5. Procedure for a Student to Report an Academic Violation

Instructors are required to report any academic integrity violations they detect in their classes. This information is kept on file until students graduate in order to determine if multiple infractions have occurred.

  1. As soon as an academic integrity violation is identified, the instructor shall contact the student to schedule an in-person meeting to discuss the basis for the suspected violation and the sanctions to be imposed according to the Academic Integrity Policy Statement (see section VI). For charges at the end of the spring semester, when there may not be an opportunity to meet with the student, this process may be completed by teleconference. However, discussions over electronic mail may be disadvantageous to students in regards to comprehension and educational value. Therefore, in the event that an in-person meeting or teleconference is not immediately feasible, the process can be put on hold until classes resume. If a meeting with the student will be held in the fall instead, this should be determined by the instructor, with consultation from the respective chair of the AIC, before the June deadline for finalizing NGRs; at that point, the chair can ask that this period be extended if given sufficient details from the faculty member.
  2. Prior to meeting with the student, the instructor shall fill out an Academic Integrity Violation Report and attach the appropriate documentation, including the syllabus.
  3. During their initial meeting, both the instructor and student will sign the report. When signing the report, the student will be asked to either
    1. acknowledge that they have committed a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy and accept the instructor’s sanctions, or 
    2. indicate that they intend to challenge the instructor’s claim that they have committed an academic integrity violation. The student cannot challenge the instructor’s sanction for the offense (see sections G-J: The Student Challenge and Case Review).

      Failure of the student to sign the report without an expressed challenge made to the instructor’s claim shall be deemed an acknowledgement of the violation and an acceptance of the sanctions. 
  4. Immediately following the meeting, the Academic Integrity Violation Report and documentation will be sent directly to the chair of the AIC. The chair of the AIC will then notify the committee members that an Academic Integrity Report has been filed, and apprise the members of the student’s signed statement.
  5. If the student has signed an affirmative statement of violation and acceptance of the instructor’s sanctions in accordance with this Policy Statement, the dean’s office of the student’s home college/school will be notified as such. Under this circumstance, no case review by the AIC will be held, and the case report is sent directly to the dean/associate dean of the student’s home college/school.
  6. When a charge is challenged, the instructor will file a grade of NGR pending the actions of the AIC and notification from the AIC chair of any relevant sanction (i.e., an F for the course; see section VI) that is imposed by the dean/associate dean of the home college/school.

The Student Challenge and Case Review

  1. If the student indicates on the Academic Integrity Violation Report that they intend to challenge the instructor’s claim, they must declare that intent to the AIC chair in a separate written statement within two weeks after the report is received. This challenge declaration must include a descriptive statement that explains the student’s reasons for the challenge. The student cannot challenge the instructor’s sanction for the offense.
  2. Upon receipt of the student’s declaration to challenge, the AIC chair in consultation with the department/area chair or program director will seek a second reviewer in order to conduct a blind review of the Academic Integrity Report and the student’s letter. The second reviewer should be a member of the department or interdisciplinary program from which the report originated and will submit their evaluation to the chair of the AIC. A second reviewer from outside the University will be consulted only when circumstances warrant.
  3. Upon receipt of the second reviewer’s evaluation, the chair shall schedule a case review (see section III) with the AIC members.
  4. The AIC will review the case materials and the student’s written statement (see section IV, G). After reviewing these, the committee will deliberate and vote on whether a violation has occurred. The AIC chair will notify the student, the instructor, and, in cases of an affirmative vote, the dean/associate dean of the student’s home college/school of the committee’s evaluation.

Administration of Sanctions

  1. Upon receipt of the AIC case report (accepted charges) or at the completion of the AIC review (challenged charges), an assistant or associate dean of the student’s home college/school will meet with the student to discuss the evaluation of the AIC case review and impose the sanctions described in section VI according to the level of offense. During this meeting, the student will be warned of sanctions for any future offenses.

Record Keeping

  1. The AIC will keep for its records and analysis all reports and actions taken by the committee. These records are education records and subject to federal rules and regulations outlined in FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). Records kept for the purpose of analysis and program evaluation by the AIC will have all personal identifying information removed.