Biomedical Engineering Graduate Student Code of Conduct

Purpose & Scope: This policy applies to all master’s and doctoral students, and informs expectations for faculty advisors, research staff, postdoctoral researchers, and administrative staff. The policy sets shared expectations for a safe, respectful, inclusive, and ethical academic and research environment across labs, classrooms, clinics, conferences, and online spaces. It covers day-to-day conduct, research practices, mentoring relationships, TA/GRA responsibilities, dispute resolution, and enforcement. Violations of the code of conduct could results in disciplinary actions such as warnings, removal from activities, up to and including employment termination.

Core Commitments

·       Respect & Safety: UT Austin BME is committed to a harassment-free environment for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity/expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, appearance, race/ethnicity, religion (or none), or technology choices. This commitment is upheld in all venues, including classes, labs, meetings, and social events.

·       Professionalism & Collegiality: Interactions should be supportive, equitable, accessible, encouraging, and respectful, with awareness of power imbalances (e.g., advisor–student, senior–junior).

·       Ethics & Integrity: Students and mentors uphold professional ethical codes, legal/regulatory requirements, and the highest standards of research integrity and stewardship of the scholarly record.

Expected Behaviors

·       Professional conduct: Be courteous; communicate clearly; recognize diverse cultural backgrounds; schedule thoughtfully; and maintain appropriate boundaries in all roles.

·       Research integrity: Conduct research honestly and thoroughly, maintain meticulous and accurate records, and present data, methods, and code with integrity; exercise due diligence and fair citation/authorship.

·       Mentoring relationships: Establish clear, shared expectations for goals, feedback cadence, authorship criteria, working hours, vacation, and health contingencies; advisors should not pressure trainees to support preferred hypotheses.

·       Professional growth: Take ownership of training; communicate proactively with mentors/committees; pursue development; and demonstrate professional values and behaviors.

Unacceptable Behaviors: Harassment (including intimidation, stalking, or unwelcome sexual attention); violent or inappropriate physical or verbal interactions; research misconduct (fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, undisclosed conflicts of interest); abuse of authority or boundary violations, including retaliation; and disruptive or disrespectful conduct in classrooms, meetings, labs, or online spaces.

Advisor–Advisee Partnership

·       Advisor responsibilities: Set explicit expectations and goals; meet regularly; give timely feedback; discuss workloads, vacations, and health contingencies; avoid over-assignment beyond TA/GRA appointments; provide early authorship criteria; discuss plagiarism; support meeting participation; write timely recommendations and annual reviews.

·       Graduate student responsibilities: Own progress; communicate proactively; develop research/writing/presentation skills; seek mentoring beyond the primary advisor when needed; act ethically and professionally.

TA Workload and Boundaries: TA duties must have explicit expectations each semester; TA execution time must not exceed the appointed hours (typically 20 hrs/week) and should not displace academic research necessary for degree progress. Instructors should flag time-intensive phases in advance so students can plan around peaks (e.g., grading weeks). Failure of the student to execute their TA duties in a professional manner could result in the loss of the ability to TA again.

Professional & Digital Conduct Beyond Campus: This Code of Conduct applies to conduct occurring on campus, as well as conduct occurring off campus when the conduct substantially affects a person’s education or employment with UT BME or poses a risk of harm to members of the University community. This includes conferences, workshops, social events, and online media associated with UT Austin BME or a student’s scholarly identity.

Procedures for Addressing Violations: This section outlines the possible consequences for violations of the Code of Conduct.

·       Informal Review and Letter of Instruction (LOI): Initiated for concerns not warranting formal disciplinary action. Student meets with advisor or program representative and the (LOI) outlines the concerns, expectations, and timeline. Student may respond in writing and request clarification. Documentation is retained in the student’s program file.

·       Formal Review: Triggered by more serious concerns or failure to meet LOI expectations. Student is placed on probation with written notice and mediation plan. Restrictions may apply (e.g., specified work location or hours). Progress reviewed by graduate advisor and GSC executive committee.

·       Employment Termination: Initiated for failure to meet probation terms or serious violations (e.g., threatening or endangering behavioral misconduct). Student receives written notification and may request a final meeting. Documentation includes summaries of prior reviews and/or the justifications for termination.

Note: The procedures outlined above are separate from and may run concurrently with procedures conducted through the Title IX Office, the Dean of Students, the office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity, UTPD, or any other oversight bodies at UT Austin.

Reporting & Resources at UT Austin

·       UT central reporting hub: Report Violence, Misconduct, Harassment, or Discrimination: https://www.utexas.edu/campus-life/report-misconduct

·       UT Police Department (UTPD): Emergency 911; Non‑emergency 512‑471‑4441 ext. 9: https://police.utexas.edu/contact

·       Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL): 512‑232‑5050 (24/7) — https://bcal.utexas.edu/

·       Title IX Office (report online or by phone 512‑471‑0419) — https://titleix.utexas.edu/file-a-report

·       Department of Investigation and Adjudication (DIA): File a discrimination/harassment complaint; 512‑471‑3701; dia@austin.utexas.edu — https://compliance.utexas.edu/programs/dia

·       Student Ombuds (confidential): 512‑471‑3825 — https://ombuds.utexas.edu/student

·       Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC): Main 512‑471‑3515; 24/7 Crisis Line 512‑471‑2255 — https://www.healthyhorns.utexas.edu/cmhc/

·       Research Integrity & Compliance (incl. COI program) — https://research.utexas.edu/resources/research-integrity-and-compliance