Built upon Peter Cooper’s vision of education, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science andArt from its inception has been dedicated to the highest ethical standards. The School of Architecture, founded on principles of independent and exploratory thought, maintains that individual creativity within a willing community is a profoundly social act. In fostering a context of intellectual rigor, the program gives emphasis to a broad spectrum of cultural and ethical concerns which are of significance in the preparation of students for a professional degree and their role in society as practicing professionals of intelligence, creativity and integrity.

Authorship
Acts of academic dishonesty are extremely serious violations of both the spirit and the substance of this community. The Academic Standards Committee of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture will review acts of academic dishonesty including cheating, plagiarizing or the submission of work that has not been prepared by the person claiming authorship. Such acts are viewed as an extremely serious violation,punishable by probation, suspension or dismissal. The action of the Academic Standards Committee in such cases will become part of the student’s permanent academic record.

The Studios / Studio Culture
Central to maintaining a creative environment for intellectual investigation and intuitive exploration are the shared design and computer studio spaces on the third and seventh floors of the Foundation Building.

In the studios, students work together as a community of individuals. Here, students and faculty from all years engage in a process of rigorous inquiry, discussion and critique, freely sharing knowledge, ideas and methodologies. Students study the principles and works of architecture that have contributed to the betterment of the human condition in the development of their own projects. Students of the upper years serve as mentors for the lower years. Diversity and balance are critical values in generating an academic ambiance where humanistic ideals and ethical views serve as a constant reference for individual growth and development. The social and intellectual environment thus created is considered a vital part of the students’ experience at The Cooper Union.Students are required to be present in studio for all hours that their design studio meets and to develop their work in the studio.

Students should be aware of and observe all policies and conditions for the use of the studios, including hours of access. Studio use policies and responsibilities are distributed at the beginning of each academic year.

Annual Exhibition of Student Work
The End of Year Show is a major event of the School ofArchitecture,exhibiting the work developed during the previous academic year to the academic and professional communities and the public at large. It is an opportunity to present the pedagogical framework of the school and faculty and to celebrate the rigor and diversity of the student work.

The exhibition occupies the lobbies, halls and classrooms of the third and seventh floors, and the Houghton Gallery. Preparation of these spaces and hanging the work is a tremendous task that must be accomplished in the very short period of time between the end of classes and commencement. Students of all years are required to make requested projects available for the exhibition and are expected to fully participate in the installation.

In addition to making their work available for the Annual Exhibition, individual student work may be requested for other purposes (other exhibitions, accreditations, etc.). Students are required to provide requested projects or other materials, which will be returned to them in a timely manner. While student work is to be available for these purposes,work produced by students as part of their coursework remains their property.

Students are required to sign a release form at the start of their studies granting the school permission to use, copy, publish or distribute, perform or publicly display, create derivative works, and incorporate into compilations or collective works the works of authorship created during their enrollment as a student at Cooper Union in any form, format or media now known or later developed or created in the future, for educational purposes and for promoting, marketing and advertising Cooper Union and its educational services worldwide, without compensation. The student retains the copyright to the work.