Appeal procedure-charges of academic dishonesty

If a student wishes to appeal a charge of academic dishonesty or the penalty imposed, the student should follow these steps:

Step 1

• If the student wishes to respond to the accusation, he/she must make an appointment and meet with the faculty member at a formal meeting within ten working days of the notification.
• If the student and faculty member accept a specific resolution offered by either of them, the matter shall be considered closed.
• If such a resolution cannot be reached, the student may formally appeal the action of the faculty member within three working days after the meeting with the faculty member. Appeal of Charges of Academic Honesty Violation Forms and procedures will be available in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
• While an appeal is in process, the student may not withdraw from the course.

Note: working day is defined as any day when a full schedule of classes are in session (this excludes Saturdays and Sundays).

Step 2

• Within three working days of the meeting with the faculty member, the student may request in writing that the appropriate dean call a meeting to include the student, faculty member, and program director, if any, within five working days.
• After this meeting, the dean will send all parties involved a written recommendation within three working days.
• Students who do not agree with the recommendation in Step 2 may appeal to the Academic Appeals Committee within three working days. This appeal must be submitted, in writing, to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Step 3

• Students initiate appeals to the Academic Appeals Committee (within three days of notification of outcome of Step 2) by requesting a hearing through the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. A hearing will be scheduled as quickly as possible and all parties to the appeal will be informed of the date, time, and place of the meeting. The faculty member will delay recording the grade for the work in question until the appeal is decided.
• The Academic Appeals Committee will decide whether evidence sustains or does not sustain such charges of academic dishonesty and whether the penalty is consistent with the stated policies. A decision will be recommended to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, whose decision is final unless different from the recommendation of the committee. In such cases, the student may appeal to the President whose decision is final.
• If evidence does not sustain such charges in the opinion of the committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, all records in the student's file related to this charge will be expunged. If evidence does sustain the charges and the appeal relates to the penalty, the committee may recommend the following actions:
  1. The assigned penalty will be supported.
  2. The faculty member may be asked to reconsider the penalty in question.
• The Vice President for Academic Affairs will communicate in writing a decision to the student, faculty member, and Dean of Students no later than three working days after the hearing.