a.       Student-Initiated Hearings.  If the panel upholds a faculty member’s determination that the student has violated the Academic Integrity Policy, the panel shall also uphold the sanction imposed by the faculty member unless it finds that the sanction is excessive or inappropriate. (Note: In circumstances where the student appeals the finding, but has withdrawn from the course and therefore no sanctions have yet been imposed, see next section.)

                                                                                       i.      The panel will recognize that there is a range of appropriate sanctions that different instructors may impose on similar cases and it will generally respect that discretionary authority. 

                                                                                     ii.      If the panel determines that the sanction is excessive or inappropriate, the instructor will be notified of the board's decision and will be instructed to modify the sanction accordingly.

                                                                                    iii.      Where a student has initiated a hearing, and it is the student’s first offense, the panel may not impose a harsher sanction than that imposed by the instructor. 

b.       Mandatory or Other Hearings .  In circumstances where there is a mandatory hearing, where no sanction has yet been imposed (such as where a student has withdrawn from a class), or where a faculty member initiates a hearing to determine whether further sanctions will be imposed, and where the panel finds that a student has violated the policy, the panel shall make a recommendation of a sanction to the AVPAA (see sections E(8) and E(9), below)