Academic Responsibility Panel
The Academic Reponsibility Panel has jurisdiction in the following cases:
- Appeals of a course instructor’s course-level decision as outlined above; or
- Upon recommendation from an Academic Review Meeting.
Composition of the Academic Responsibility Panel
Each case presented to the Academic Responsibility Panel is heard by two student panel members and three faculty panel members. The panel for any case must include at least one member from the college(s) represented by the parties. When possible, the panel for any case must include at least one student member at the same degree level as the student who is appearing before the panel. In addition, a trained moderator presides over the proceedings.
The pool of faculty panel members will be appointed by the Office of Community Responsibility in consultation with Faculty Senate. The pool of student panel members will be appointed by the Office of Community Responsibility in consultation with Undergraduate Student Senate and the Graduate Student Assembly following a selection process coordinated by the Office of Community Responsibility . All appointees must complete initial and ongoing training in order to be eligible to serve as panel members. Once trained, panel members may complete up to three years of service, and panel members may be reappointed.
Members participating in a given hearing will be selected from a list of eligible individuals based upon availability and disinterestedness in the case or parties following review by the student who is appearing before the Academic Responsibility Panel. The involved course instructor(s), department head or designee, and panel members will also have the opportunity to note any potential conflicts of interest. The following circumstances would preclude participation as a panel member in a given proceeding:
- Individuals with prior substantial knowledge of or interest in the student(s) involved or the case(s) under review
- Individuals who may appropriately be a witness in the case(s)
Back to Academic Integrity Actions
Conduct of the Academic Responsibility Panel
The university attempts to ensure fair, timely and orderly procedures in all academic integrity actions. To provide for this, the university has adopted the following procedural protections. The following is a list of procedures that govern the Academic Responsibility Panel process:
Panel Preparation and Scheduling
- In advance of the panel, the members of the Academic Responsibility Panel will be provided a pre-read packet, which may include, among other relevant items: the initial academic integrity violation report(s); any supporting documentation related to the violation(s); any departmental recommendations for outcomes (if applicable); and a written introduction from the student to the panel.
- The student may submit a written introduction and up to three written letters of support by a date specified by the process advisor. Additional information that is relevant to the review including email correspondence and assignment documentation may be submitted by the student. This documentation will be included in the pre-read packet at the discretion of the process advisor.
- It is the responsibility of the Office of Community Responsibility to ensure that times set for panels are reasonable and that necessary accommodations have been offered to both the student and course instructor(s) whenever appropriate. In turn, both the student and course instructors(s) will be expected to demonstrate good-faith efforts in their participation with this process, particularly in relation to the scheduling of the panel. If a case involves exigent circumstances that prevent the student or course instructor(s) from participating in a scheduled review, the panel will be rescheduled.
- Every effort will be made to avoid conflicts with a student’s class schedule when identifying a meeting date and time. When circumstances warrant, classroom attendance, except for scheduled examinations, will not be a reasonable excuse for delaying a review.
Panel Process and Procedures
- Information provided during an Academic Responsibility Panel must be kept confidential by all parties. The student is provided a full copy of all materials provided to the panel for the purpose of preparing for or use during the proceedings, consistent with the privacy rights of those involved. These materials are to be kept confidential and may be shared only with permission from the process advisor. These documents may not be duplicated nor utilized for any other purpose. All materials provided to the student must be returned to the process advisor at the conclusion of the proceedings and no copies may be retained.
- In order to maintain a fair and equitable process, no new materials will be accepted on the day of the panel, with the exception of (i) oral testimony and (ii) such other evidence as may be necessary to rebut new oral testimony. Evidence offered as rebuttal will be accepted only at the discretion of the moderator.
- Prior to the panel, the student, course instructor(s), department head or designee who are participating in the review will be asked if they believe that the potential panel members are biased for or against them. If a perceived bias is reasonable, replacements will be chosen for the panel and the proceedings will be rescheduled.
- The student has the right to have one person of their choosing present at the panel. The student is required to notify the process advisor of their support person of choice at a date specified by the process advisor which will be at least three days in advance. If legal counsel will serve in this capacity, a representative of the University’s Office of General Counsel will typically be present for the proceedings to provide assistance to the Academic Responsibility Panel, moderator, and/or process advisor as needed. Legal counsel or any other support person, if present, will not be permitted to participate in the proceedings but may advise the student and/or be present at a panel. In the event that one party to a case is accompanied by legal counsel without advance notice, a panel may be postponed until all parties to the case have had an opportunity to have counsel present. Registered support persons are not permitted to participate as witnesses in the same proceedings.
- Witnesses may be registered for each Academic Responsibility Panel by the student, course instructor(s), and department head. Witnesses should be able to provide direct information related to the case(s) under review by the panel, such as direct observation of the incident(s) in question and/or direct interaction with any of the parties before, during or after the incident in question. All parties are required to notify the process advisor of their registered witnesses at a date specified by the process advisor which will be at least three days in advance of the Academic Responsibility Panel.
- In scheduling a panel, consideration should be given to allow that witnesses significant to the case being heard are available to the panel. If a witness is not available to be called by the panel in person or via telecommunication, they may submit a written statement to the process advisor to be reviewed if the panel requests information from the witness. Except in documented extenuating circumstances, students are expected to make a good-faith effort to provide information to the Academic Responsibility Panel when called as a witness.
- It is within the discretion of the panel to determine whether they wish to hear from registered witnesses. Witnesses will be questioned one at a time by the panel and subsequently dismissed. They should be present in the proceedings only when providing information to the panel.
- All proceedings before a panel, except the deliberation of the panel, will be recorded. The audio or audiovisual (if available) recording will be kept in accordance with Academic Integrity Actions Records Retention Practices.
- During the actual proceedings, the student has the right to be present during presentation of evidence.
- Students and course instructors who are participating in a panel will be limited to ten minutes for their introduction and five minutes to provide a summary following the presentation of evidence.
- The majority of the proceeding will consist of questioning from the panel members for all parties as well as registered witnesses. Students and course instructors will also have the opportunity to present questions for the panel’s consideration.
- Following each summary, the panel will enter closed deliberations.
- In cases that involve appeals of course-level action, no information about the student's prior violations of the University Policy on Academic Integrity will be shared with the Academic Responsibility Panel.
Panel Outcome Determination and Notifications
- A representative of the Office of Community Responsibility will be responsible for notifying the vice provost for education or designee in writing of the recommendation of the panel.
- The vice provost for education or designee makes the decision in the case, informed by the recommendation of the Academic Responsibility Panel. The vice provost for education or designee may accept, reject or modify the recommendation, or may remand the matter to a new Academic Responsibility Panel for review.
- After reviewing the recommendations and rendering a decision, the vice provost for education or designee will notify the student in writing of their decision.
- The Office of Community Responsibility will send a copy of the final decision letter to the following individuals:
- Course instructor(s)
- Head of the student's home department
- Associate dean of the student's home college
- Academic advisor for the student
- Head of department in which the course(s) is housed (if different from the student's department)
- Associate dean of the college in which the course(s) is housed (if different from the student's college)
- Parents of a student will not be notified of any academic integrity actions.
- Academic integrity actions will be recorded in the student's educational record in the Office of Community Responsibility in accordance with Academic Integrity Actions Records Retention Practices. When academic integrity actions affect eligibility for enrollment, designation on other university records will be made. Academic integrity actions records will not be released as a part of the official transcript of the academic record of a student.