Procedures for Addressing Academic Misconduct

Action Taken by Instructors

1. A faculty member has the original jurisdiction over instances of academic misconduct that occur in their course; the faculty member’s jurisdiction is subject (in some cases) to departmental policy.

2. When academic misconduct by a student is identified by an instructor, an appropriate academic penalty will be assessed by the faculty. The Dean of Students and the Academic Dean should be informed of both the nature of the offense and the action taken. The instructor may impose one or more of the sanctions:

An oral reprimand
A written reprimand
An assignment to repeat the work, to be graded on its merits
A lower or failing grading for the exam, paper, or project
A lower grade for the course
A failing grade for the course

3. The instructor will report the violation and action taken to the Dean of Students Office for the purpose of centralized reporting and review. The online referral form is available at: File Academic Misconduct Referral Report

4. Accordingly, an instructor or designated proctor who has witnessed an act of academic misconduct or who has other evidence that academic dishonesty has occurred, will advise the student involved that there is reason to believe that the student has committed a violation of academic integrity and a report has been made to the Dean of Students Office.

5. A letter will be sent from the Dean of Students Office to the student’s RVC email address acknowledging this report. If this incident has occurred previously with the same student, the student will first be referred to the appropriate Academic Vice President for a consultation regarding multiple incidents of academic misconduct.

6. The request to appeal should be made within 10 business days of the notification letter from the Dean of Students Office or the student forfeits the right to appeal.

Academic Appeal and Review Process

Student Appeal Process

If the student does not agree to the action taken by the faculty member, the student should contact the faculty’s Dean. After meeting with the Dean, if the student chooses to request a formal appeal by an Academic Conduct Hearing Panel, the student will follow these steps:

Student submits, in writing, a request to appeal the faculty member’s allegation. Student should include any supporting documentation. Student submits request to the Dean of Students
Student will be provided a written notice of the allegation(s) from the Dean of Students. The notice will also include the date, time, and place of the Academic Conduct Hearing Panel.
The Academic Conduct Hearing Panel will consist of the Dean of Students (facilitator, non-voting member), the appropriate Academic Dean, two (2) faculty members from the same academic discipline as the faculty member bringing the charge. If two additional faculty members do not exist within that department, the Dean of Students will consult with the Academic Dean to select other faculty members within the Division that teach a similar or related subject, one (1) faculty member from outside that department, and one (1) Student Development administrator; all five (5) will be chosen by the appropriate Associate Academic Vice President in consultation with the Dean of Students
If the student does not attend the Academic Conduct Hearing Panel as scheduled or notify the Dean of Students Office of their inability to attend the panel within 48 hours of the date selected, the student forfeits their right to appeal and the assigned sanction stands as is.

Faculty Review Process

If a faculty member feels a penalty greater than an “F” in the course is warranted:

Faculty member consults with Academic Dean.
If Faculty member chooses to request a formal review, they will contact the Dean of Students to initiate the Academic Conduct Hearing Panel process.

Academic Conduct Hearing Procedures

Any documentation should be submitted to the Dean of Students Office within 48 hours of the scheduled Academic Conduct Hearing Panel for consideration. The student will meet individually with the Panel first. After the student has met with the Panel, the faculty member making the allegation will meet individually with the Panel.
Legal counsel shall not be permitted; however, a non-attorney representative from within the college shall be permitted for both faculty and student for support and may speak, only when addressed by the facilitator.
The Panel shall have the right to examine all documents presented, and question all participants.
The Panel will reach its decision, in closed session, within three to five (3–5) business days. Both the student and faculty member will be informed, in writing, by the Dean of Students of the results of the Panel’s decision. Decisions of the Academic Conduct Hearing Panel are final.

Penalties

If, as a result of the hearing, the student is found responsible for the violation, one or more of the following penalties* may be assigned by the Academic Conduct Hearing Panel:

Faculty member’s original penalty remains in place.
The Academic Conduct Hearing Panel may impose the following sanctions:

Withdrawal from course;
Dismissal from program, or withdrawal from the course;
Suspension from the college.

If the student is found not responsible, the Panel will consult with the faculty member regarding the removal of the penalty.

* The prior disciplinary record of a student may be considered in establishing an appropriate sanction but not in establishing a student’s responsibility.

Please contact the Dean of Students Office for questions regarding the Academic Misconduct Procedure.

Academic Procedure Revisions: June 2010; August 2012; June 2013