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Student Conduct Code and Professional Commitment

Setting standards and expectations for students

NEOMED students are expected to read, understand, sign, and abide by the “Expectations of Student Conduct and Professional Commitment” throughout their enrollment and participation in activities at NEOMED, its partner institutions and hospitals, and NEOMED-sponsored programs and events.

Students who do not meet these expectations may be referred for review by the Committee on Academic and Professional Progress (CAPP) or through Student Conduct procedures, as appropriate.

Faculty, staff, and students should report concerns related to student conduct or professionalism using the Student Conduct/Professionalism Referral Form administered by the Office of Student Services.

Student Conduct Code

Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) students are expected to read, understand, sign, and abide by the “Expectations of Student Conduct and Professional Commitment” while enrolled and involved in NEOMED, its partner institutions and hospitals, and NEOMED-sponsored activities.

Reports of misconduct may be filed via the Student Conduct/Professionalism Referral Form, Testing Irregularity Report Form, the Violations of Law Form or written referral. (All can be found on our forms page.)

When allegations are received, the Conduct Officer, in consultation with the student affairs delegate from the student’s college, will decide whether the complaint raises a conduct concern to be addressed through the Student Conduct process or a professionalism concern to be addressed by the Committee on Academic and Professional Progress (CAPP) or another appropriate process.

Student conduct or professional behavior concerns should be reported by faculty, staff or students using the Student Conduct/Professionalism Referral Form managed by Student Services.

Academic misconduct, including, but not limited to:

    1. Cheating (use of unauthorized assistance, submitting substantially the same work that has been submitted for another course, use of a prohibited source, inappropriate acquisition or distribution of academic materials, engaging in any behavior specifically prohibited by a faculty member, unauthorized use of third party tools including Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for any graded assessments or activities that generate work that is not your own), including in-person and remote classroom and testing environments.
    2. Plagiarism (intentional or unintentional representation of ideas or works of another author or AI tools as a student’s own without properly citing the source or the use of materials prepared by another person; violations of copyright laws).
    3. Falsifying or manufacturing scientific or educational data.
    4. Misrepresentation of oneself or of another in an academic setting including, but not limited to, the use or possession of another’s clicker, sharing of computer password, signing in for another student, or taking exams for another student.
    5. Unapproved collaboration on academic work, assessments, assignments or when answering clicker questions. Photographing, sharing, or posting clicker questions, tests, quizzes, or any graded assessments is not permitted. Compiling test, quiz or clicker questions or sharing these questions with others is considered academic misconduct.
    6. Disruptive or disrespectful in-person or virtual classroom behavior that interferes with or disrupts the teaching, learning, or testing processes; violates the rules of the specific in-person or virtual classroom or remote testing; or misrepresents actual attendance using disabled video. This may include unmuting yourself when your instructor has muted you, engaging in conduct or behavior toward classmates, staff, patients, or instructors that a reasonable person would consider disrespectful, or inappropriately using discussion forums or synchronous chat rooms.

Behavioral misconduct, including, but not limited to:

    1. Willful failure to comply with directions of University officials, faculty members, law enforcement officers or emergency personnel.
    2. Behavior that disrupts or obstructs teaching, research, administration, disciplinary proceedings, or other University activities.
    3. Willfully, recklessly, or knowingly engaging in conduct that violates any University policy, rules, or regulation (for more information go to the NEOMED Compass).
    4. Failure to immediately report any and all infractions of the law to the University, criminal charges, loss of driver’s license, and the like, excluding traffic citations. This includes the failure to comply with University policies on Criminal Background Checks and Toxicology Screening.
    5. Failure to report violations of the Student Conduct Code.
    6. Knowingly furnishing false or misleading information to University officials including but not limited to forgery, alteration, or misuse of any University document, record, or I.D.
    7. Abuse of computer facilities and resources, including but not limited to unauthorized entry into a file; unauthorized transfer of a file; use of another individual’s identification or password; use of computing facilities and resources to interfere with the work of another student, faculty member or University official; sending obscene or abusive messages; or interfering with normal operation of the University computing system.
    8. Unauthorized use of an electronic or other device to make or disseminate an audio or video recording of any person without their prior knowledge or consent.
    9. Use of any personal electronic device during academic sessions for purposes other than current content learning. All electronic devices are to be silenced during educational sessions.
    10. Disclosure of confidential or private patient information in an unethical or inappropriate manner.
    11. Photography or video recording of any human donor specimens is strictly prohibited.
    12. Improper use of the internet or any form of electronic media or technology, particularly using the University email system, that includes bullying toward another or posting indecent or derogatory photographs, links, or comments directed toward another, that has the effect of stripping one’s dignity or causing reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm.
    13. Failure to notify appropriate individuals of tardiness or absence in the case of an emergency. Absences must be cleared by the course director, site director or preceptor and do not relieve students of their responsibilities for materials covered or assignments or time missed from clinical experiences.
    14. Failure to wear appropriate business professional attire in clinical settings and when indicated by the faculty. Students are encouraged to practice good hygiene, and dress neatly and professionally in classroom settings.
    15. Failure to exemplify those Professional Commitments (noted below in Section II) to which students should aspire.

