A.     Faculty Responsibilities

Confronting and reporting suspected scholastic dishonesty is a shared responsibility of faculty and students, although faculty members are called upon to play a greater role in that process. Many students, however, are becoming more and more concerned about scholastic dishonesty and are reporting observed incidents.
 

B.     Guidelines for faculty members and proctors

1. Accusations by a faculty member that a student has engaged in scholastic dishonesty should be made in private and the investigation of the incident should be handled as privately as possible. When there is reason to believe that scholastic dishonesty has occurred, the faculty member should gather all pertinent supporting evidence (such as tests, reports, computer programs, plagiarized material, and other academic assignments) and make a note of any possible witnesses. During an examination, the faculty member may remove any unauthorized materials and/or privately ask a student suspected of cheating to move to another location; however, the student should be allowed to complete the examination.
   
   
2. The faculty member should meet privately with the student to discuss the suspected scholastic dishonesty and the supporting evidence. The student should be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations and to present evidence in defense but may not be forced to comment. During this meeting, the faculty member should inform the student that the matter will be referred to the Dean of Students in the event that the faculty member does not accept the student's explanation.
   
   
3. If the faculty member does not accept the student's explanation, the matter must be referred to the Dean. The referral should include a written summary of the charge and may include the faculty member's recommendations for disposition, if any. Relevant documents such as notes, exams, material plagiarized, and names of witnesses should also be forwarded.
   
   
4. The Dean is responsible for contacting the student and investigating the allegation of misconduct. If, after meeting with the student, the Dean determines that the charges are supported by the evidence, the student may choose to resolve the matter administratively by executing a waiver form in which he or she admits the facts, upon which the charge is based, waives a hearing before a Hearing Officer and authorizes the Dean to assess a penalty. If the student disputes the facts, the charges will be heard and determined by a Hearing Officer.
   
   
5. If a hearing is conducted, the office of the Dean prepares for and will present the evidence in support of the charges at the hearing. The Hearing Officer determines if the accused student violated the Regents’ Rules and Regulations or the rules and regulations of the component institution and, if so, assesses an appropriate penalty.
   
   
6. Because an accused student is entitled to a hearing and may appeal a penalty that may be assessed as a result of a disciplinary hearing, the student must be allowed to attend all classes and complete all assignments until the process is complete unless interim discipline pending the appeal has been imposed by the Dean as authorized by the Regents' Rules and Regulations. Pending the outcome of a disciplinary action not completed at the end of a semester or summer session, the Dean should take appropriate action to withhold the student’s grades or degree pending final disposition of the disciplinary action.