Procedure for Academic Dishonesty Cases

An instructor identifies an incident of academic dishonesty:

1. The instructor completes the Disposition for Alleged Academic Dishonesty form.

2. The instructor meets with the student to discuss incident and present supporting documentation.

a. OPTION A: STUDENT ACCEPTS SANCTION GIVEN BY INSTRUCTOR

i. The student selects Option A and signs and dates the Disposition form, accepting that the student is accused of violating academic standards and accepting the sanction given by the instructor at the course level. If the student refuses to sign the document, or meet with the instructor, then the instructor may note “student refused to sign” on the signature line, and the instructor’s original sanction will be upheld.

ii. The record of the case is sent to the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, who adds the case to the Academic Dishonesty database AND checks the student’s record within the database for other incidents of academic dishonesty.

iii. Repeat offenses, as determined by the Assistant VPAA, will automatically trigger a review at the university level, which will determine the appropriate additional penalties given. The university level review will be led by an administrative committee consisting of the Assistant VPAA; a program chair or Dean from within the student’s major, OR, if the student has not declared a major, the Vice President for Student Development; and a Dean from outside the school that is reporting the incident. Deans will serve on this administrative committee on a rotating basis.  When the university level review is complete, the Assistant VPAA will inform the student, in writing, of any additional penalties to be imposed. If the student is found to be at fault, they may receive additional penalties beyond the course-level sanctions, up to and including academic probation or dismissal from the university.

iv. If the student wishes to appeal the Administrative Committee’s additional penalties, they may do so directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs within two weeks of receiving the Administrative Committee’s decision. The VPAA will review all documentation associated with the case (provided by the Assistant VPAA) AND meet with the student prior to making a final decision.

b. OPTION B: STUDENT APPEALS INSTRUCTOR’S DECISION

i.  The student appeals the case by selecting Option B of the Disposition form and signing and dating the document. The student must sign the document if they wish to appeal the instructor’s decision. If the student does not sign the form, or refuses to meet with the instructor, then the instructor’s original sanction will be upheld.

ii.  To report the student’s recollection of the situation, the student sends a written statement and any supporting documentation to the Assistant VPAA’s office. The student must submit their statement and documentation within two weeks of the initial meeting with the instructor, or the instructor’s original sanction will be upheld. The student may also make an appointment to speak directly with the Assistant VPAA within those two weeks. The instructor also submits the Disposition form and supporting documents to the Assistant VPAA’s office. The Assistant VPAA then forwards all documents and meeting notes associated with the case to the Academic Standards Committee for review. The Academic Standards Committee reviews all materials associated with the case and also interviews the instructor and student involved in the incident. During the review, the case is considered to be pending and remains confidential. When the review has been completed, the Academic Standards Committee will inform the Assistant VPAA of its decision, in writing, within two weeks. The Assistant VPAA will inform the instructor and the student, in writing, within two weeks of receiving the Committee’s decision.

iii.  If the student is found to be not at fault by the Academic Standards Committee, any record of the case is removed from the database by the Assistant VPAA. If, however, the student is found to be at fault, then the Assistant VPAA adds the record of the incident to the Academic Dishonesty database AND checks the student’s record for additional incidents. Repeat offenses trigger the university level review process as described in section 3.a.iii of this procedure.

Approved by:
General Assembly, May 2022
Board of Trustees, October 2023 for inclusion in the Policy Handbook for Faculty