The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, which handles all student conduct and academic integrity functions, has made it easier for faculty to report an incident of academic misconduct to our office. Click on “Report an Academic Integrity Violation“, which will direct you to more detailed information about reporting a violation. You will be able to upload all materials including the Academic Integrity Violation Report Form in one convenient location which will automatically be sent to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for review and action. Students who wish to report a suspected academic integrity violation should contact the faculty member of the course or academic exercise in which the violation allegedly occurred.
Please follow the procedures outlined below when responding to alleged academic integrity violations. A face-to-face and virtual process has been outlined to give you options to proceed in accordance with current needs.
Conduct the Faculty-Student Joint Conference where the faculty member and student may address the allegation. Be sure to share the specifics of the allegations and all documentation with the student during the conference.
Send the referral information to our office using Report an Academic Integrity Violation. You will be able to upload all materials including the Academic Integrity Violation Report Form in one convenient location which will automatically be sent to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for review and action. Alternatively, you can email all communication including documentation and forms to osrr@uncg.edu.
If the student pleas not responsible a disciplinary hearing is held to determine the accuracy of the allegations.
Conduct the Faculty-Student Joint Conference virtually using Zoom where the faculty member and student may address the allegation. Be sure to share the specifics of the allegations and all documentation with the student during the conference via the screen share feature. If you prefer, you can email that information to the student for review during the meeting. You will also need to email the student Academic Integrity Violation Report Form to the student so they can review and respond during the meeting.
Please ensure the student has access to email as they will need to be able to review their rights (on the form), the information on the form related to the allegations, your proposed sanctions, and submit their plea decision via email.
We will accept their email submission as their signature for purposes of entering a plea decision.
After conducting the virtual Faculty-Student Conference, please edit the Plea Decision Template and send to the student so they can reply to the email noting their understanding of their rights and indicating their plea decision. You can copy and paste the information in the template directly into an email. The student name and the specific allegations will need to be edited before sending. Please also copy the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities on the email (osrr@uncg.edu) so we can receive their plea decision.
Send the referral information to our office using Report an Academic Integrity Violation. You will be able to upload all materials including the Academic Integrity Violation Report Form in one convenient location which will automatically be sent to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for review and action. Alternatively, you can email all communication including documentation and forms to osrr@uncg.edu.
If the student pleas not responsible a disciplinary hearing is held to determine the accuracy of the allegations.
Violations & sanctions
The UNCG community subscribes to the following fundamental principles of academic integrity: honesty; trust; fairness; respect; responsibility. All violations of the Academic Integrity Policy are violations of the principle of honesty but may also create questions related to trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. The below listed violations of the Academic Integrity Policy are typical, but not exhaustive, examples of the acts that constitute breaches of the Policy.
Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. Misrepresenting the source, nature, or other conditions of academic work, or to cooperate with someone else in such misrepresentation. Such misrepresentations may, but need not necessarily, involve the work of others. Cheating may occur on an examination, test, quiz, laboratory work report, theme, out of class assignment or any other work submitted by a student to fulfill course requirements and presented as solely the work of the student. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to, the following:
unauthorized copying from the work of another student, using notes, textbooks or other information in examinations, tests and quizzes, except as expressly permitted
obtaining or retaining partial or whole copies of examination, tests or quizzes before these are distributed for student use
obtaining confidential information about examinations, tests or quizzes other than that released by the instructor
securing, giving or exchanging information or assistance during examinations and other academic exercises, except as expressly permitted
presenting data or other material gathered by another person or group as one’s own
having another person take one’s place for any academic performance without the specific knowledge and permission of the instructor
purchase an assignment from an online site or online platform
obtain assistance from someone else that goes beyond mere editing to writing of the assignment or solving of the problem
participate in unauthorized discussion group or sharing answers to an assignment on file sharing sites or other online platforms including social media
post or purchase answers to an exam, assignment, problem or any other assessed work
cooperating with another to do one or more of the above
Helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty. Facilitating academic dishonesty includes acts that may not directly benefit the accused but assist another student in violations of the Academic Integrity Policy.
