Colleges include academic honesty and integrity in the code of conduct to create a fair learning environment for students. Coursework completed at the college level must be your own work. For example, you can't pay someone to do a project for a class and claim it as your work. Academic integrity also precludes cheating on assignments or exams. Cheating includes copying off of another person's answers, buying exam answers and using unauthorized aids on the test.
Colleges expect students to behave respectfully in all situations. You represent the university wherever you go. Campus visitors judge the college based on what they see from students. Seeing disrespectful behaviors leaves visitors with a bad impression of the college. Part of being a respectful, positive representative of your university is being honest on forms, to professors and to others you meet. The code of ethics might specifically list actions that are considered disrespectful, harmful or a poor representation of the university, including hazing, fighting, damaging school property, harassing others or misusing university resources.
Many colleges outline appropriate and inappropriate relationships in the code of ethics. A violation typically occurs when one person has power or authority over the other, such as a professor/student relationship. The professor's power over the student's grades makes a relationship inappropriate. The same is true for supervisors and employees in a student work position on campus. The personal involvement undermines the professional relationship that should occur. Accusations of favoritism can also occur.
The university and individual instructors set rules and guidelines for behavior. Students who live on campus are subject to more rules in the dorms. The code of ethics asks students to follow university rules. But respecting rules goes beyond the college. Students must also follow local, state and federal laws. For example, underage drinking is a legal violation that violates the code of ethics. Even if you are of legal drinking age, the university may ban alcohol on campus.