Student Principles
Simmons University is a community founded on the values of respect, integrity, inclusion, honesty, and trust. The University is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy campus environment for all students, staff, faculty, and visitors. Simmons students should conduct themselves with personal integrity and respect the rights, differences, and dignity of others (in person and online). When you join the Simmons community, you agree to act responsibly, to protect your own well-being, and to support the well-being of others. Free speech and open discussion of ideas are an integral part of any university community and are fully encouraged. All members of Simmons University have committed themselves to making choices that reflect personal integrity and responsible behavior. Each student is responsible for presenting work of their own creation and refraining from representing others’ work as their own. Cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, and other forms of academic dishonesty are considered as an academic integrity violation and a breach of the Simmons Code of Conduct.
Honor System
A vital part of the collegiate experience at Simmons University, the Honor System embodies values of personal integrity, honesty, and trust. Fundamental to the Honor System is the Code of Responsibility, and it is upon its principles that the University community has based the Simmons Academic Integrity Policy and Student Code of Conduct. The Simmons University Honor System has existed since 1907, making it one of the oldest continuing honor systems at any college in the country. Throughout the decades, the Honor System has been revised and amended on an annual basis. Changes are made after consultations with faculty, staff, and students.
Code of Responsibility
The students, faculty, and administrators of Simmons University agree to accept the following responsibilities:
- Each member of the Simmons University community is responsible for maintaining a high level of civility, integrity, honesty, and trust within the community.
- Each student is responsible for presenting work of her/his own creation, and refraining from representing as her/his own work that which is not hers/his.
- Conduct in keeping with the policies outlined in this handbook and all other official University publications is expected of each member of the Simmons community.
The Code of Responsibility is shared by the entire Simmons community. It implies that each segment has obligations based upon its specific function within the University.
Simmons University reserves the right to require the withdrawal of any student who does not maintain acceptable academic standing or modes of behavior as outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog, Graduate Catalog, Code of Conduct, Student Handbooks, Academic Integrity Policy, and other official publications.
Enrollment in a course implies an agreement between instructor and student. The instructor is obliged to teach, to evaluate student work, and to be available for conferences during designated office hours; the student is obliged to complete all work by the assigned deadlines, to attend all classes, and to devote sufficient out-of-class time to course material. Three hours spent out of class in preparation for every hour in class is a reasonable expectation. Attendance and punctuality are expected at all classes. While there are no established University-wide penalties for absences, the instructor may take attendance into account when evaluating the student’s performance in the course. In accordance with Massachusetts state law, no student will be penalized for absence due to religious observances.