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Information for Students Charged with an AI Violation

Information for Students Charged with an Academic Integrity Violation

 

Do I Need to Talk to Anyone If I am Charged with a Violation?

While you are not required to meet with or talk with anyone, you are strongly advised to meet with the Chair of the Academic Integrity Council. During this meeting the Chair can explain to you the processes surrounding an Academic Integrity hearing, and you will have a chance to ask any questions you may have. You may, of course, also speak with the person who has brought the charge against you. Please understand that professors must report all suspected cases of Academic Integrity violations and do not have the option of imposing a penalty by themselves. All members of the Academic Integrity Council are available to students as resources and sources of advice. Please feel free to e-mail any member of the Council with your questions and/or for help preparing your case. In addition, any member of the RC community can assist you throughout this process, and you are encouraged to bring one member of the RC community to the hearing.

How Much Time do I Have to Respond to a Charge?

You have 48 hours-excluding weekends, holidays, and other breaks in the calendar-from the time you receive notification of a charge to respond in writing to the Chair of the Academic Integrity Council.

What Should a Response Letter Include?

A response letter must include a clear statement of whether you are pleading "in violation" of academic integrity or "not in violation." Beyond that requirement, there is no set format for a response letter. Hearing panels and boards appreciate thoughtful and honest letters that reflect on the actions in question and respond to the charge that these actions constitute a violation of the College's academic integrity standards. You are encouraged to review the evidence submitted with the charge letter prior to writing your response letter. If you wish to present evidence during the hearing, please contact the Chair of the Council or the Coordinator of Academic Affairs Operations in the Dean's Office, to make sure you have sufficient copies for the panel/board to review.

How are Hearings Scheduled?

After a charge is received, the Dean's Office staff will begin scheduling a hearing and will contact you to find an available time slot. Normally we need to ensure that you will be available for at least two hours after the start of the hearing, although hearings can sometimes take longer than this. Hearings usually are held in the Dean's Conference Room, which is located on the second floor of the Administration Building.

What Should I Expect to Happen at a Hearing?

At the beginning of the hearing you will be asked to make an opening statement that summarizes the information in your response letter and expands upon that letter as you desire. You should then be prepared to answer questions from the panel members and the person bringing the charge. At the end of this phase of the hearing, you will have the option of making a closing statement, after which all but the panel or board members will leave the room. After the panel has come to a decision, you will return to the room and be informed of the panel's decision about the charge and any penalties.

Remember, you have the right to bring one member of the RC community to assist you at the hearing, and these assistants can fully participate during the hearings. Students are strongly encouraged to bring an assistant with them.

On the difference between panel hearings and board hearings and your right to request a board, see pp. 7 and 11 of Academic Integrity at Roanoke College.

I have a Previous Academic Integrity Violation. Will this Information be Shared During the Hearing?

The Chair of the Academic Integrity Council will be aware of any previous violations but will not mention them during the first part of the hearing. The Chair will inform the board of previous violations only if you are found in violation for the current charge. The purpose of this procedure is so that the current case is evaluated on its merits, not on the basis of prior behavior. If you are found in violation for the current charge, you will have the opportunity to address the Board prior to their deliberation about penalties. Please note that the normal minimum penalties for a second or third violation are more severe than for a first violation. 

What Happens After a Hearing?

After a hearing you will receive written confirmation of the outcome. Students have the right to appeal a panel or board's decision within 48 hours of the hearing. Appeals will only be granted in very specific circumstances. Please see the handbook Academic Integrity at Roanoke College (p. 12) for further details. If you choose to exercise this option, you have the right to attend class pending the Dean of the College's decision.

 

Revised November 2022