Douglas T. Breeden - Duke University's Fuqua School of Business

the essential principles of trust and integrity
On June 1, Dean Douglas T. Breeden
announced that appeals by twentyfour
students accused of violating
Fuqua’s Honor Code were denied. The
announcement brought to a close the
penalty phase of the most serious
cheating incident in Fuqua’s history.
The Honor Code violations drew
wide media coverage, extending to
outlets around the world. Dean
Douglas T. Breeden has noted that
press accounts on certain aspects of
this case contained a number of inaccuracies.
Federal privacy laws prevent
Fuqua from rebutting specific statements
in the media. However, Dean
Breeden added that those who have
received the harshest penalties
(expulsion or suspension) come from
three continents and represent both
foreign and domestic students.
In a message to the Fuqua community,
Dean Breeden said, “This has
been a regrettable time at Fuqua, but
it also provides us with a valuable
reminder that our Honor Code is what
unites us across the diverse nationalities
and cultures that we welcome
here at Fuqua. The Honor Code is the
embodiment of the essential principles
of trust and integrity that are the
essence of our collaborative and distinctive
environment. We will always
cherish and protect those principles.”
Dean Breeden recognized the continuing
need for Fuqua to be proactive
in working with alumni, corporate
recruiters, and current and prospective
students to address any lingering
concerns over the Honor Code violations.
That process is expected to continue
through the coming months.
12 exchange
Dean Breeden added, “I would also
say that we are pleased by the support
of leaders of many other top universities
in our handling of these issues and
by the good that they are trying to do in
their schools in discussing and learning
from our experience at Duke.”
Going forward, Fuqua will review its
Honor Code to ascertain whether
changes are warranted. “The violations
of this spring were a test of sorts for
the Honor Code,” said Bill Boulding,
associate dean of the Daytime MBA
program. “While the principles that
form the foundation of the Honor Code
are constant, we’re obligated to review
all of our policies and procedures on an
ongoing basis. Because students and
faculty jointly own the Honor Code, I
expect both groups to deeply engage in
this review.”
Boulding added that the review
process would include a look at how
Fuqua makes its incoming students
aware of the Honor Code’s requirements:
“The Honor Code is an essential
part of the orientation process
for new students and the overall academic
experience. We want to always
be sure that all our students are
aware of the Honor Code and if there
are new ways to ensure that the
requirements of the Honor Code are
communicated effectively, we want to
explore those options.”
Fuqua has received statements of
support for its handling of the Honor
Code violations from business leaders,
journalists, and academics.
Donald and Thomas McCabe of
Rutgers University have analyzed
cheating among college students in
recent years. Writing in The Bergen
(New Jersey) Record in the wake of the
Honor Code violations, they noted
that the incident “will serve only to
underscore how serious Duke is about
student integrity and communicate
the message that student dishonesty
can have significant consequences.”
The two professors “applaud Duke
for its willingness to endure the current
media attention, and we are confident
it is the best choice in the long
run. It is also a good example for
other business schools, especially
those which might avoid similar publicity
by sweeping cheating incidents
under the rug. This may prevent the
media from learning about such problems,
but students will quickly conclude
there are no real consequences
for dishonesty on campus—and perhaps
not in the real world either.”
Fuqua’s alumni has made its feelings
known through e-mails and phone calls
to the school, expressing disappointment
that the cheating took place and
supporting the difficult decisions of
denying the appeals.
“We heard from many in our alumni
community who felt strongly about
the Honor Code violations,” said
Elizabeth Hogan, Fuqua’s director of
alumni relations. “Our alumni value
their Fuqua experiences and feel a
strong connection to the school. They
don’t want to see Fuqua’s image tarnished
in any way. Perhaps most
importantly, the feedback we received
after the penalties were upheld was
overwhelmingly positive, and people
were pleased to see the integrity of
the Honor Code itself preserved.”