Academic Integrity

After the faculty member has submitted the Incident Report Form:

The faculty member shall assign a grade of “zero” for the assignment.

The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs in conjunction with the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost for Teaching, Learning, and Student Success shall send a written warning via the student’s College email (personal email if not assigned) and notification of the report of the first violation to the student, explaining the nature of the violation with a warning that a second academic integrity violation will result in a failing grade, even if it occurs in a class different from the first violation and in a different term. Faculty members shall be copied on this letter.

This notice shall create a violation of academic integrity record for the student and serve as the student’s first academic integrity violation and warning. If a student is reported for a second violation, the student must attend a meeting with the reporting faculty member and the coordinator, chair, or dean of the department to discuss the charge. If the student is found responsible for a second violation of academic integrity, it will result in a failing grade for the course in which the student commits the second violation. The student will not have the option to withdraw or change status to audit once the incident report has been submitted. The Office Student Rights and Responsibilities in conjunction with the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost for Teaching, Learning, and Student Success will then notify the student in writing via the student’s College email (personal email if not assigned) of the attendant penalty for a second violation, and copy the instructor as well. The instructor will then issue an F for the course in which the second violation occurred.

If the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost for Teaching, Learning, and Student Success and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs finds that a student has committed three or more academic integrity violations, the student will be notified in writing of the allegation and the attendant penalty for this third violation. If the student is found responsible for this third violation of academic integrity, the Assistant Vice President for Curriculum, Programs and Regulation in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost for Teaching, Learning and Student Success, will notify the faculty member, who will issue an F for the course in which the third violation occurred. A third violation will result in a judicial record and possible suspension. The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs will contact the student to initiate the student conduct process noted in Section 6—Student Conduct Process of the Student Code of Conduct.

Students have the right to appeal any decision which results in sanctions and/or disciplinary action for Academic Integrity.

A student may appeal the grade sanctions imposed by the faculty member to the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost for Teaching, Learning, and Student Success, by completing an Academic Integrity Appeal Form online. The appeal must be submitted within seven business days of the date the student is informed of the decision. The notification of the appeal may be delivered in person or by student email. The student is responsible for ensuring that timelines are met. For the purposes of delivering appeals, business days shall be considered Monday through Friday.

If further non-academic sanctions were imposed by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, a student may appeal to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, by completing an Academic Integrity Appeal Form online. The appeal must be submitted in writing within seven business days of the date the student is informed of the decision. For this appeal, the student must establish the basis for the appeal to include a student’s right to due process or the severity of the determined sanction. The notification of the appeal may be delivered in person, or by student email. The student is responsible for ensuring that timelines are met. For the purposes of delivering appeals, business days shall be considered Monday through Friday.

The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs shall follow the relevant provisions governing disciplinary proceedings in the Student Code of Conduct. In cases involving an appeal to an academic integrity violation, a final decision will be made jointly by the Executive Vice President and Provost for Teaching, Learning and Student Success and the Vice President for Student Affairs.

A faculty or staff member who suspects plagiarism or cheating has occurred is responsible for gathering all evidence supporting the allegation of plagiarism/cheating within 15 business days after discovering the suspected violation. Once the faculty member has obtained the evidence, the faculty member shall confer with the student to discuss the alleged violation. At that conference, via telephone, email, or in person, the faculty member must present the evidence that supports the suspected violation.

If, after conferring with the student, the faculty member determines that the evidence supports the charge of plagiarism/cheating and/or the student admits to the charge of plagiarism/cheating, the faculty member shall complete and submit an Incident Report Form with accompanying documentation in the student conduct management system which routes the form to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities and copies the form to the Provost’s Office. Any subsequent appeals and documentation submitted through the student conduct management system follow the same routing destinations.

The student shall be given the opportunity to admit to or refute the charge of plagiarism/cheating based on the evidence provided. The student has the right to appeal any faculty member's decision that may result in sanctions. If the student wishes to appeal, they must use the incident reporting portal – appeal form number 8 the instructor’s decision, s/he may appeal to the academic discipline-specific Coordinator; if the student wishes to appeal the Coordinator's decision, the student may appeal to the Department Chair. This is the student’s final appeal.