A. Initial Procedure
The course instructor, if possible, should meet with the student to discuss the incident. The student will be informed of the course instructor’s suspicions and will have an opportunity to respond to the allegations. If the instructor is unable to meet with the student, he/she must notify the student by email of the suspicions. The student will have an opportunity to respond to the suspicions by email. If the alleged incident of academic dishonesty occurs while using academic support and/or testing services, the college employee witnessing or involved in the incident will report the suspicions to the course instructor within twenty-four hours. The course instructor will then follow the procedure outlined above.
The instructor decides whether the student has violated the Code of Academic Integrity and, if necessary, assigns a sanction. This determination of responsibility shall be based upon the facts of the incident and whether it is more likely than not that the student is responsible for the alleged violation(s). If a sanction is imposed the course instructor will file a “Notification of Academic Dishonesty” form with the Registrar. Forms are available in the Registrar office and the Public Folders on MyCarroll. The form, the sanction and supporting documentation become part of the Academic Misconduct file.
The student shall be provided written notification of the instructor’s decision and sanction by the Registrar, normally within five (5) school days after the “Notification of Academic Dishonesty Form” has been received in the Office of the Registrar. The student’s academic advisor(s) and, if applicable, athletic or college-sponsored activity coaches and athletic director will be copied on the notification. Possible sanctions include but are not limited to:
- Warning: a notice in writing to the student that the student has been found responsible for violating the Code of Academic Integrity.
- Grade reduction or course failure. If a grade of "F" is administered for a course before the withdrawal deadline, the student will be notified that the student does not have the option to withdraw from the course with a "W" grade.
- Other Sanctions: additional work assignments, community service, participation or completion of college service or educational program, service to the college and/or other related discretionary assignments.
- After consultation with the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs: One or more semesters of academic disciplinary probation with a transcript notation of “Probation: Academic Integrity Violation”
- After consultation with the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs: A semester of suspension from the college with the a transcript notation of “Suspension: Academic Integrity Violation”
- After consultation with the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs: Dismissal from the college with the a transcript notation of “Dismissal: Academic Integrity Violation”
The Academic Misconduct file is confidential and separate from the student’s permanent academic file. First violations of the Code are a part of this confidential record. Second violations are handled on a case by case basis and will become part of the student’s academic file only in those instances when subsequent offences are serious enough to warrant inclusion.
A course instructor who suspects academic dishonesty may ask the Registrar about the student’s prior record in this area. The sanctions imposed for violations of the Code after the first offense shall become increasingly serious with each offense. If the faculty member becomes aware of two or more violations at the same time (e.g. notices that two papers turned in on different dates were both plagiarized) these may, at the discretion of the instructor, be treated as two or more separate offenses, both a first offense and subsequent offenses, and sanctions may be imposed accordingly. Ignorance of the Code shall have no effect on the sanctions imposed for any violation.
If the alleged incident of academic dishonesty occurs while using academic support and/or testing services, the college employee (student proctor or other college employee) witnessing or involved in the incident will immediately file a formal report of the suspicions with the department director, the course instructor, and the Registrar, in accordance with the process outlined above.
B. Appeal Procedure
During the appeal process, the accused student and faculty/staff member have the right to be assisted by an advisor they choose, at their own expense. The student and faculty/staff member are responsible for submitting and presenting his/her own information and, therefore, the advisors are not permitted to participate directly in any of the appeal process.
Step 1:
Within at least 15 school days of receiving the official notification from the Registrar’s Office, the student may request in writing a review by the Department Chair or a designee of the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs if the faculty member is the Department Chair. The Chair/AVPAA designee must meet or confer with the student and faculty member within five (5) school days after the student has presented the request for a review to the Chair/AVPAA designee. This can be done with all parties present or individually. The Chair/AVPAA designee must give a resolution in writing to both parties within five (5) school days of the last necessary meeting or conversation. The decision of the Chair/AVPAA designee shall contain the reasons for his/ her decision. The Chair/AVPAA designee may uphold the original decision of the faculty member or replace the sanction with another that may be more severe, less severe, or otherwise different. The decision of the Chair/AVPAA designee must be filed with the Registrar in the Academic Misconduct file.
Step 2:
If the appeal is not resolved to either the student’s or the faculty/staff member’s satisfaction, he/she can proceed to Step 2. The appealing party must present the appeal in writing to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs within five (5) school days from the appealing party’s receipt of the response given in the review by the Department Chair/AVPAA designee.
Step 3:
Within five (5) school days of receipt of the written appeal, the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs shall meet or confer with the student and faculty member, which may include an attempt to facilitate a resolution of the matter. This can be done with all parties present or individually. After the meeting has taken place the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs shall then render a written decision within five (5) school days from the date of the last necessary meeting. The decision of the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs shall contain the reasons for his/her decision. In either instance, the written decision shall be furnished to the parties involved either electronically, by mail or in person. If the decision is mailed, it will be deemed to have been received on the third calendar day (excluding Sunday or Federal holidays) after being mailed. NOTE: the student is responsible for making sure the Registrar’s office has his/her most current local address and phone number. The decision of the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs must be filed with the Registrar in the Academic Misconduct file.
Step 4:
If either the student or the involved faculty/staff member is dissatisfied with the decision made by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, they may appeal the decision to an academic integrity grievance committee by filing an appeal, in writing, with the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs stating the reasons for the appealing party’s disagreement with the decision issued by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. The appeal must be presented to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs within five (5) school days from the receipt of the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs' decision.
Within five (5) school days of receipt of the appeal, the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs will initiate the process for selecting an academic grievance committee. This will include inviting a written response to the appeal from any non-appealing parties.
The academic grievance committee shall consist of five (5) members. Committee members may not serve as advocates or witnesses for any party to the grievance, or any other grievance involving the student. The members of the committee shall be selected as follows:
- One tenured faculty member shall be selected by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.
- One tenured faculty member shall be selected by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs from a list of the names of three tenured faculty members submitted by the complainant, after consultation with the respondent.
- One tenured faculty member shall be selected by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs from a list of names of three tenured faculty members submitted by the respondent, after consultation with the complainant.
- One full-time student shall be selected by the Executive Committee of the Associated Students of Carroll College.
- One full-time student shall be selected by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, from a list of the names of three full-time students submitted by the complainant after consultation with the respondent.
The Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs shall appoint one faculty member to act as chairperson of the committee. The duties of the chairperson shall be as follows:
- Schedule appropriate times and places for committee meetings and hearings;
- Inform committee members and the parties to the grievance of the times and places of committee meetings and hearings they are required to attend, and supply them with copies of all documents relating to the grievance and all appeal thereof;
- Arrange for the recording of the committee’s hearing;
- Maintain committee records; and
- Inform the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs of the committee’s decision.
The academic grievance committee must meet within five (5) school days after committee members have been appointed. At this meeting, the committee shall review the appeal and the original documentation filed in the Academic Misconduct file. The committee may request the parties to appear in order to answer questions from the committee or additional documentation or information.
Within five (5) school days after completion of the committee’s review, the committee shall make its decision and transmit its decision in writing to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. The committee’s decision shall be reached by a simple majority vote.
The decision of the committee shall contain the reasons for the committee’s decision. The committee’s written decision shall be furnished to the parties Involved by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs within five (5) school days of receipt by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. The decision of the committee is final. This does not preclude other outside legal action to be taken by either party.