Academic Integrity Process for Students

The following outlines what happens if a professor alleges that you violated the Academic Integrity Policy. Read the complete policy. Students may not withdraw from/drop a course while an academic integrity matter is pending.

Note: If a student is found responsible for two violations of the Academic Integrity Policy, the student will have a hearing with the Academic Integrity Committee to address the pattern of behavior. The committee may assign additional sanction(s) up to and including an Academic Integrity Dismissal from the University. Learn more about the hearing process for two or more violations.

If there is a suspicion of a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy:

1. The instructor will meet with the student to address the suspicion. During the meeting, the course instructor will share with the student the information that forms the basis for the suspicion and provide the student an opportunity to respond to the information. This meeting is closed to anyone other than those involved. At no time may legal counsel be present. No audio or other recording of an Academic Integrity meeting is permitted.
   After the discussion the instructor will:
   1. Determine that no violation of the Academic Integrity Policy has occurred and no further action will be taken and the matter is closed;
   2. Determine the action does not reach the level of an Academic Integrity Policy violation but an educational intervention, as determined by the instructor, must be completed by the student. Once the intervention is completed to the instructor's satisfaction, the matter is closed; or
   3. Determine the student is responsible for a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy.
2. The instructor will assign a sanction. After a determination of responsibility for a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is made, the instructor may consult with his or her department chair, school dean, the dean's designee for sanctioning advice, the School's point person for the policy (found on the Academic Integrity Portal Page), or the chair of the Academic Integrity Committee.
   If sanctions are required, the following may be assigned by the instructor:
   1. Academic Written Warning;
   2. Re-examination, re-writing the paper, re-producing the assignment by the student;
   3. Reduction in grade/score for the examination, paper or assignment; or
   4. Assigning a failing grade for the course.
3. The instructor will notify the student of the determination of responsibility and sanction. The instructor will notify the student of their determination of responsibility and sanction(s) by email within one week.
4. The instructor will file the determination of responsibility and sanction(s) and any associated documentation electronically within one week of the meeting with the student. Said material is submitted online via the Academic Integrity Portal page. Any narrative or support documents included in the filing of the report must be comprised of relevant, factual information only. Opinions and feelings should be omitted.
5. After the instructor files the determination, sanction(s), and associated documentation via the link available on the Academic Integrity Portal page, the Academic Integrity Committee chair will send an official University communication email with summary of the case to the student and request that he or she respond to the decision within one week of receipt of the email. Submitting instructors will also receive a copy of the communication.
   The student may indicate that he or she either:
   1. Accepts the decision and sanction; or
   2. Does not accept the decision or sanction and wishes to request an appeal.
      Failure to respond within the specified time will constitute automatic acceptance of the instructor's decision and sanction(s) by the student. 

Any findings of responsibility and associated sanctions for a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is retained per the University records policy.

A student who has been found responsible for violating the Academic Integrity Policy or has been academically dismissed by the Academic Integrity Hearing Committee may request an appeal of the decision of responsibility and/or sanction(s). The student must submit the appeal request electronically within one week of receipt of the official University communication (the summary letter from the chair of the Academic Integrity Committee). Directions indicating how to submit an appeal are included in the letter submitted to the student by the chair of the Academic Integrity Committee. Students may not withdraw from/drop a course while an academic integrity matter is pending. Any finding of responsibility and associated sanctions for a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is retained per the University records policy.

Criteria for Requesting an Appeal

The request for an appeal must demonstrate with sufficient detail how the grounds below apply to the situation. Documentation of all information and correspondence regarding the matter must be included. Appeal requests must be based on, and will only be considered on, one or more of the following grounds:

1. Process: The established process was not followed
2. Sanction: The sanction imposed was not consistent with the severity of the violation
3. New Information: Information is available now that was not available at the time of my meeting with the instructor/committee, which may substantially change the outcome.

