations

·         the right to retain the unchanged status, rights and privileges of members of the university community during the disciplinary process, except in cases where they pose a threat to the safety and well-being of other members of the university community and to University property

·         the right to protection against any request for personal data that are not reasonably related to the educational process

·         the right to reporting by authorised persons on the existence and general nature of personal files at the University

·         the right to inspect, upon request, one's personal file; personal data about the student may be disclosed to other persons only if such disclosure is part of the normal course of work at the University or if there is a legal and professional obligation to make such data available for inspection

·         the right to associate, support, connect and meet with people of their own choice

·         the right to elect and establish representative, democratically organised student organisations that are responsible to the student community and the University

·         the right of student organisations to represent the position adopted by the appropriate decision-making process within the student community

·         the right of student organisations to be admitted by authorised persons of the University of Rijeka in order to express the views of the students they represent

·         the right to use the property of the University, either as individuals or members of any student organisation, for extracurricular activities aimed at meeting academic and student needs to the extent in which they do not contradict the regulations of the University of Rijeka

·         the right to request compensation for damages resulting from negligent, malicious or irresponsible actions of any member of the university community (for example, a public apology, subsequently granted opportunity to apply for or perform an action for which the student was unfairly deprived, etc.); the method and amount of compensation for damages in case of material losses for students are governed by the regulations of the University of Rijeka and the laws of the Republic of Croatia

·         the right to be informed about the rules and regulations of conduct at the University of Rijeka

6.13. It is the duty of every member of the student organisation to discourage any attempt of corruption and conflict of interests.

7. PHYSICAL INJURIES AND ABUSE

The educational process requires all participants to respect the right to personal integrity of other members of the university community in order to achieve their academic goals and participate in the activities of the University. Any type of intentional physical violation, harassment, blackmail, disabling, threats, coercion, humiliation, intimidation, mockery, insults, or the like constitutes a violation of this Code of Ethics.

8. HARASSMENT

For the purposes of this Code of Ethics, any repeated action characterized by the absence of the other party's consent is considered harassment. Harassment can be any verbal and non-verbal behavior towards another person based on religion, ethnicity and nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, property status, family or marital status, pregnancy, family obligations, age, disability, physical appearance, political affiliation and health condition.

Sexual harassment in the form in which a student conditions another student's access to or participation in any activity at the University by fulfilling any type of sexually colored proposals, requests or services is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics. Deprivationof any student for refusing sexual proposals, requests or services is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

9. DISCRIMINATION

As the violation of fundamental rights, freedom and autonomy of individuals is considered contrary to the goals and mission of the University, any conduct and regulation that impermissibly discriminates against another person is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

Procedures or regulations that discriminate against another person on the basis of religion, ethnic and national affiliation, race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, family or marital status, pregnancy, family obligations, age, disability, physical appearance, political affiliation and health status are considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

Forms of affirmative action in the form of quotas or privileged treatment, prescribed or approved by the University, are not considered discrimination or unacceptable conduct.

This provision is not contrary to a selection practice that is rational, benevolent, non-arbitrary and based on professional and ethical standards (for example, a student with below-average results cannot enjoy the privileges of excellent students).

This provision is not contrary to the practice of free and reasoned discussion on any topic, which is based on tolerance and respect for the rights and freedoms of others.

10. DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

6.4. Creating situations in which other students will be unfairly deprived of academic benefits or in which a student creates an unfair academic advantage over other students is a violation of this Code of Ethics. This includes but is not limited to the following:

·         creating, forging, printing, reproducing, copying, altering, moving or destroying any university record with the intent to deceive, misinform or withhold information from another person

·         moving, hiding or intentionally withholding books or other library material, especially those related to compulsory literature

·         interfering with the work of other students with the intention of disrupting the results of their work (for example, contaminating laboratory samples, etc.)

6.5. Influencing or attempting to influence the impartiality of the evaluation of teachers or evaluation bodies is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

6.6. Access to a private office or space of any member of the university community without the permission of authorised persons constitutes a violation of this Code of Ethics.

6.7. Public representation or presentation of the University, any member institution of the University, student organisation or other member of the university community without the permission of authorised persons is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

6.8. Public presentation of unverified and incorrect information about other students and other members of the university community is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

6.9. Inappropriate behaviour related to teaching process is a violation of this Code of Ethics, namely:

·         deliberately disrupting or interrupting classes, research or other academic activities

·         not complying with additional instructions and rules of conduct for students prescribed by a member institution of the University of Rijeka or individual teachers and which have been approved by the Ethics Commission or the Honour Council.

6.10. Unauthorised access, theft or destruction of another person's intellectual property constitutes a violation of this Code of Ethics, including but not limited to the following:

·         copying, theft and destruction of books, articles, course notes, data, experiments, projects, etc. of other persons

·         intentional access to computer databases or databases and documentation of the bodies that create them, in order to read, copy, use, send or modify their contents without the permission of authorised persons

·         use of electronic resources to sabotage the work or results of another student or any other member of the university community

·         destroying, dismantling, changing, distorting, disabling access to computer databases or similar activities done without the permission of authorised persons.

6.11. Duplication or use of the logo or trademark of any university body without the permission of authorised persons is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

6.12. During assessment, student organisations should respect the values of transparency and availability of criteria and assessment procedures.

In the view of the University, education and counselling represent the best way to combat the use or potential use of narcotic drugs and alcohol. However, in fighting against addiction, the application of disciplinary measures is permissible. The following actions are considered a violation of this Code of Ethics:

·         sale and abuse of narcotic drugs on the premises occupied, used or controlled by the University

·         sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages on the premises occupied, used or controlled by the University; alcoholic beverages may only be consumed on sites and on occasions approved by authorised persons.

