Poster Tips and Pointers

As part of the "True Stories" campaign for the Smeal Honor Code, posters positioned around the building describe real-life ethical dilemmas.

These incidents, reported by Smeal students, have been captured in posters in order to build awareness and start a conversation about integrity.

Discover tips for handling these difficult moments below.

There’s a job posting for my target company, but I don’t have the minimum GPA.  I’m confident a paper I have coming up will push my GPA over the requirement, however the deadline for the job posting is today. What do I do?

When faced with such a tough situation, you have several options:

Not submit

One option is to not submit for the job posting. Because your GPA does not meet the minimum requirement, you could opt to forego trying to work for your target company or look for other connections to secure a position.

Submit your expected GPA

Submitting your resume, cover letter, and the GPA you believe you will have is one choice you could make to handle this situation. By not submitting your current GPA, you are misrepresenting yourself as a viable candidate. The recruiter could ask to view your transcript and find that your GPA is actually not what you stated, leading to you being removed from the applicant pool. Further consequences could include loss of on-campus recruiting privileges.

Submit your current GPA

You could submit your resume, cover letter, and GPA for the job posting as is, despite not meeting the minimum GPA requirement. While companies have a minimum requirement and may hold applicants to it, there is a chance that the company recruiter will see how close you are to the required GPA and waive the requirement. There is also the risk that you will not be selected for the position based on your GPA.

Seek Guidance

An additional alternative would be to speak to the individuals in Career Services and ask for their advice on the situation. The Career Services staff know the recruiters and can tell you exactly what they are looking for in candidates and how heavily they weigh GPA requirements. Additionally, you may be able to obtain contact information for the recruiter and alert them to your situation and your expected increase in GPA so they have the full picture of you as a potential candidate.

I have an upcoming class presentation, but I am juggling school, my job search, and personal obligations. I have a previous course presentation that would fit the guidelines and would save me a lot of time. What do I do?

When faced with such a tough situation, you have several options:

Use the presentation

You could decide to use the previous presentation since it fits the criteria set forth by your current professor. While using the presentation would save you time, it may have detrimental effects in the long run. Submitting any assignment that has been submitted for credit in a prior class without the knowledge and permission of the instructor is a violation of the Penn State Academic Integrity code and the Smeal College of Business Honor Code. Academic sanctioning may range from a failing grade on the assignment to a failing grade in the course.

Seek Guidance

You could talk with your professor and explain the various responsibilities you are juggling and ask for permission to use your previous presentation. Be prepared to explain how the presentation is applicable to the current course and how it fits the established guidelines. You should understand that there are a range of outcomes that can result from your discussion. The professor could allow you to use the presentation after seeing how it fits the course guidelines. The professor could ask you to modify the presentation to ensure it is not exactly like the one you previously presented and to see that you put some additional effort into the deliverable. Finally, the professor has the right to require you to create a new presentation. While this may seem unfair, you could ask the professor if you could utilize the same research you previously used to save you some time on your new presentation. No matter what the outcome may be, talking openly with your professor about the deliverable ensures that you are not in violation of the Smeal College of Business Honor Code.

The Buzz has just begun and students from Section B are leaving for a quiz. I overhear two students from Section B discussing the questions with a student from Section A who is scheduled to take the quiz in 15 minutes. What do I do?

When faced with such a tough situation, you have several options:

Participate

You could choose to join the group of students. If you’ve already taken the quiz you could offer “tips” to those getting ready to take the quiz or if you haven’t taken the quiz, you could gather information with the others. While this may score you additional points on the quiz, by actively engaging in cheating, you are undermining your own education and making it unfair for other students. You are placing yourself in a risky position as this behavior conflicts with the Smeal Honor Code and could result in serious sanctions if brought to the attention of the professor or the MBA Academic Integrity Committee.

Walk Away

Another option is to walk away. You choose not to partake in the wrongful exchange, but you do not take action to stop the cheating. With this choice you are enabling the group of students to gain an unfair advantage on the quiz and to most likely continue this behavior on future exams. You may also be creating the appearance of impropriety to others who may be viewing the situation and may view you as a silent observer.

Say Something

Though some students may feel uncomfortable addressing their peers on sensitive matters, you have the option to say something to the students. You may want to mention that it’s probably not a good idea to be giving or gathering quiz information. You may also want to address the students and tell them that their behavior is troublesome and raises some doubts. This may or may not deter the students from engaging in cheating, but you have taken an active role in trying to stop the problem.

Report

A final alternative is to report the behavior of the students. There are several people that you can reach out to if you do choose to report. With this choice you are turning the case over to the professor or the Director of Leadership & Integrity to address your concern. You are demonstrating that you are not only accountable for your own personal integrity, but also for the integrity of the Smeal community.

Money is tight as Mod III begins and I need an $80 course pack for one of my classes. One of the second years overhears me talking about the price of the course pack and offers me his from last year. What do I do?

When faced with such a tough situation, you have several options:

Use the course pack

Money is tight and you are preparing to leave for global immersion in a few weeks. You could opt to use the second year’s course pack from last year. While the content could have changed and you may be missing reading material for the course, this is the least expensive option to choose. Choosing this option is a copyright violation and is illegal under state and federal laws. When students purchase course packets, they are purchasing the right to the sole use of the materials, not the use of the materials by multiple students. The same applies to case studies and software.

Politely Decline

Another option you have is to speak up. Perhaps the student who offered you the course pack is unaware that allowing another student to utilize their course pack is a copyright violation. Reminding others about the policy is a preventative measure that adds value to the Smeal community.