Student Conduct

Procedures for Addressing Academic Dishonesty Allegations

The following procedures are followed in possible instances of academic dishonesty: (A college may also adopt its own procedures for dealing with academic integrity issues. In such a case, the college's procedure may be followed in addition to or as an alternative to the procedures set forth below.):

The Student's Act of Academic Dishonesty Takes Place in a Course in Which the Student is Enrolled

[Note: "days," as used throughout the student handbook, except where otherwise stated, means "calendar days." The reference "dean" may also refer to the dean's designee. ]
1. Imposition of sanctions by the instructor.
(a) The instructor has a conference with the student. The instructor should explain the nature and basis of the allegation of academic dishonesty. The student must be provided with the opportunity to respond.
(b) The instructor has the option of consulting his or her department chair in order to deter-mine whether an infraction has occurred, if a penalty should be imposed, and, if so, what it should be. The department chair may attend the conference with the student. Deans of the colleges without department chairs may appoint a faculty consultant for the same purpose. The instructor may apply other procedures formally agreed to within his or her college.
(c) If the instructor concludes that the alleged infraction did take place, the instructor will re-port this in writing to the student, generally within seven (7) days after the conference. A copy of the report will be sent to the dean of student services. The report will state the nature of the offense, the penalty imposed, and how the decision can be appealed. The report will also inform the student that the vice president for student affairs may impose an additional penalty (as determined by the procedures stated in V.3).
(d) The instructor may impose a penalty ranging from lowering the grade for an assignment or test to failing the assignment, the test, or the course. The Office of Registration and Re-cords should be informed immediately when the penalty is an "F" for the course, so that the student may not withdraw from the course and receive a "W." This grade may be changed subject to the outcome of an appeal.
2. Imposition of sanctions by the dean of the student's college.
(a) The instructor may request that the dean of the student's college handle the allegation of academic dishonesty. The instructor may opt for this course of action either before or after a conference with the student accused of academic dishonesty. In either case, if the dean decides to handle the allegation of academic dishonesty, the dean will have a conference with the student, explain the nature and basis of the allegation and provide the student with the opportunity to respond. The dean may invite the instructor to attend the conference.
(b) If the dean concludes that the student did commit the alleged infraction, the dean will impose a penalty and follow the procedures described in V.1 (c) and V.1 (d).
3. Actions by the vice president for student affairs.
(a) After receiving a report of an act of academic dishonesty, the vice president for student affairs must examine whether the student has a previous record of academic dishonesty in order to determine if additional action should be taken. If further action is taken, the vice president must report his/her decision in writing to the student, generally within 10 days. A copy of the report will be sent to the dean of the student's college. The report will mention how the action can be appealed.
(b) If the student has no previous record of academic dishonesty, the dean of student services or the vice president for student affairs may advise the student to have a conference with the dean of his college with the purpose of assisting the student in finding ways of realizing academic success without dishonesty.
(c) If the student has a record of one prior offense the student is required to have a conference with the dean of his or her college.
(d) If the student has a record of two prior offenses the student will be immediately suspended for the semester in which the last offense took place. If that semester has already passed, the student will be suspended for the semester following the one during which the last offense occurred.
(e) If the student has a record of three prior offenses, the student will be immediately dismissed from the University.
4. Appeal
(a) If the student seeks to appeal the penalty imposed by the instructor the student should initiate the appeal in writing to the dean of her/his college within seven (7) days after receiving the instructor's report stating the penalty. The dean will have a conference with the student, generally within 10 days after receiving the notice of appeal. The student will be informed in writing of the dean's, action generally within seven (7) days after the conference. The report will mention how the decision can be appealed. A copy of the report will be sent to the instructor and the dean of student services.
(b) If the student seeks to appeal an action by the dean of his/her college, or by the vice president for student affairs, the student must initiate the appeal in writing to the dean of student services within seven (7) days after receiving the written report stating the action.
(c) The appeals board shall conduct a hearing only if two (2) or more members of the board, or its chair, believe that the student may have suffered some injustice due to substantive or procedural error (such as availability of new evidence, demonstrable bias in earlier decision led to a fundamentally unfair decision, etc.). After submitting the appeal, the student will be informed in writing whether a hearing will be held. The student is generally given at least seven (7) days to prepare for the hearing.
(d) The appeals board will make its own rules for the conduct of hearings, which will be consistent with the provisions contained in the student handbook.
(e) The appeals board may modify any appealed decision, as it deems appropriate. The decision of the appeals board will be reported in writing to the student generally within seven (7) business days after the hearing. A copy of the report will be sent to the instructor, the dean of the student's college, and the dean of student services.
(f) The president may hear appeals involving a penalty of either suspension or dismissal. The president may, at his/her discretion, hear any other appeal by the student in regard to actions of the Appeals or Student Conduct Boards.
(For additional information, see Section XVII, "Appeal Process")

The Student's Act of Academic Dishonesty is Not Related to a Course in Which the Student is Enrolled

1. The instructor whose course is involved has a conference with the student and the dean of the student's college. If the allegation of academic dishonesty is reported by a person other than the instructor whose course is involved, this person may be invited to attend the conference.
2. If the dean concludes after consultation with the instructor, that the alleged infraction did take place, this will be reported in writing to the student, generally within seven (7) days after the conference with the student. A copy of the report will be sent to the dean of student services. The report will state the nature of the offense and how the decision can be appealed. The report will also inform the student that the vice president for student affairs may impose a penalty if prior offenses have been recorded.
3. The vice president for student affairs will take further action according to the procedures stated in the preceding section, "Appeal" 3(a)-(e).
4. The student may appeal according to the procedures outlined in the preceding section, "Appeal," 4(a)-(f).

The Student's Act of Dishonesty Takes Place in a Computer Facility

System managers or other individuals will report any possible instance of academic dishonesty that takes place in a computer facility to the dean of student services, who will decide which of the procedures for academic dishonesty should be followed.

Professional Conduct
1. Allegations of unethical or unprofessional conduct of a student enrolled in or applying to a professional degree program may be addressed by the dean of the appropriate college according to the policies and procedures of the college. A student found to be in violation of the college's policies may be subject to a grading sanction as well as suspension or termination from their professional degree program.
2. A student may be subject to sanctions under both the University's Rules of Conduct and a college's professional conduct policies.
3. If the dean of the college concludes that the alleged infraction did take place, the instructor will report this in writing to the student generally within seven (7) days after the conference. The re-port will state the nature of the offense, the penalty imposed, and how the decision can be ap-pealed. A copy of the report will be sent to the dean of student services.
4. The student may appeal according to the procedures outlined above under Appeal 4(a)-(f).