Academic integrity appeal requests are reviewed by the chair of the Academic Integrity Committee. An academic integrity appeal hearing will be considered only on the ground(s) alleged by the student. The chair of the Academic Integrity Committee will consider the information contained in the appeal request and relevant information provided by the student in determining whether or not to proceed with the appeal process. The student will be notified of the status of his/her appeal request within one week of the submission of the Appeal Hearing Request Form.

Academic Integrity Appeal Committee and Attendance

If an appeal hearing is granted, the matter will be brought before the Academic Integrity Appeal Committee.

Committee Membership

1. Three faculty members who are trained in the Academic Integrity Hearing Procedures. The faculty members may not be from the same discipline as the appealing student or the same discipline of the instructor who assigned the original decision and/or sanction.
2. A student representative appointed by the coordinator of student conduct from those students who have been trained to participate in student conduct hearings. The student representative may not be from the same discipline as the appealing student nor the same discipline of the instructor who assigned the original decision and/or sanction.
3. The University registrar or designee is the administrative chair of the committee and votes only in the case of a tie.

Please Note: If the student is appealing an Academic Integrity Dismissal decision, the original administrative chair, faculty members and student representative may not serve on the Academic Integrity Appeal Committee.

Student’s Advocate

The student may ask for a faculty or staff member who is not a member of the committee to serve as his/her advocate in the Academic Integrity Appeal Process. The advocate is not allowed to speak directly to the committee and only serves to support and advise the student throughout the process.

Scheduling an Appeal Hearing 

The time, date, and location of the appeal hearing will be provided in an appearance letter and the student is expected to attend as directed. If the student has a conflict with the date and/or time of the meeting it is his/her responsibility to reschedule. The appeal hearing will take place in the appealing student’s absence if he/she fails to appear.

Appeal Hearing Procedures

When appealing an instructor’s decision, if the student and/or the instructor wishes to have a witness who has direct and first-hand knowledge of the violation in attendance at the hearing, the student and/or instructor must provide the administrative chair with the name and contact information of the witness(es) no later than one (1) business day prior to the scheduled hearing. It is the responsibility of the student and/or instructor to insure the witness(es) attend the hearing.

Other than the appealing student, the instructor who made the original decision and assigned the sanction, any witnesses, the Advocate, and the committee members, the appeal hearing is closed to all others. At no time may legal counsel be present. No audio or other recording of an Academic Integrity Appeal hearing is permitted.

1. The administrative chair of the Academic Integrity Appeal Committee will facilitate the hearing and be responsible for documenting the participants in attendance and decision of the committee.
2. The instructor and appealing student will present relevant information to the committee.
3. The appealing student and instructor may present witnesses who have direct and first-hand knowledge of the violation and produce materials for consideration. Witnesses may be asked questions by the appealing student, instructor, and committee members.
4. After reviewing all the documentation and information provided, everyone but the appeal committee will be excused and the committee will deliberate. By majority vote, the committee will make the decision to:
   1. Uphold the finding of responsibility and/or sanction
   2. Dismiss the finding of responsibility and/or sanction
   3. Uphold the finding of responsibility and impose a new sanction
   4. Academic Written Warning
      If sanctions are required, the following may be assigned by the committee:
      1. Reduction in grade/score for the coursework in question
      2. Assigning a failing grade for the course
      3. Administrative withdrawal of the student from the course with a recorded grade of “W” appearing on the student’s transcript
5. After a decision is made, the student, advocate, and instructor will be asked to return to the room, the decision will be read, and the hearing concluded. Appeal decisions made by the committee are final and not subject to further appeal.
6. The administrative chair will file the decision electronically within one (1) business day and the student will receive confirmation of the decision electronically within one week of the close of the appeal hearing.

Any finding of responsibility and associated sanctions for a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is retained per the University records policy.

