Work regulation of the Committee of academic ethics of Vilnius University of Applied Sciences

Academic Ethics Committee

Questions related to academic ethics can be submitted by e-mail.: rastine@viko.lt

The Chairwoman of the Academic Ethics Committee is Dr. Irma Šileikienė, Associate Professor at the  Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Electronics and Informatics

Members:

  1. Jolita Raupelienė, Lecturer at the Department of Fashion Design, Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies;
  2. Daiva Treznevičiūtė, Head of the Department of Studies at the Faculty of Health Care, Lecturer at the Department of Nursing;
  3. Dr. Irma Šileikienė, Associate Professor at the Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Electronics and Informatics;
  4. Jūratė Makauskienė, Lecturer at the Department of Social Welfare, Faculty of Pedagogy;
  5. Vilma Gudžiūnaitė, Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry and Food Technology, Faculty of Agrotechnologies;
  6. Dalia Karlaitė, Lecturer at the Department of Management, Faculty of Business Management;
  7. Laura Žarskienė, Lecturer at the Insurance Department of the Faculty of Economics;
  8. Smiltė Kozlovaitė, Student of the Faculty of Business Management;
  9. Jūris Dumčius, Student of the Faculty of Business Management.

By Order of the Rector of Vilniaus Kolegija / Higher Education Institution no. S-359 of 28 th May 2021 taking into account the Academic Ethics Committee’s recommendation of 27 th May 2021 regarding violations of the loyalty provision mentioned in clauses 6.2, 6.6 and clause 12 of the Code of Academic Ethics of Vilniaus Kolegija and in accordance with clause 41 and clause 42.2 of the Code of Academic Ethics of Vilniaus Kolegija, the 3rd year student of the Faculty of Electronics and Informatics was given a public warning.

PUBLISHED
By Resolution No V- of the Rector of Vilniaus Kolegija / University of Applied Sciences of April 2020
APPROVED
By Resolution No ATN-3 of the Academic Board of Vilnius University of Applied Sciences of 16 April 2020

 

WORK REGULATION OF THE COMMITTEE OF ACADEMIC ETHICS OF VILNIUS UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

SECTION I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

  1. The Work Regulation of the Committee of Academic Ethics (hereinafter – Committee) of Vilnius University of Applied Sciences (hereinafter – VK) (hereinafter – Regulation) determines the Committee’s composition, functions, organization of activities and other issues related to the Committee’s activities.
  2. The Committee’s activities shall be governed by the Code of Ethics of VK (hereinafter – Code), the Statute of VK, Rules of Work Procedure, resolutions of the Council and Academic Council of VK, and the Rector’s orders.

SECTION II
COMMITTEE’S COMPOSITION

  1. The Committee consists of nine members:
3.1. seven members shall be appointed by the Academic Council of VK upon submission of the faculties in the established procedure;
3.2. two members shall be appointed by the Student Representation.
  1. The Committee’s composition shall be approved by the order of the Rector of VK.
  2. The Committee shall be formed for the term of three years.
  3. Only a person of irreproachable reputation may be appointed to the members of the Committee. The same person cannot act as a Committee’s member for more than two successive terms.
  4. The Committee’s chairperson shall be elected in the first meeting of the Committee of a new term when at least 2/3 members of the Committee are present (secret vote, ordinary majority of votes). The chairperson of the Academic Council shall preside the first meeting of a new Committee. When a new chairperson is elected, that chairperson shall continue presiding the meeting.
  5. When a member of the Committee leaves the office/completes the studies or cannot continue to serve because of other reasons, a new member of the Committee shall be appointed in accordance with Clauses 3 and 4 of the Regulation.
  6. Duties of the Committee’s chairperson:
9.1. to accept written statements regarding possible violations of the Code’s provisions;
9.2. to convene and preside the Committee’s meetings;
9.3. to sign minutes and resolutions of the meetings and to safeguard correct reflection of the decisions made in the meetings in these documents.
  1. The Committee’s secretary shall be elected for the entire term or separately for each meeting. The decision shall be made by the agreement of the Committee in the first meeting of the new term.
  2. Duties of the Committee’s secretary:
11.1. to minute the meetings and to submit the minutes for registration in the office VK not later than within three business days after the meeting.
11.2. to perform other assignments of the Committee’s chairperson.
  1. Duties of the Committee’s member:
12.1. to participate in the Committee’s meetings;
12.2. to notify the Committee about possible conflict of interests that may be caused by examination of certain issue included into the meeting’s agenda, and to opt out from examination of certain issue;
12.3. to perform the functions assigned by the Committee;
12.4. to observe the principle of impartiality and objectivity;
12.5. to observe confidentiality and not to disclose the material under investigation.

