Group Project 009E Final PDF

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BUS 5115 Assignment...

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Running head: BUSINESS ETHICS

Code of Conduct: University of The People Term 1 Group Activity (Unit 4 - 6) BUS 5115: Business Ethics Group 009E 1. Amarnath Hari 2. Maksym Levchenko 3. Naresh Walavalkar 4. Shubham Bansal University of the People

Student Email: Hidden Instructor: Todd Cooley

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RATIONALE

After extensive discussion and deliberation, our team has decided upon the following Code of Conduct for University of the People. We firmly believe that the policies below are most appropriate for use at the University of the People (UOPeople) based on our research as well as our own experiences at the university. This Code of Conduct is by no means meant to cover every possible scenario that the university students may face throughout their studies with UOPeople. Our team believes that the regulations, policies and procedures provided below cover the majority of the common situations that University of the People may encounter.

While researching the relevant materials for this group project, we studied and e xamined not only the codes of conduct of multiple universities but also various prominent businesses in order to gain a better grasp on what key elements must be included in such essential documents. Throughout the research we were able to glean extensive information from many sources, however we utilized the ideas and concepts expressed by other universities and education institutions since it was most applicable in our case. This Code of Conduct is for an educational institution in an online environment, and we discussed the sections that are appropriate to the format; while omitting the one which are in place for in-class universities. The core values of the university are opportunity, integrity, and quality, must be included in the code of Conduct (UoPeople, n.d.). As part of this process, we discussed the importance of

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employees and students feeling confident on the code which can be understood easily and cover the basic things like values of the university and things from ethical and discipline aspect. Based on the discussion and research, we have identified following points should be included in the Code of Conduct –

Mission, values, diversity and equal opportunity, supporting those with disabilities, plagiarism and academic misconduct, conflict of interests, harassment, reporting violations, sanctions, confidentiality and compliance Since its online university, we excluded some of the normal points like dress code and minimum attendance which are generally applicable to in-class universities.

Below you will find our proposed Code of Conduct for University of the People.

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Division of Labor

Amarnath: Assisted with co-coordinating group efforts throughout the weeks. Completed the confidentiality, compliance review process and conclusion portions of the code of conduct. Amarnath assisted with finalizing several versions of the Code of Conduct f or the group’s final approval.

Maksym: Helped coordinate team efforts for the project. Completed the introduction, mission, vision, values/goals and diversity sections of the project. Maksym gave feedback and proofread the drafts of the Code of Conduct to check for APA formatting.

Naresh: Helped cover the students and staff with disabilities portion of the project in addition to discussing the consequences for plagiarism and conflicts of interest. In addition to contributing to the content, Naresh proofread the document and made grammatical and structural contributions.

Shubham: Helped research, discuss and detail the harassment, sanctions and reporting procedures of UoP. On top of content contribution, Shubham provided proofreading expertise on the entirety of the Code of Conduct.

Each group member collaborated respectfully with one another and contributed a substantial portion of the work required to procure the final version of our Code of Conduct.

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Table of Contents Introduction........................................................................................................................... 6 Vision, Mission, Values and Goals......................................................................................... 7 Diversity, Affirmative Action & Equal Opportunity............................................................. 9 Supporting Those With Disabilities ..................................................................................... 10 Plagiarism and academic misconduct .................................................................................. 11 Conflicts of Interest ............................................................................................................. 12 Harassment.......................................................................................................................... 13 Reporting Violations............................................................................................................ 14 Sanctions.............................................................................................................................. 15 Confidentiality ..................................................................................................................... 16 Compliance .......................................................................................................................... 16 Review Process .................................................................................................................... 17 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 18 References............................................................................................................................ 19

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INTRODUCTION University of the People (UOPeople) is the first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited, online academic institution dedicated to providing higher education to individuals of all income brackets, races, genders and religious orientation. UOPeople offers Associate and Bachelor's degree programs in Business Administration, Computer Science and Health Studies in addition to graduate certifications across a variety of disciplines, such as Masters of Business, Masters of Education and a plethora of others. UOPeople has partnered with elite institutions such as Yale University, New York University, Cornell and many others in order to provide an incredible environment and support structure to help students succeed in their pursuit for a higher education and better life.

