Community Standards

Academic misconduct is dishonest or unethical academic behavior that includes, but is not limited to, misrepresenting mastery in an academic area (e.g., cheating), failing to properly credit information, research, or ideas to their rightful originators or representing such information, research, or ideas as your own (e.g., plagiarism). Appendix A: Academic Integrity in Undergraduate Education and Research

Academic Misconduct Procedure

Academic Integrity Instructor Flow Chart

If an Instructor believes a student has violated the Academic Integrity in Undergraduate Education and Research Policy:

1. Gather evidence to support your allegation. Retain the evidence in its original form. You do not need to return any of the original papers or other materials to the student. Student can request copies.
2. Meet with the student to explain your allegation of academic misconduct. You can also utilize this meeting to gather additional information, explain next steps and your imposed academic consequence, and to discuss strategies to avoid academic misconduct in the future. This meeting is not mandatory but it is highly encouraged.
3. Notify the student in writing of the allegation and inform them of their rights to contest the allegation and to an Academic Integrity Hearing. The student has five business days from receipt of the notification to request a hearing. Written notification should include:
   • Date, course, place (or situation) and type of academic misconduct
   • Evidence collected that supports the allegation
   • Academic consequence to be imposed and the date that it will go into effect
   • Date by which student may contest the allegation and request a hearing (five business days from receipt of written notification). The student must submit request in writing to the instructor. A copy of the request should be provided by the instructor to Community Standards by emailing: community@uconn.edu.
   • Refer student to Responsibilities of Community Life: The Student Code to review the Academic Integrity hearing process
   • Inform student that notification will be forwarded to Community Standards or the Regional Campus Student Affairs Office
   • Refer to Community Standards (phone: 860-486-8402; email: community@uconn.edu) or Regional Student Affairs Office for questions on process
   • SAMPLE_LETTER 2017

4. Complete the Academic Integrity Reporting Form to notify Community Standards about the academic misconduct. Attach your notification to the student, your syllabus, and any other material collected that supports the alleged behavior to the referral form.

If the student requests a hearing:

1. Forward the student’s request to Community Standards (community@uconn.edu) or Regional Student Affairs Office.
2. If a resolution will not occur until after a grading period ends, the student's grade should be entered as an “I.”
3. Community Standards will set up a date, time, and place for an Academic Integrity Hearing and will give written notification to the instructor and the student.
4. Attend the hearing. The instructor's role in the hearing will include: Presentation of the facts; Academic Integrity Hearing Board members and accused student will have the opportunity to ask the instructor questions; The instructor will have the opportunity to ask the accused student questions; Make a final comment.
5. The Academic Integrity Hearing Board, which consists of two faculty members and two students, will make a determination of whether there has been a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy. A hearing is not a forum to contest the academic consequence. If there is a finding of “in violation,”  the academic consequence will be imposed. If there is a finding of "not in violation" the instructor is asked to reevaluate the student’s course grade in light of the Board’s finding.
6. Your role in the process is complete.

Student’s Rights:

• Contest allegations of academic misconduct
• Be heard
• Be advised of all evidence collected by the instructor and witnesses
• Submit evidence and bring forth witnesses with direct knowledge of the case
• Decline or refuse to respond to questioning or to make a statement
• Be free of the assumption of “in violation” because of declining or refusing to speak
• Decline to appear at the hearing, which will be heard in the student’s absence
• Bring a person of support to the hearing
• Be allowed to admit responsibility for all allegations