Inventing, altering, or falsifying any data, information or citation in an academic exercise. Examples of falsification include, but are not limited to, the following:
reporting data, research, or reports so that either the process or the product is shown to be different from what actually occurred
falsely reporting having met responsibilities of attendance or participation in class, practicum, internship, or other types of field work experience
submission of falsified excuses for attendance or participation in such experiences
work submitted for the requirements of any pre/post-secondary course cannot be submitted to meet the requirements in another course without the expressed permission of the instructor(s) to whom the work is to be submitted
falsifying experimental data or information
forging or falsifying any academic-related University document
presenting falsified information in order to postpone or avoid examinations, tests, quizzes, or other academic work
The use, misuse or alterations of University materials or resources so as to make them inaccessible to other users. Examples of misuse of academic resources include, but are not limited to, the following:
the unauthorized use of computer accounts
alteration of passwords
violation of library procedures
other intentional misuse or destruction of educational materials
This violation is differentiated from a conduct violation in that the primary result of actions is the inaccessibility of resources to other students.
Representing the words, thoughts, or ideas of another, as one’s own in any academic exercise. Plagiarism may occur on any paper, report, or other work submitted to fulfill course requirements. Faculty should take into account whether the student has had the opportunity to learn appropriate citation procedures based on previous course work successfully completed before formalizing Academic Integrity charges. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following:
submitting work done by another, whether a commercial or non-commercial enterprise, including the Internet, as one’s own work
failure to properly cite references and/or sources
submitting, as one’s own, work done by or copied from another including work done by a fellow student, work done by a previous student, or work done by anyone other than the student responsible for the assignment
Plagiarism also occurs in a group project if one or more members of the group does none of the group’s work and participates in none of the group’s activities, but attempts to take credit for the work of the group.
Unauthorized Behaviors: Instructors may communicate to their students additional behaviors that constitute a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy in their course. Examples of unauthorized behaviors include, but are not limited to, the following:
talking during an exam
having unauthorized materials present during any academic exercise
violating class conduct rules that are pertinent to academic integrity (for instance, rules governing the use of electronic devices)Instructors must clearly identify the additional unauthorized behaviors as academic integrity violations in their syllabus. Instructors may also communicate what these behaviors are orally, and may change or add to the list of unauthorized behaviors. Oral communications, and all changes, must also be clearly communicated in text (syllabus, email to whole class, etc.) as soon as possible after the oral communication and/or change.
Both the academic experience and the classification of the student should be considered in the assignment of sanctions. Faculty have discretion in assigning any grade-related sanction. Whenever a grade-related sanction is imposed for a violation of academic integrity, faculty are strongly encouraged to follow this Policy. When a student is found responsible of a first violation, whether by accepting responsibility during the Faculty-Student Conference, or through the panel process, the faculty member makes the final decision about any grade related sanctions. Additional sanctions, including suspension or expulsion, may only be assigned by a hearing panel.
Some examples of educational experiences that may be assigned include but are not limited to:
Complete online Library Tutorial
Write a reflection paper about the experience
Perform community service through a recognized non-profit agency
Attend Geek Week events (September)
Attend Making Better Choices Seminar
Interview a professional in the field of student about ethics and write reflection
Complete online plagiarism video and reflection
Create a handout for other students describing plagiarism and resources to learnabout appropriate citations
Meet with reference librarian about important resources, citation and writing style for the field
Submit the next assignment through Turnitin program
Other educational experiences identified by the instructor
Tutorial and Quiz
The Academic Integrity Tutorial and Quiz are designed to give a better understanding of academic honesty at UNCG to include plagiarism, paraphrasing, and citing sources. The tutorial consists of three (3) modules and a final quiz. You will need to login with your UNCG username and password to have the results submitted to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
A request for the hearing shall be made by the student on the “Academic Integrity Violation Form”.