Letter from the President University of the People is a truly one-of -a-kind institution which aims to disrupt and revolutionize the world of education. The only thing that is constant in life is change. Education has remained far too stagnant over the centuries, it is time for an institution that fits your needs rather than vice versa. Our university aims to mold, shape and nurture learners that will graduate with a modern set of skills which is needed in the world today. The success of our students is our priority and we want to ensure to our courses, services and support are available and easily accessible to everyone. Every student at University of the People contributes to our multicultural and diverse online campus. We strive to give back to the community of the planet as much as it has given us.

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Vision, Mission, Values and Goals Vision Our university believes that higher education should be available and accessible to all members of the world, regardless of financial status or geographical location. We hold higher education to be a basic right as an individual, rather than a privilege. Education is the driving force behind societal progression, evolution and change (University of the People, n.d.). University of the People believes that a higher education helps us obtain a greater respect for each other and our environment. We strive to provide a learning experience which includes all the fundamental human freedoms, meanwhile promoting acceptance, tolerance and understanding.

Mission Our mission is to offer world-class education for all qualifying undergraduate and graduate students looking to enrich their education and life through our vast selection of accredited online degree programs.

Values • Community: University of the People strives to create a world-minded student body by offering its courses to every qualified student around the globe. We take pride in our multicultural and international student body. • Opportunity: Success is where hard work intersects with opportunity. We believe that people will work hard towards a goal that will improve their living situation. Our job is to provide our students with the opportunity to grow and show their skills and knowledge.

CODE OF CONDUCT: UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE • Integrity: Maintaining a high standard of honesty and transparency helps build trust between the institution and its partners and the student body. University of the People expects the students to accept the responsibility for their own education and actions throughout their studying years with UOPeople. The success of a student is directly proportional to the amount of work that they put into their education (University of the People, n.d.).

Goals Our institution aims to deliver a high-quality education to students of all backgrounds from all over the world through the use of: • Internet in order to eliminate the limiting factor of distance. • Financial assistance for students from a wide range of financial situations. • Offering world-class education at a minimal price. Create and procure excellent programs that: • Uphold a high academic standard. • Develop, nurture and push the students to expand their critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills in a multicultural setting. • Promote teamwork, exploration and contribution through the extensive use of collaborative assignments and assessments. Empower students to take charge of their future: • Help students understand their future opportunities and employment choices after graduating.

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• Provide occupation-related materials and information for students to explore their prospective futures after UOPeople. Make the most the institution’s financial resources through: • The use of volunteers to offer their expertise, time and passion to nurture and educate the cohorts of students. • Maintain a culture of giving back to the community of the world (University of the People, n.d.).

Diversity, Affirmative Action & Equal Opportunity Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is illegal to discriminate against student college applicants on the basis of race or gender (Department of Labor, n.d.). Although California has since then elected to now support affirmative action in the sense of specific racial or gender quotas, our institution strives to provide the opportunity of a higher education to any and all qualified individuals. University of the People admission officers must not make decisions based on an applicant’s gender, race, color, religion or national origin (Coenen, n.d.). Any officer that is found to be in violation of this guideline will be reprimanded by the Ethics Committee of University of the People.

University of the People is an equal opportunity employer. Under the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has the authority to sue in the federal courts when the Commission finds a reason to believe that employment discrimination has occurred based on color, race, sex, religion or national origin (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.). Additionally, the U.S.

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Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 forbids discrimination against staff, faculty, and students through racial segregation of students and/or staff (U.S. Department of Justice, n.d.).

University of the People has a diversification plan which specifies the institution’s goals and strategies that strive to pinpoint and eliminate any form of discrimination against any and all employees, potential employees, or students (Deloitte Development LLC, n.d.). Our university views diversity as an asset and strives to cultivate peers of a multi-cultural and international mindset.

Supporting Those with Disabilities This part of Code of conduct for students and employees with disabilities shows o ur zerotolerance policy for discrimination or prejudice towards students and/or staff that suffer from disabilities. An employee or student must not commit any form of abuse or harassment or exploitation based on an individual’s physical disability. An employee or student must also report cases of abuse or neglect and speak up if they suspect that abuse is occurring. We look forward to recruiting and enrolling people who share and model these behaviours and who will contribute to UoPeople ’s success in disrupting the online education industry. We treat our employees and students with dignity and respect and promote a safe and harassment-free environment for all. In our learning environment, everyone is entitled to respectful and dignified treatment. Any form of abuse, bullying or discrimination will not be tolerated.

