Procedures for Cases of Alleged Violations of Academic Integrity
Jump to:- Investigation and Notification
- Meeting with the Assistant Dean for Academic Integrity
- Cross-College Cases
- Sanctions
- Appeals
- Provost Review
- Information for Faculty
For Students
Investigation and Notification:
- Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences faculty refer suspected violations of academic integrity to the Assistant Dean of Academic Integrity (ADAI). This protects students and assures that they are treated equitably.
- The ADAI reviews the facts of the alleged incident, instructor statements, and any other supporting material. The review may include electronic searches of plagiarism resources, websites, and other databases.
- If the ADAI determines there is cause for further investigation, he notifies the student by emailed letter listing the date of the incident (if known), the course and instructor, and the relevant assignment or incident.
- Upon receiving the emailed letter, the student should contact the Weinberg Office of Undergraduate Studies and Advising within seven days to make an appointment with the ADAI to discuss the alleged violation.
- Students may not drop or withdraw from courses in which a suspected academic integrity violation has been reported.
- If the student does not respond to the request to schedule a meeting within seven days, the ADAI may decide if a violation took place on the basis of the evidence available.
- While the Dean’s Office cannot assure confidentiality, it will strive to keep this process as private as possible, involving only those with a specific need for involvement.
Meeting with the Assistant Dean for Academic Integrity:
- At the beginning of the meeting, the ADAI will outline the allegation and detail the evidence supporting the allegation provided by the instructor. The student will have the opportunity to present any relevant material or statements in their own defense.
- The student may be accompanied by a fellow student, a faculty member, or another individual of the student's choosing, but not by an attorney acting in a professional capacity. This person may not, however, take part in the proceedings; the student must speak on his or her own behalf.
- After reviewing the allegation and the evidence, the student may choose not to discuss the matter and request another meeting within seven days; choosing to do so will not negatively impact the process. The student may use the time to prepare and then present relevant information or evidence.
- The ADAI will then issue a finding on whether a violation of academic integrity has occurred or not. The finding is based both on the evidence provided by the instructor and the student and on their conversations with the ADAI.
- The ADAI will inform the student by emailed letter of his finding and any sanction to be imposed. (If the student is not registered in WCAS, the sanction will be determined by the school in which the student is registered. See below.)
- There are three possible findings in the judgment of the ADAI: that the evidence supports that there was a violation of academic integrity; that there was insufficient evidence to support the allegation; or that that there was no violation.
- In the case of no violation or insufficient evidence to support the allegation, the ADAI will instruct the professor of record to grade the assignment without prejudice.
Cross-College Cases:
When a student from another school is alleged to have committed a violation in a Weinberg class:
- The ADAI will determine whether or not the alleged incident constitutes a violation.
- The equivalent dean of the school in which the student is registered will apply the appropriate sanction.
- Students may appeal the finding to the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Committee on Appeals. Sanctions must be appealed in the student’s home school.
When a Weinberg student in another school’s class is alleged to have committed a violation:
- The dean in that school will determine whether or not the alleged incident constitutes a violation.
- If found in violation, the student will be offered the opportunity to schedule an appointment with the ADAI, to take place within seven days of first notification. At that meeting, the student will have the opportunity to present any evidence of mitigating circumstances but not to re-argue the underlying question of culpability.
- The ADAI will apply the appropriate sanction after that meeting, if one has been scheduled, or after the seven-day period has elapsed.
- The ADAI will inform the student in writing of any sanction imposed and of the student's right to appeal that sanction (but not issues of culpability) to the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Committee on Appeals. All appeals of culpability must be forwarded to the dean in the school where the violation took place.
The deans working on academic integrity consult with each other to maintain cross-college consistency as much as possible.
Sanctions:
Sanctions that may be imposed by the ADAI include, but are not limited to:
- reduced or failing grade (determined solely by the instructor)
- a letter of reprimand
- disqualification for academic honors
- one or more quarters of suspension (with or without the attachment of conditions)
- permanent exclusion from the University
- notation on the official transcript
- revocation of an awarded degree
- any combination of the sanctions above.
Suspensions are noted on the student’s unofficial transcript. Permanent exclusion is noted on the student’s official transcript. Northwestern University is obliged to report suspensions and exclusions to Federal background investigators. Graduate and professional schools may request that students provide them with a release to allow reporting of academic integrity violations.
Students who have been found to have violated academic integrity may have their grade on the assignment and in the course impacted. The course instructor has the sole discretion to determine the effect any violation has on any affected assignment and the comprehensive grade in the course. Possible actions include:
- no impact on the grade
- the requirement to redo the assignment
- grading the relevant piece of work with an F or 0
- a failing grade for the course.
Grades modified by the course instructor following a finding of academic integrity violations may not be appealed.