The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities shall send to the accused student within five (5) business days after the charge is received a charge letter indicating the charges and requesting that the student schedule a pre-hearing conference to discuss the charge, the student’s rights and provide information concerning scheduling.
The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities shall proceed to select a hearing panel as described under the Academic Integrity Policy, and except as otherwise directed under the Academic Integrity Policy, shall convene and conduct that panel in a hearing under the procedures outlined below.
Cases occurring during summer sessions, for which a hearing is requested, present special problems due to the brief term and the limited availability of hearing committee members. Such hearings shall be conducted, when necessary, through ad hoc committees appointed by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Regularly enrolled UNCG students attending the summer session may elect to have their cases heard by such committee or postpone the hearing until the beginning of the regular session when the normal hearing process is available. Such carryovers of hearings may also be utilized for students, other than seniors nearing graduation, who request hearings at periods when there is not sufficient time remaining in the regular academic year to arrange for the hearing process.
The authority of the hearing panel is limited to the work and/or course in which the violation has occurred and to a finding of “responsible” or “not responsible.” The grade-related sanction imposed by the faculty member is binding if the student is found “responsible”.
All decisions before academic integrity hearing panels must be decided according to whether it is “more likely than not” (preponderance of evidence) that the alleged violations have occurred. In finding responsibility under this standard of proof, a panelist must be convinced, based upon information presented in the course of the hearing, that the conduct described is more likely than not to have occurred.
HEARING PROCEDURES
NOTE – In all instances in which the procedures described below refer to the “instructor”, that role may be served by the instructor’s designee.
Hearing Officer
Staff member from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities
Panel
3 students and 3 faculty or 2 students and 2 faculty selected by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities
Respondent
Student charged with having violated the Academic Integrity Policy
Student Advisor
Representative of the Student Attorney General’s Office
Instructor
The instructor who has charged the student with the violation, or a faculty-member designated by that instructor to serve as the instructor’s representative during the hearing
Faculty Case Assistant
Student staff member selected by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities
Witnesses (if any)
Individual(s) who shares information relevant to the allegations
Only present in the hearing room when they are sharing information
Support Person
Responding Party is allowed to have one support person during hearing who serves as a silent observer during the hearing
The hearing officer will facilitate introductions of those present and will explain the hearing procedures to the parties.
The responding party (student) and the reporting party (instructor) will be given the opportunity to challenge a hearing panelist on the grounds of conflict with, bias about, or interest in, the case. It is at the hearing officer’s discretion to support or refuse the challenge. If a challenge is granted and a hearing panelist is disqualified then the hearing may be postponed as necessary in the discretion of the hearing officer/Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities or designee.
The hearing officer will state the charge(s) against the responding party.
The Instructor or Faculty Case Assistant will be provided the opportunity to make an opening statement. This opening statement is limited to no more than five (5) minutes.
The responding party or Student Conduct Advisor will be provided the opportunity to make an opening statement. This opening statement is limited to no more than five (5) minutes.
The Instructor/Faculty Case Assistant will present evidence in support of the charge(s) and may also present written evidence and witnesses. The Instructor will take the lead in presenting to the hearing panel but can defer to the Faculty Case Assistant at their discretion.
The hearing panel will be provided access to copies of all written evidence submitted by the Instructor/Faculty Case Assistant.
The hearing panel may directly question the Instructor/Faculty Case Assistant Student Case and witnesses. The responding party/Student Conduct Advisor has the right to question the Instructor/Faculty Case Assistant and the witnesses who appear.
The responding party may respond to the charge(s) and may present evidence in the form of written evidence or testimony of the responding party or other witnesses.
The hearing panel will be provided access to copies of all written evidence submitted by the responding party.
The hearing panel may then question the witnesses presented by the responding party and may also question the responding party. The Instructor/Faculty Case Assistant may then question the witnesses, including the responding party/Student Conduct Advisor.
