1.       Initiating a Hearing.  Hearings may be initiated by students appealing a sanction for an alleged violation of the Academic Integrity Policy, by the faculty member who issued a sanction or other individual who has observed the alleged violation, by the dean of the student's home college, by the chair of the AIB, and by the AVPAA.  Any allegation must name the offender, specify how the policy that has been violated, describe the occurrence, present the grounds for concluding that the offender violated the Academic Integrity Policy and sub mit complete documentation of
the relevant materials,with evidence of violation clearly marked or explained.

a.       Student-Initiated Hearing

                                                                                       i.      Students who have received written notification of any sanction based on a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy may initiate a hearing of the Academic Integrity Board to review the instructor’s decision.

                                                                                     ii.      Students are strongly encouraged to discuss the sanction with the instructor before appealing their case to the Academic Integrity Board.

                                                                                    iii.      All student appeals regarding sanctions received from an instructor as a result of an alleged violation of the policy must be sent to the AVPAA or her/his designate. (Appeals of grades on other grounds must be sent to a Grade Challenge Board.)

                                                                                   iv.      [Note from Office of Academic Integrity: The following section no longer is necessary.  To appeal a case, students need simply to click on “Appeal Academic Integrity Violation” on Campus Connection and follow instructions on the page that follows.  The information requested in the paragraph below is completed automatically and students are prompted for any additional information.]  Appeals must state the student's name, the name of the course, the instructor(s), any grades received in the course, a copy of the written notification from the instructor that a sanction was imposed because of an alleged violation of the Academic Integrity Policy, the originals of relevant material if they are in the student's possession, and a full and detailed statement of the student's grounds for concluding that the she/he did not violate the policy or that the sanction was unfairly determined or assessed.  This statement shall also include a description of the evidence that will be introduced to support the student's account. Additional evidence relevant to the student’s case not noted in the initial appeal document may be presented at the hearing.

                                                                                     v.      Students who opt to appeal a sanction imposed by a faculty member and who are not subject to a mandatory hearing are subject to no greater penalties than that to which the student was originally subject by the faculty member involved. 

b.       Hearing Initiated by Other Parties.  Any faculty member, professional staff member, or student may initiate a hearing when they have observed or have other reason to believe an alleged violation of the Academic Integrity Policy, whether within or outside of the context of a course.

                                                                                       i.      Faculty-Initiated Hearings.  Faculty may petition the university for sanctions beyond their own authority based on a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy by initiating a hearing.  These hearings may also involve the following:

1.       Violation observed by third party.  When a violation of the academic integrity policy is observed within the context of a course by someone other than the instructor, it must be reported to the instructor, who may then take appropriate action, including the imposition of a sanction or initiating a hearing of the Academic Integrity Board.

2.       Expedited Hearings – Request by Faculty Member. A faculty member who has sanctioned a student with a failing grade prior to the end of a quarter may, in unusual circumstances, petition for an immediate hearing. An immediate hearing may be appropriate when a student remains in a course or program pending appeal and in the judgment of the faculty member that decision compromises the educational experience for others and/or reduces the faculty member’s effectiveness.  Requests for immediate hearings should be sent to the AVPAA and should convincingly demonstrate the urgency of the situation.  The AVPAA will determine as quickly as possible if the case is eligible for an immediate hearing; if grounds for an immediate hearing are upheld, the chair, faculty member, and student will be notified and a hearing will be held within ten days.

                                                                                     ii.      Dean-Initiated Hearings.  The dean of the student's home college at his/her own discretion may initiate a hearing when a copy of the notification sent by the faculty member to the student has been received. The dean also may submit an independent recommendation to the Academic Integrity Board in any case involving a student from his/her college.

                                                                                    iii.      Chair-Initiated, Mandatory Hearings.  The chair of the Academic Integrity Board must initiate a hearing when records held by the AVPAA indicate that there has been a previous violation of the Academic Integrity Policy. 

1.       The student and faculty member involved in the second violation will be informed by the AVPAA of a mandatory hearing based on this second violation and will be required to attend and to present their cases to the board’s panel.

a.       It is at the discretion of the panel to consider or not consider cases where the student fails to appear at the hearing. The alleged violation may be upheld and/or additional sanctions may be imposed. In the event that the faculty, or other initiating party fails to appear, the convener shall have the authority to proceed, or to appoint a representative to present the case, or to reschedule the hearing.

2.       The panel will first decide as to whether the most recent violation, in fact, occurred.  If the panel finds that the violation did occur, it will then consider both the appropriateness of the sanction imposed and the possibility of any additional sanction(s) based on the multiple violations. 

c.       Expedited Hearings.  In very rare circumstances, a sanction that results in failure of a course may be heard immediately, allowing the matter to be decided before the end of a term.

                                                                                       i.      This option is available only to students in their final quarter prior to graduation or to international students who can demonstrate that adhering to the timeline (see 6c and 6d) may result in loss of their legal status in the United States prior to a hearing. 

                                                                                     ii.      Requests for immediate hearings should be sent to the AVPAA and should be accompanied by documentation that demonstrates either or both of the conditions above. The AVPAA will determine within one week if the case is eligible for an immediate hearing; this decision is final.

                                                                                    iii.      If grounds for an immediate hearing are upheld, the chair will be notified and a hearing will be scheduled within two weeks of this decision.

                                                                                   iv.      While the status of the appeal for an immediate hearing is pending, the appealing student should remain in the course and is responsible for meeting all attendance and assignment requirements. Immediate hearings will be conducted in the same manner as typical hearings.

d.      Timetable for Initiating a Hearing

                                                                                       i.      Timing – Notification to Student of Violation.  Faculty who apply sanctions to a student because of an alleged violation of the Academic Integrity Policy must send a letter of notification dated no later than the end of the third week of classes immediately following the quarter in which the violation occurred (excluding the summer sessions).

                                                                                     ii.      Timing – Student Appeal.  Students who wish to appeal the sanction or others who have the right to initiate a hearing must send a letter of appeal to the AVPAA dated no later than the end of the fifth week of the quarter following the quarter in which the alleged violation occurred (excluding the summer sessions).

                                                                                    iii.      Timing – Exceptions.  No request for a hearing received after the fifth week of the quarter following the quarter in which the violation occurred, excluding the summer sessions, will be accepted except in extraordinary circumstances, as determined by the chair.

1.         If a violation is discovered subsequent to that time and a reasonable explanation as to why the violation was not discovered in a timely matter is provided, the Academic Integrity Board chair and AVPAA may, in consultation, decide to convene a panel to hear the case.

2.         If a sanction is imposed under the above section, a student may have the opportunity to appeal this sanction under the standard appeal procedures detailed in this Policy.

                                                                                   iv.      Timing – Notice to Students and Faculty of Appeals.  Students against whom a hearing has been initiated will be notified of the date and time of the hearing in writing by the AVPAA at least seven days prior to the scheduled hearing in the quarter following the quarter in which the alleged violation occurred.  Faculty members whose sanctions have resulted in a student appeal will also be notified at that time.

1.       Written notification will include a statement of the charges or appeal and copies of materials submitted with the charge or the appeal. The notification also will tell the student of the availability of an ombudsperson.