CPDA™ Ethical Integrity Policy

A. INTRODUCTION
The PPDM Association is committed to ethical integrity in all of its certification programs. PPDM requires that all candidates honor the principles of ethical integrity at all times.

B. ETHICAL MISCONDUCT
Ethical misconduct includes actions that have a negative effect on the integrity of the certification program. Offences of this nature are unacceptable. As ethical misconduct can take many forms, the following examples are provided for descriptive purposes and are not intended to constitute an exhaustive list.

It is expected that candidates will familiarize themselves with the actions that are defined as ethical misconduct and ethical dishonesty by PPDM. Candidates who are unclear about what might be considered ethical misconduct should consult PPDM.

1. Ethical Dishonesty - Ethical dishonesty is any deliberate attempt to gain advantage by deceiving the administration of PPDM or the Certification Committee. Ethical dishonesty may involve an individual or a group, and includes but is not limited to the following offences:
  1. Plagiarism - Plagiarism is claiming the words, ideas, or data of another person as if they were your own. This includes:
    1. copying another person’s work (including information found on the Internet and unpublished materials);
    2. presenting someone else’s work, opinions or theories as if they are your own;
    3. working collaboratively on an examination, and then submitting it as if it were created solely by you; or
    4. presents work for a PPDM course or program that in any way compromises the integrity of the evaluation process.

  2. Cheating - Cheating is ethical misconduct which arises during examinations or other evaluation process, including:
    1. using materials or aids not expressly allowed by the instructor in an examination or test, including but not limited to written or electronic material or any other item not authorized by the instructor;
    2. copying another person’s answer(s) to an examination or test question;
    3. consulting with another person or unauthorized materials during the examination period;
    4. improperly submitting an answer to a test or examination question unless specifically permitted by the examination format; or
    5. improperly obtaining, through deceit, theft, bribery, collusion or otherwise, access to examination paper(s) or set(s) of questions, or other confidential information.

  3. Misrepresentation of personal identity or performance - This includes:
    1. submitting stolen or purchased assignments or research;
    2. impersonating someone or having someone impersonate you in person, in writing or electronically. Both the impersonator and the individual impersonated (if aware of the impersonation) are subject to a penalty;
    3. falsely identifying oneself or misrepresenting one’s personal performance outside of a particular course, in a course in which one is not officially enrolled, or in the application process; or
    4. withholding or altering academic information, transcripts or documents.

  4. Submission of false information - This includes:
    1. making false claims or submitting altered, forged or falsified certificates or other documents to PPDM or the Certification Committee;
    2. submitting false statements, documents or claims in the ethical appeals or the ethical misconduct process;
    3. submitting false credentials to PPDM; or
    4. altering, in any way, documents issued by PPDM.
2. Contributing to Ethical Misconduct - Contributing to ethical misconduct is knowingly assisting someone to commit any form of ethical misconduct. This may include, but is not limited to:
  1. allowing work to be copied during an examination or test;
  2. offering, giving or selling answers to tests or exams; or
  3. unauthorized sharing of examination questions and/or answers.
3. Damaging, Tampering or Interfering with the Examination Environment - Obstructing and/or disturbing the activities of others during an examination is ethical misconduct. This involves altering the work of others in order to gain an advantage. Examples include:
  1. tampering with examination answers of others;
  2. stealing or tampering with any certification-related material.
4. Unauthorized Copying or Use of Copyrighted Materials - Intentionally failing to abide by the Copyright Act regarding the copying and use of textbooks, software, and other copyrighted materials is ethical misconduct. C. PENALTIES AND CONSEQUENCES FOR ETHICAL MISCONDUCT
The Certification Committee is responsible for reviewing potential ethical misconduct by candidates, and the assignment of penalties. The process of review and assignment of penalties is as follows:

1. Notice to the Candidate
The Certification Committee will send a notice to the candidate indicating that the candidate’s actions are being reviewed for potential misconduct.

2. Review by the Certification Committee and Assignment of Penalties
The Certification Committee will review the potential misconduct, and, if the Committee deems it appropriate, assign a penalty to the candidate.

The penalty imposed will take into account the severity and the specific circumstances of the misconduct. Once the Certification Committee has determined the appropriate penalty, the candidate will be notified. The following list represents the range of penalties that may be imposed:
  1. A grade of “Fail” may be assigned to the candidate for the certification.
  2. The candidate may be suspended from applying for entry into any PPDM certification programs for a specified period [e.g., one (1) or two (2) years].
  3. If the candidate has previously obtained any PPDM certifications, those certifications may be revoked.
  4. The candidate may be banned for life from taking any further PPDM certification programs.
3. Other Consequences
Depending on the nature of the misconduct, PPDM may take court action against the candidate, including civil or criminal charges.

Appeals
Appeals to penalties for ethical misconduct must be in writing and must be received by the Certification Committee in writing no more than thirty (30) days from the date the candidate receives an assignment of penalty.
Decisions will be made by the Certification Committee and will be based on the information and supporting documentation provided in writing by the candidate.