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Always: • Show respect to others in all forms of communication • Treat all people fairly and without bias • Consider the potential impact of your actions on others

Never: • Treat people disrespectfully based on disabilities; • Maliciously harm the reputation of University of the People.

Plagiarism and academic misconduct Plagiarism is considered a form of intellectual theft and fraud , it is act of presenting someone else’s work as your own, intentionally or unintentionally and doing so without giving the credit to the original person. The requirement to acknowledge others’ work applies not only to text, but also to other media, image, graph or even source code etc. It applies equally to all published text in books, online resources and forums (Oxford University n.d.). It also applies to the use of your own previously completed assignments. UoP encourages all students to abstain from such practices and hence, suggests that all students work on their own assignments and whenever required, give the credit to the original owners. UoP will take serious initiative to monitor for plagiarism and will take the following course of action which will conclude with suspension or expulsion from the institution. • First violation: A warning will be issued by the course instructor; the student is issued a zero and a permanent note is added to the student’s record. (UoPeople Code of Conduct)

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• Second violation: Zero on the assignment or exam in question and may also receive a failing grade in the course. ( UoPeople Code of Conduct) • Third violation: Student is issued a failing grade in the course. (UoPeople Code of Conduct) If the student continues the violation, then the strict disciplinary action will be taken which can be dismissal from the university.

Conflicts of Interest University of People proudly showcases the diversity of the culture that is shared by the staff and students. We would like to remind all staff and students that they should in no way create issues by putting their own priorities and personal gain ahead of the university. We also understand that personal relationships may develop within the University.

Activities of your relatives and close associates may cause conflicts of interest to arise. We should not take part in or appear to take part in any decision that may put our own interest in conflict with the best interest of University of the People. At the same time the University values and recognizes the culture and integrity of its staff and students.

There are four major types of conflicts – financial, personal, contractual and professional. (Bano, n.d.) Disclosure of Interest: It is strongly recommended that any member of staff who becomes aware of any kind of interest, be it personal, financial, and other beneficial interest from the business carried out with the university must disclose the information as early as possible. For example, if an employee

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wants to conduct business which will supply services for the University, then he/she must declare the interest(s) to the University management by using the appropriate paperwork that is available in the administration office.

Managing Conflicts of Interest: As mentioned earlier, a staff or student must try his/her best to avoid any possible conflict(s) of interest. ● Bribery and Corruption: Employees must not accept direct or indirect financial rewards for engaging in an activity from anyone doing business with the university. ● Contracts and Other Services: While the university recognizes and promotes work with external bodies, at no point can a decision be made without the approval of management. ● Relationships between Employees and students: The university promotes strong academic relationships between the teaching staff and students and hopes that these bonds will benefit the students. However, employees are strongly advised to not develop a personal relationship with a student when they have a professional association e.g. teacher of existing or future student. In such a scenario, the conflict of interest must be reported to the Head of Department. Any conflicts of interests should be reported as early as possible to the management. Failure to do so will result in strict disciplinary action.

Harassment University of the People is a diverse international university where everyone is treated equal and everyone’s values, ethnicity, sex and beliefs are respected. We condemn any and all

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forms of discrimination and harassment. Harassment includes any unwanted actions which can be of a physical or verbal nature that offends or humiliates other individuals or groups. We expect our students to not engage in any form of harassment with regard to one’s gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, union affiliation, social or ethnic origin (Code of Conduct, n.d.).

Human dignity and showing others respect are of greatest importance to us. We are committed to the principles of respectful, fair and loyal treatment of one another. All are given the same chances concerning their engagement and their further personal development at the university. We expect everyone to contribute to a productive learning environment through a tolerant, polite and considerate treatment of each other. Due to the diverse nature at UoPeople, everyone is expected to have a positive and healthy relationship each other. Individuals are encouraged to respect the beliefs, ideas and traditions of others.

Reporting Violations UoPeople has zero tolerance for any form of harassment or discrimination and anyone who has been a victim of or witnessed such incidents should report this in the knowledge that it will be investigated swiftly and without prejudice (Keen ventures, n.d.). We have ensured a dedicated team, personally overlooked by our President, which addresses the incidents reported to us. Anyone who has been a victim of or witnessed ...