What should I do if I think I have a potential honor code violation?
Contact the Honor Council Administrator (Engineering Center for Academic Success), 273 Chrysler, 734-764-4139, mailto:[email protected]). Your questions and options can be discussed, and the Office will assist you in making your decision about whether to report a potential violation or not.
Do I have to notify or speak to the student before reporting a potential Honor Code violation?
No, it isn’t necessary, but the choice is yours. When you submit a complaint to the Honor Council Administrator, the student is notified with next steps. Whether you have contacted the student about the complaint before official notification is entirely up to you. Please feel free also, however, to get in touch with the Honor Council Administrator with any questions or concerns about your options or your contacts with the student.
Can the student contact me?
Yes, the student who has had their name submitted for a potential Honor Code violation may contact you, but you are in no way obligated to discuss the case or any aspect of it with the student. You may simply let the student know that the matter has been forwarded to the Honor Council.
Can I just fail the student and not go to the Honor Council?
No.
Can I simply resolve the case myself?
The general expectation in the College of Engineering is that potential Honor Code violations will be reported to Honor Council and resolved at that level. This can assure that due process is followed, that the process is educational, that fair and similar sanctions can be assigned in similar incidents, and that the records of violators are maintained accurately and in confidence.
What do I need to do to submit a potential Honor Code violation?
We ask that you submit all potential Honor Code violations via email to [email protected]. If you wish to submit hard copies, you may send paperwork to the Honor Council Administrator, Office of Retention and Academic Support Services, 273 Chrysler.
In submitting a case, please include:
- description of the nature of the incident
- student(s) name and UMID
- course name and number
- class syllabus
- assignment/exam instructions
- student exam/quiz/paper (electronic copies are fine; if originals are needed they will be requested)
- any other supporting documentation (e.g., work of other students on the same assignment that demonstrates how unusual the student’s work is, work of the same student that would illustrate a change in pattern/style and demonstrates how unusual the work is).
Please be aware that all information provided is considered evidence and may be shared with the accused student(s).
Do I participate in the Honor Council process?
No. Once you submit a potential violation, the case is adjudicated by the Honor Council and Faculty Committee on Discipline. You may be contacted, by either and Honor Council investigator or the Honor Council Administrator for clarification about the complaint or consulted about the position the student has taken, but very little of your time will be required when this occurs.
Can I direct the student simply to drop my course?
No. A student who has been named in and notified (either by the instructor of the Honor Council) of a potential Honor Code violation may not change registration in the course (e.g. drop the course, change grading options). However, if the student elects to drop the course before notification, the case will still be heard and if found responsible, College sanctions can be applied.
Can I find out from the Honor Council if the student has been found responsible in any other academic misconduct incidents?
No. Federal regulations do not allow us to share that kind of information about a student.
If it is time to submit course grades at the end of a term, what should I do?
If a final grade must be reported for the course while the case is pending with the Honor Council, you should input an “I” (Incomplete) to serve as a place holder. Once the case has been resolved, the “I” should be removed before inputting the final grade.
Will I be informed of the outcome of the complaint?
YES. You will be notified via email of the decision from the Honor Council/Faculty Committee on Discipline. If a significant amount of time has gone by and you are concerned that you have not heard further information, please contact the Honor Council Administrator.
If a student is responsible of an Honor Code violation, should that student automatically be assigned a failing grade for the course?
No. The decision of the Honor Council/Faculty Committee on Discipline of a student found responsible of an Honor Code violation will come with recommended sanctions. These sanctions are to be applied accordingly to the final grade. Sometimes the assignment is large enough that failing it leads to failure in the course.