If a student is found responsible for two violations of the Academic Integrity Policy, the student will have a hearing with the Academic Integrity Committee to address the pattern of behavior. The committee may assign additional sanction(s) up to and including an Academic Integrity Dismissal from the University. Any finding of responsibility and associated sanctions for a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is retained per the University records policy.

Academic Integrity Committee and Attendance

Committee Membership

1. Three faculty members who are trained in the Academic Integrity Hearing Procedures. The faculty members may not be from the same discipline as the student.
2. A student representative appointed by the coordinator of student conduct from those students who have been trained to participate in student conduct hearings. The student representative may not be from the same discipline as the student.
3. The University registrar or designee is the administrative chair of the committee and votes only in the case of a tie.
4. The administrative chair of the Academic Integrity Committee will facilitate the hearing and be responsible for documenting the participants in attendance and decision of the committee.

Student’s Advocate

The student may ask for a faculty or staff member who is not a member of the Academic Integrity Committee to serve as his/her advocate in the Academic Integrity Hearing Process. The advocate is not allowed to speak directly to the committee and only serves to support and advise the student throughout the process.

Other than the student, the advocate, and the committee members, the hearing is closed to all others. At no time may legal counsel be present. No audio or other recording of an Academic Integrity Hearing is permitted.

Scheduling the Hearing 

The time, date, and location of the Academic Integrity Hearing will be provided in an appearance letter and the student is expected to attend as directed. If the student has a conflict with the date and/or time of the meeting it is his/her responsibility respond and request to reschedule. The hearing will take place in the student’s absence if he/she fails to appear.

Academic Integrity Hearing Procedures

1. The administrative chair and the student will present relevant information to the committee.
2. After reviewing all the documentation and information provided, everyone but the committee will be excused and the committee will deliberate. By majority vote, the committee will make the decision to:
   1. Take no further action; or
   2. Impose a sanction
      If sanctions are required, the following may be assigned by the committee:
      1. Academic Written Warning;
      2. Academic Written Warning and Educational Sanction; or
      3. Academic Integrity Dismissal from the University
3. After a decision is made, the student, and advocate will be asked to return to the room, the decision will be read, and the hearing concluded. Decisions of an Academic Warning or Academic Warning and Educational Sanction are final and may not be appealed. Students may appeal a sanction of Academic Integrity Dismissal through the Academic Integrity Appeal Process.
4. The administrative chair will record the committee's decision within one (1) business day and the student will receive confirmation of the decision by email within one week of the close of the hearing.

Other than the appealing student, the advocate, the administrative chair from the meeting at which the Academic Integrity Dismissal was assigned, and the committee members, the appeal hearing is closed to all others. At no time may legal counsel be present. No audio or other recording of an Academic Integrity Appeal hearing is permitted.

1. The administrative chair of the Academic Integrity Appeal Committee will facilitate the hearing and be responsible for documenting the participants in attendance and decision of the committee. The administrative chair from the original meeting at which the Academic Integrity Dismissal was assigned (the "original administrative chair") will serve as the complainant.
2. The original administrative chair and the appealing student will present relevant information to the committee.
3. After reviewing all the documentation and information provided, everyone but the appeal committee will be excused and the committee will deliberate. By majority vote, the committee will make the decision to:
   1. Uphold the sanction of Academic Integrity Dismissal; or
   2. Dismiss the sanction of Academic Integrity Dismissal and assign a new sanction
      If sanctions are required, the following may be assigned by the committee: 
      1. Academic Written Warning
      2. Academic Written Warning and Educational Sanction
      3. No further action
4. After a decision is made, the student, advocate, and original administrative chair will be asked to return to the room, the decision will be read, and the hearing concluded. Appeal decisions made by the appeal committee are final and not subject to further appeal.
5. The administrative chair will record the committee’s decision electronically within one (1) business day and the student will receive confirmation of the decision by email within one week of the close of the appeal hearing.

Any finding of responsibility and associated sanctions for a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is retained per the University records policy.