Academic Integrity

Procedures for Alleged Violations of Academic Integrity

SCS faculty should bring all suspected breaches of academic integrity to the Assistant Dean of the undergraduate program within one month of the date on which the faculty member becomes aware that a breach may have occurred. No action will be taken on any case if more than one year has elapsed since the alleged incident. The faculty member will turn over all documents relating to the incident to the designated dean. View the SCS Procedures for Alleged Violation of Academic Integrity:

SCS Procedures for Cases of Alleged Dishonesty.

Read a list of detailed, step-by-step instructions to follow if you suspect a case of academic dishonesty in your class from:

SCS Academic Dishonesty Information.

Student Notification and Academic Review

Upon notification by the faculty member, the designated dean writes a letter to the student informing him/her of the exact nature of the charge, the date of the incident (if known), the course, the instructor, and the possible sanctions, if it is determined that a violation has occurred.

These sanctions may include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, probation, suspension, exclusion from the University, revocation of any awarded degree, or any combination thereof. In the event that the proceedings result in exclusion from the University, the letter will inform the student that the notation "Excluded" will appear on his/her permanent record card and on any transcript that is produced from the card.

A copy of "Procedures for Alleged Violations of Academic Integrity" should accompany the letter to the student. The letter will ask the student to set up a time to meet with the designated dean at the earliest possible date. The letter will inform the student of his/her right to review any materials in the designated dean's office under supervision prior to the scheduled meeting. The student does not have the right to remove any of these materials from the dean's office.

The designated dean will meet with the student to discuss the incident, to present evidence supporting the charge, and to offer the student the opportunity to explain his/her actions. The student may bring forth any evidence that might mitigate the charge or may request another meeting (within seven days) at which such evidence may be presented. At either of these meetings with the designated dean, the student may bring any witnesses who can verify his/her account of the incident.

When the designated dean is convinced that all relevant materials have been presented and all necessary interviews have been conducted, s/he will decide whether or not a breach of academic integrity has occurred and, if so, what sanctions should be imposed.

The designated dean will notify the student and the faculty member in writing of the finding and the sanctions, if any. This letter will also inform the student of his/her right to appeal the finding and/or the sanctions to the Dean of the School of Continuing Studies. This appeal letter should be submitted to the dean within two weeks of the letter of notification from the designated dean.

Student Appeals

If the student submits a written appeal to the SCS Dean, the dean will contact the student to establish a time to meet to discuss the appeal. The dean will review the facts of the case, examine the relevant documents, speak with the student in person, and determine whether the findings of the designated dean and/or the sanctions imposed by the designated dean should be upheld. The dean will notify the student, the designated dean, and the faculty member of the decision.

The student may then appeal the dean's decision within 10 working days to the Provost of the University. Such appeals must be in writing and include a detailed statement setting forth the grounds for the appeal. Appeals to the Provost will be limited to alleged errors in procedures, interpretation of regulations, or alleged manifest discrepancies between the evidence and a school finding and/or sanction. The Provost will receive appeals only after a sanction has been specified for the alleged violation; an appeal to the Provost may concern the finding and/or the proposed sanction.

General Considerations:

• A student charged with academic dishonesty has the right to review all evidence supporting the charge.
• A student charged with academic dishonesty may not change his/her registration in the course(s) in which a charge is pending or in which a finding of academic dishonesty has been made.
• At any stage of the proceedings described above, 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. The accompanying person may not, however, take part in the proceedings; the student must speak on his/her own behalf.
• If a School of Continuing Studies student is charged with a violation of academic integrity in a course offered by a school other than the School of Continuing Studies, the appropriate authority in the school offering the course will make the determination of whether a breach of academic integrity has occurred, and that person or the appropriate faculty member, depending on the procedures of the school in question, will have jurisdiction over the course grade. The designated authority will notify the designated dean of the School of Continuing Studies of the decision. The designated dean will have jurisdiction over the student's standing in the University.
• Conversely, if a student from another school is accused of breaching academic integrity in a School of Continuing Studies class, the designated dean will determine whether a violation has occurred and determine the grade for the course. The designated dean will then notify the appropriate person in the student's home school of the finding so that the designated person in the home school may rule on the student's standing in the University.
• If a School of Continuing Studies student is excluded from the University because of a breach of academic integrity, the word "Excluded" will appear on the student's permanent record card.
• All materials relating to an allegation of breach of academic integrity will be kept in the School of Continuing Studies office until the student graduates or for 10 years after the incident, whichever comes first.
• If the alleged violation of academic integrity occurs in a class where highly specialized or technical knowledge is involved (e.g., computer programming, foreign language, upper-level mathematics), the designated dean may consult with a specialist (other than the teacher of the course) to help determine whether the violation did, in fact, occur. The student has a right to examine this evidence as well as all other evidence relevant to the case.

View the Northwestern University Principles Regarding Academic Integrity at http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/student/issues/academic_integrity.cfm.