SECTION III
COMMITTEE’S FUNCTIONS AND ORGANIZATION OF ITS ACTIVITIES

 

  1. The Committee acquires its powers and starts implementing the functions described in this Regulation when it gathers to the first meeting.
  2. The Committee’s chairperson shall organize the Committee’s work and be responsible for its activities.
  3. The Committee’s meetings shall be convened upon receipt of written statement about probable violation of ethics or in order to initiate amendments and corrections of the Code.
  4. The Committee’s meeting may be held in the remote mode. In such a case, the electronic communication means have to be selected that would ensure that the Commission’s member would receive information on time and could express his/her position.
  5. The statements regarding possible violations of the Code’s provisions shall be made in writing and submitted to the Committee’s chairperson. Only clearly formulated and signed statements shall be accepted. The statement shall be e-mailed to the Committee’s chairperson to rastine@viko.lt. Anonymous statements shall not be considered.
  6. The statements regarding possible violations of ethics of the academic community’s member of VK may be submitted to the Committee by members of the academic community of VK. The Committee shall not consider the statements regarding possible violations of ethics if more than one calendar year has passed from the possible commitment or earning about ethical violations until their notification. The Committee shall inform the person about its decision not to examine the statement not later than within 5 business days after receipt of that statement.
  7. The Committee’s meetings shall be convened and presided by the Committee’s chairperson. If the received statement is related to the Committee’s chairperson, the meeting shall be convened and presided by the oldest remaining member of the Committee. The Committee shall have the right to invite experts to its meetings.
  8. The Committee shall examine the statement, make decision and reply to the applicant in writing not later than within 30 calendar days from receipt of the statement. The examination period may be extended by reasoned decision of the Committee.
  9. The member of the academic community of VK, regarding whom the statement was received, shall be informed about its content and shall submit the written explanations within 5 business days after the notification. The Committee shall be entitled to make a decision if the member of the academic community, regarding whom the statement was received, refuses to submit or does not submit his/her explanations within the set term.
  10. The member of the academic community, regarding whom the statement was received, has the right to participate in the Committee’s meetings, where the statement related to him/her is examined.
  11. The Committee’s members must observe confidentiality and not disclose the material under investigation and/or information about such material until the investigation is not completed. The work material of the Committee shall be confidential. Only the Committee’s decisions shall be made public.
  12. If the Committee’s member is performing his/her duties probably improperly and/or uses the granted rights improperly, upon consent of the Committee’s members, the Committee’s chairperson may refer to the unit that has elected the member in question asking to reconsider his/her candidacy. If the unit acknowledges that the arguments on improper performance of the duties and/or improper use of the granted rights are substantiated, it shall refer to the Academic Council for recalling the Committee’s member from the office.
  13. The Committee’s meeting shall be valid if at least five members of the Committee are present.

SECTION IV
COMMITTEE’S DECISIONS

  1. Decisions in the meetings shall be made by open or secret vote (secret if requested so by at least one member participating in the Committee’s meeting).
  2. The Committee’s decisions shall be made by ordinary majority of votes. If the votes of participating members end in a tie, the vote of the Committee’s chairperson shall be decisive.
  3. The Committee’s decisions about possible sanctions are of recommendatory character and shall be submitted to the Rector of VK.
  4. If the Committee decides that the member of the academic community of VK has violated the Code of Academic Ethics, it shall suggest to the Rector of VK to apply the following sanctions, in consideration to the nature and degree of the violation:

29.1. personal warning (without disclosing publicly information about violation of ethics);

29.2. public warning (disclosing publicly information about violation of ethics);

29.3. disciplinary punishment provided in the laws of the Republic of Lithuania or in the documents governing procedure of studies at VK.

  1. Upon receipt of the statement of the member of the academic community of VK about possible violation of the Code committed by the Committee’s member, the Committee may decide to except that member from examination of the statement in the Committee’s meeting in the following cases:

30.1. the Committee’s member has referred to the Committee him(her)self or the request regarding his/her violation of the Code has been submitted;

30.2. the Committee’s member is related to the statement’s author or persons mentioned in the statement by employment relations of direct subordination;

30.3. the Committee’s member is related to the statement’s author or persons mentioned in the statement by close family connections;

30.4. in other unspecified cases when the members of the Committee decide that there is a ground for possible conflict of interests between the Committee’s member, the statement’s author and other persons mentioned in the statement, or for possibly biased decision.

  1. The Committee’s decision may be appealed to the Ombudsperson for Academic Ethics and Procedures of the Republic of Lithuania. The Ombudsperson shall make the decision in accordance with Paragraph 11 of Article 18 of the Law on Higher Education and Research of the Republic of Lithuania.

SECTION V
FINAL PROVISIONS

 

  1. All the procedural issues of the Committee’s activities not included into this Regulation may be resolved by individual agreement of the Committee’s members, upon submission of the Committee’s members.
  2. The Regulation shall come into force when it is approved by the Academic Council. The Committee may make suggestions to the Academic Council on amendment of the Regulation’s clauses.

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