The Instructor and Faculty Case Assistant will be provided the opportunity to make a closing statement. This closing statement is limited to no more than five (5) minutes. During the closing statement, the Instructor/Faculty Case Assistant can address any points made by the responding party.
The responding party or Student Conduct Advisor will be provided the opportunity to make a closing statement. This closing statement is limited to no more than five (5) minutes.
The hearing officer will conclude the evidentiary portion of the hearing and begin deliberations.
During academic integrity hearings, deliberations about responsibility of the responding party are conducted by the hearing panel in a closed session. Other parties are excused from the hearing room during this time. Once begun, the deliberations normally will continue until a decision as to responsibility has been reached. Recesses will be granted at the sole discretion of the hearing officer.
Faculty member serves as Reporting Party in Academic Integrity cases meaning they will be in the hearing room for the duration of the hearing
During the hearing, Faculty Case Assistant should allow the faculty member to take the lead with explaining the circumstances behind the allegations
“Dr. Guttentag, please walk the panel through the allegations.”
Faculty member or Faculty Case Assistant can ask questions
Faculty will be able to evaluate their experience with the hearing process including interactions with the Faculty Case Assistant
NOT RESPONSIBLE PLEA
Within one week of the receipt of an allegation with a plea of “Not Responsible”, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities will contact the student to arrange a meeting with a staff member from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. During this meeting, the staff member will review the allegations and available evidence with the student and will discuss hearing procedures with the student.
When the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities receives a student plea of “Not Responsible”, a Faculty Case Assistant is assigned to the case by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities to work with and assist the Instructor, while a Student Advisor is assigned by the Student Attorney General’s Office to work with and assist the Respondent. The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities schedules a date and time for the hearing.
A summary of the hearing procedures, including information about the roles and responsibilities of the Faculty Case Assistant and the Student Advisor and rules regarding the presentation of evidence, will then be sent by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities to the Instructor and to the Responding Party as soon as reasonably possible.
Instructor will be emailed the name of the Faculty Case Assistant once the hearing date has been set. The Faculty Case Assistant will be copied on this email. As soon as reasonably possibly, Faculty Case Assistant will email Instructor to schedule initial meeting.
The Faculty Case Assistant will contact the Instructor at least one week prior to the hearing to discuss the case and the hearing procedures with the Instructor. Instructors are strongly encouraged to meet with the Faculty Case Assistant. If Instructors do not want participation from the Faculty Case Assistant, the Instructor must inform the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities in writing. At least one week prior to the hearing the Student Advisor will contact the Responding Party to discuss the case and the hearing procedures with the Respondent.
WRITTEN EVIDENCE AND WITNESS LISTS
When a Responding Party officially pleads Not Responsible, the Instructor will complete the Academic Integrity Violation Report Form and upload copies of any written evidence upon which the allegation is based via Maxient using this link. Prior to a hearing, instructors may supplement or replace that evidence with additional evidence that must be forwarded to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities no later than 3 business days before the hearing. Instructors must also send to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (by that date) a listing of any witnesses that the Instructor plans to call at the hearing. The Faculty Case Assistant has the Notice to Present Evidence Form where this information is documented.
Three business days prior to the hearing, the Responding Party must provide the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities with copies of any written evidence that they will be presenting at the hearing, along with a listing of any witnesses that they plan to call at the hearing.
Two business days prior to the hearing the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities will electronically inform the Responding Party and the Instructor of their right to view the submitted evidence and witness lists. Instructors and Respondents may bring additional evidence to the hearing, but such evidence must be approved for relevance by the Hearing Officer prior to being presented to the panel.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONESTY
All those providing testimony as part of an Academic Integrity Hearing are required to tell the truth. Dishonesty during the hearing on the part of any student, including witnesses, is itself a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
EVIDENTIARY STANDARD
A “Preponderance of the Evidence” standard is used in all Academic Integrity hearings. That is, panels will judge whether it is more likely than not that the Responding Party has violated the Academic Integrity Policy. The burden of proof is on the instructor in all Academic Integrity hearings.