Students may not drop or withdraw from courses in which they have been found in violation of academic integrity. Students may not receive a Northwestern University degree while an allegation of academic integrity violation is pending or until any sanction imposed for such a violation, particularly suspension, has been completed. All materials relating to violations of academic integrity will be kept electronically by the Weinberg College Office of Undergraduate Studies and Advising for ten years after the incident.
Appeals:
The ADAI’s finding of violation, any sanction, or both may be appealed to the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Committee on Appeals. The Committee on Appeals includes at least one faculty member from each division of Weinberg College—humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences—and at least one Weinberg student. One of the faculty members will serve as Chair of the Committee.
The intent of the appeals process is to assess whether the violation of academic integrity occurred and whether the sanction was appropriate or consistent with what other students have received for similar violations.
Students need to file a written notice of appeal at the Weinberg Office of Undergraduate Studies and Advising within ten working days of the date of the ADAI’s emailed letter of a finding of violation. The student’s written notice of appeal must include:
- what is being appealed—the finding of a violation, the sanction imposed, or both
- a detailed description of the grounds for appeal
- any supporting materials that the student would like the Committee on Appeals to review
- a list of the names of any proposed witnesses and a description of the nature of the evidence they are prepared to present
When the sanction is a suspension, the timing of the suspension cannot be appealed since it is determined as a consequence of when an allegation is made.
At the appeal meeting:
- The student will be granted opportunity to appear to present his or her case.
- The student will be able to hear and respond to any testimony provided by the ADAI or witnesses.
- The ADAI will hear and respond to testimony of the accused student or any witnesses appearing on his or her behalf.
The student may be accompanied by a fellow student, a faculty member, or another individual of the student's choosing, but not by an attorney acting in a professional capacity. This person may not, however, take part in the proceedings; the student must speak on his or her own behalf.
The Chair of the Committee on Appeals has sole discretion to determine what witnesses other than the accused student and the ADAI it will hear, if any. The Committee on Appeals will schedule the appeal hearing as soon as practical after it has been filed.
Following its review, the Committee on Appeals may sustain or reverse the finding of a violation or modify (but not increase, unless additional violations are shown to have occurred) the sanction, if that particular portion of the ADAI's decision was appealed. The ADAI will send an emailed letter on behalf of the Committee on Appeals communicating its decision.
Sanctions will take effect at the expiration of the period for appeal if one has not been filed, or after a decision has been reached by the Committee on Appeals or the Provost if an appeal has been filed. If the sanction is sustained, it will be applied retroactively and, if necessary, current registrations will be canceled.
Provost REVIEW:
The student may have an unsuccessful appeal by the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Committee on Appeals reviewed by the Provost of the University. Such a review must be initiated in writing within ten working days after a finding or sanction has been sustained by the Committee on Appeals. Students may have the finding, the sanction imposed, or both reviewed. The Office of the Provost limits reviews to:
- errors in procedure
- errors in the interpretation of regulations
- discrepancies between the evidence and the finding
- an inconsistency of the sanction with past practice
The Provost will review unsuccessful appeals only after a finding and a sanction have been issued.
For Faculty
- The Faculty of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences has delegated the determination of cases of academic integrity violations to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs. According to this delegation, faculty are obliged to refer all cases of alleged violation of academic integrity by students in their courses to the Assistant Dean for Academic Integrity (ADAI).
- Faculty should refer cases within one month of the date they become aware of the alleged incident.
- The ADAI will not act on any case if more than one year has elapsed since the date of the alleged incident.
- Once an allegation has been referred to the ADAI, it may not be withdrawn without the ADAI's approval, nor may the referring faculty member resolve an open case without the ADAI's approval. Faculty should refer the questions of involved students to the ADAI and the Dean’s office.
- After the review, the ADAI determines if there is cause for further investigation. If there is, a case will be opened. If not, the ADAI will inform the reporting faculty.
- Faculty may not impose a grade sanction without having referred the allegation to the ADAI and may not impose a grade sanction until a finding of violation has been issued by the ADAI.
- The ADAI has the authority to determine, based on the evidence available, whether a violation of academic integrity has occurred.
- The ADAI is available to consult on suspected cases of academic integrity violations. Consultations will not necessarily result in an investigation. If an investigation is initiated, it will not necessarily result in a finding or a sanction.
- If circumstances (e.g., departure of a visiting instructor) prevent the instructor of the course in which the violation is alleged to have occurred from participating at any stage of these procedures, the relevant department chairperson or program director may act on the instructor's behalf.
- If the student is found to have violated academic integrity, the faculty member has the sole discretion to determine the impact on the grade for the particular assignment and for the course as a whole.
- If the student is found not to have violated academic integrity or if the ADAI finds insufficient evidence for a finding of violation, the faculty member must grade the assignment and the student’s performance in the course without prejudice.
April 2019.
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