Criminal misconduct, including the attempt or completion of any of the following offense, irrespective of whether the matter is prosecuted:

    1. Engaging in or threatening physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion, and/or other conduct which intentionally or recklessly threatens or endangers the health, welfare, or safety of any person.
    2. Sexual misconduct including, but not limited to, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, domestic violence or any other non-consensual sexual contact, unwelcome sexual advances, or requests for sexual favors. (Title IX)
    3. Hazing including but not limited to, ingesting food, drinks, alcohol, drugs or other substances; acts of a physical nature; acts that adversely affect the mental health of the individual; acts that a reasonable person would view to be frightening, humiliating, intimidating or deceptive, acts that endanger or have the potential to endanger a student’s academic or personal life; lastly, acts that violate University policies, or federal, state, or local laws. (Hazing Policy).
    4. Disorderly, disruptive, lewd, or indecent conduct.
    5. Theft or attempted theft, or willfully, recklessly, or negligently destroying, damaging, injuring, or using property of NEOMED or another person without the consent of the owner.
    6. Use, possession, manufacture, cultivation, distribution, or facilitating the distribution of marijuana or any narcotic, hallucinogenic, or other controlled substances in a manner prohibited by law. This includes, but is not limited to, the receipt of a positive result for illegal use of any of the 10-panel drugs on the mandatory Toxicology Screen (refer to the Toxicology Policy for additional information).
    7. Use, possession, manufacture or distribution of alcoholic beverages, or public intoxication in a manner prohibited by law.
    8. Unlawful or unauthorized possession of firearms, fireworks, explosives, other weapons, or dangerous chemicals or using any such item, even if lawfully possessed, in a manner that harms, threatens, or causes fear to others.
    9. Commission of any felony or misdemeanor under applicable federal, state, or municipal law.

Professional Commitment Expectations

NEOMED students are expected to abide by the Professional Commitments during their tenure at NEOMED, including classroom and clinical settings.

Professionalism in the health professions requires that healthcare providers place the interests of patients above their own. This highest standard of professional conduct calls upon students at NEOMED to demonstrate a commitment to altruism, accountability, excellence, duty, service, honor, integrity, and respect for others throughout their academic studies, clinical training, and professional careers. The professional expectations outlined below include examples of behaviors to which NEOMED students are expected to aspire in both academic and clinical settings.

  1. Altruism: The essence of professionalism that maintains that the best interest of patients, not self-interest, is the rule.
    • Demonstrate humility. Each student is the sum of not only their own work, but also the teaching, lessons, encouragement, and giving of others.
    • Assist other health professional students in need.
    • Contribute a positive image of the health professions.
    • Relate to others in a caring, empathic manner and strive to prevent and relieve human suffering.
  2. Accountability: Required at all levels, including accountability to the individual patient for fulfilling the implied contract governing the health care professionals/patient relationship; to society for addressing public health needs; and to the profession for adhering to the highest level of ethical precepts.
    • Read, understand, and abide by the NEOMED COMPASS, particularly as it relates to expectations of student conduct, academic performance, and professional expectations.
    • Participate in and assume an appropriate and equitable share of responsibilities among peers and colleagues, including group work duties.
    • Be present, punctual, and prepared in all mandatory activities at the University and at clinical sites.
  3. Excellence: To reach excellence requires a conscientious effort to exceed ordinary expectations and to make a commitment to life-long learning.
    • Demonstrate NEOMED’s Core Values in all we do including: Integrity, Collaboration, and Excellence.
    • Present oneself in a professional manner with respect to punctuality, proper preparation, accountability, communication, attire, hygiene, body language, engagement, and emotional regulation.
    • Self-assess personal challenges and developmental needs, and seek support and assistance to improve future performance.
  4. Duty: Every health care professional in training, or in the field, accepts a commitment to service as a personal and professional goal. This requires availability and responsiveness, accepting inconvenience to meet the needs of the patient, sometimes enduring unavoidable risk to oneself when a patient’s welfare is at stake, advocating for the best possible care regardless of ability to pay and the willingness to accept active roles in professional associations, and to volunteer one’s skills and expertise for the welfare of the community.
    • Participate in and contribute to improving public health care within the local and global community.
    • Champion the needs and health issues of those who may be unable to speak on their own behalf to improve social sustainability.
    • Assume leadership opportunities within out-of-classroom organizations, professional groups, and informal groups devoted toward addressing health care.
  5. Honor and Integrity: To regard the highest standard of behavior and refuse to violate the personal and professional codes of the profession require honor and integrity which imply fairness, truthfulness, keeping one’s word, meeting commitments, and being straightforward. The goal is to recognize any conflicts of interest and avoid situations that make personal gain more important than the best interest of the patient.
    • Safeguard patient confidences and privacy whether through written, verbal, electronic, or social media sharing.
    • Deal with confidential information with discretion and appropriateness.
  6. Respect for Self and Others: Respect for self and others including patients, their families, faculty and staff, and other health care professionals is the essence of humanism and is central to valuing others. Respecting others means valuing their individuality, their backgrounds, opinions, and talents that individuals contribute to the community and is a fundamental requirement for valuing others.
    • Act appropriately and respectfully in all verbal and nonverbal interactions with patients, standardized patients, residents, peers, hospital personnel, faculty, and staff.
    • Value, respect, and convey a sense of caring toward all persons.
    • Nurture and allow free and open discourse, listen to new ideas, and value intellectual diversity of thoughts and talents.
    • Follow healthy life-style habits, willingly seek care and support from others, and attend to my own physical and emotional health and well-being in order to provide care of the highest standard.

Our thanks to the American Board of Internal Medicine for these six definitions of professionalism as developed in the Project Professionalism document which has been expanded to include all health professions and various examples of professional expectations at NEOMED.