·         participation in the educational process while under the influence of narcotic drugs or alcohol.

11. STANDARDS OF CONDUCT WITHIN UNIVERSITY PREMISES

Members of the university community have the right to move freely around the premises occupied, used and controlled by the University, and the right to use facilities and other property of the University of Rijeka in compliance with University regulations. The following behaviour is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics and a violation of the above-mentioned rights:

·         intentionally preventing entry, exit or interfering with the normal use of the University facilities or any parts thereof

·         remaining or staying in any University facility after the prescribed time

·         intentionally producing noise or using noise-producing devices that disrupt the teaching process or violate the privacy of other persons

·         intentionally disrupting organised and duly authorised events taking place in areas occupied, used or controlled by the University

·         deliberately obstructing any member of the university community in the performance of their duties

·         non-compliance with the rules of work of student services, libraries, student organisations, recreation centres and other facilities occupied, used or controlled by the University.

12. SECURITY AND PROTECTION

At the University, as within any other community, certain forms of responsible behaviour should be necessarily respected in order to ensure the functioning and safety and protection of the university community. Any intentional actions or creation of circumstances that are dangerous to life, physical or mental health and safety are considered a violation of this Code of Ethics. Situations that are dangerous to life, health and safety, which have arisen as a result of unacceptable neglect of obligations, are also considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

12.1. Accessing or attempting to enter any facility or area of the University with restricted access without the permission of authorised persons is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

12.2. Possessing, giving to another person, making or participating in the making of a key or other means that allows access to University facilities or property without the permission of authorised persons is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

12.3. Deliberately damaging, destroying or desecrating University property or property possessed by other persons at the University is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics.

12.4. The property of the University as well as the property of persons at the University should be protected from fire. To this purpose, the following principles are introduced:

·         Smoking is only allowed in areas specially designated for that purpose.

·         Taking away, moving and intentionally disabling any fire protection device without the permission of authorised persons is considered unacceptable conduct.

·         Deliberate activation of the fire alarm without reason is considered unacceptable conduct.

12.5. Bringing in firearms and cold weapons, explosive devices, dangerous chemicals and other dangerous devices and substances is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics. An exception to this rule can only be made with the special approval of authorised persons at the University.

12.6. Deliberately presenting incorrect information with the aim of seriously alarming any member of the university community is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics (for example, false bomb or fire alarms by telephone, etc.).

12.7. Intentional disruption of university computer systems or technological resources is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics (for example, intentionally introducing computer viruses, causing damage, disturbances in program operation, etc.).

12.8. Misuse of computer systems or technological resources for impermissible purposes is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics (for example, searching, copying and distributing illegal content from the Internet, etc.).

13. COMPLIANCE WITH RULES AND DISCIPLINARY PROCESSES

Deliberate violation of rules at the University of Rijeka and obstruction of disciplinary processes before the authorities of the University of Rijeka is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics, namely:

·         failure to respond to calls related to the implementation of the disciplinary process

·         falsification and destruction of data or false testimony before the bodies of the University of Rijeka that conduct investigative processes

·         intentionally initiating disciplinary process without a real cause

·         preventing or attempting to prevent or discourage the participation of another person in the disciplinary process

·         intentionally helping or encouraging another person to obstruct the disciplinary process in any way

·         influencing or attempting to influence the impartiality of bodies conducting disciplinary process

14. HELPING, ENCOURAGING, AND ATTEMPTING

Intentionally helping or encouraging another person to commit an act that is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics is also a violation of the Code of Ethics.

Requiring, soliciting, encouraging or hiring another person to commit an act that is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics is also a violation of the Code of Ethics.

Attempting to commit an act that is considered a violation of this Code of Ethics is also a violation of the Code of Ethics.

Sources:

1.    Student Code of Conduct &Judicial Procedures, University of Pittsburg, (2004)

2.    Berkeley Campus Code of Student Conduct, University of California, Berkeley, (2005)

3.    University of Oxford: Academic Integrity Code of Conduct, (1998)

4.    Code of Academic Integrity, Cornell University, (1997)

5.    Code of Academic Integrity, Stanford University, (2004)

6.    Code of Academic Integrity, George Washington University, (1995)

7.    Student Code of Conduct, University of Arizona, Tucson, (2000)

8.    Academic Integrity Code for American University, (1991)

9.    Student Conduct Policies and Procedures, University of Colorado, (2003)

10.    Code of Student Conduct and Responsibility, Oregon State System of Higher Education, Portland
State University, (2002)

11.    Student Code of Conduct, Mount Union College, Ohio, (2004)

12.    Policy on Academic Integrity for Undergraduate and Graduate Student, Rutgers University, (1997)

13.    Student Code of Conduct, University of Idaho, (1998)

14.    Student handbook - Code, St. Claude State University, (2004)

15.    Code of Student Conduct, North Carolina State University, (2002)

16.    Student Code of Conduct, Manhattan College, (2000)

17.    Code of Student Conduct, Ohio State University, (2002)

18.    Library Conduct Policy, Arizona State University Libraries, (2004)

19.    California Code Regulations, California State University, (2004)

20.    Code of Student Conduct, University of Toronto, (2002)

21.    Code of Conduct, University of Illinois, (2004),

22.    University of Rijeka: University of Rijeka Code of Ethics, (2004)
etc.

Authorof the University of Rijeka Student Code of Conduct:

Snježana Prijić - Samaržija, PhD, Associate Professor

Reviewers:

Gvozden Flego, PhD, Full Professor

Jasminka Ledić, PhD, Full Professor

Elvio Baccarini, PhD, Associate Professor