Information for Faculty

Faculty members can gain information on the academic misconduct process and access resources for the process by:

Academic Misconduct Forms

Notification Form

Resolution Form

CCA Reporting Form (This form is used only by CCAs to submit documents and information to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards at the completion of the academic misconduct process)

Academic Misconduct Process

Jurisdiction for Academic Misconduct

The original jurisdiction of any case involving academic misconduct is with the instructor in whose course the alleged misconduct occurred and, in the absence of the instructor, with the Department Chair of the course, the Dean, or designee. Supervisors or authorized staff involved in the testing or evaluation process, including testing center personnel and testing proctors, may also initiate complaints of academic misconduct. If an instructor believes that a student has committed an act of academic misconduct as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, the instructor should refer to the procedural steps below to address the alleged violation.

College Conduct Administrators

An instructor who suspects a student of academic misconduct or who receives a complaint alleging misconduct should consult the College Conduct Administrator (CCA) to learn whether there is any record of prior academic misconduct and consider this when assigning sanctions. CCAs are also a great resource if you need assistance or have questions about the academic misconduct process. See below to find the contact information for your College Conduct Administrator.

Key Things to Know About the Academic Misconduct Process

  1. All timelines for the Academic Misconduct process are business days and exclude weekends, holidays, term breaks, and anytime when the university is not in session.
  2. The instructor must refrain from any action (including giving a grade) until the process has concluded. If it is the end of the semester and grades must be submitted, the instructor should submit an 'I' and update the registrar with the actual grade once the process is completed.
  3. When initiating an allegation of Academic Misconduct, the instructor must set up a Review Meeting with the student using the Notification Form.
  4. On the Resolution Form, the student must physically select one of the three options from the applicable boxes, sign, and date the form.

Requesting Information for Investigations

1. In coordination with IT, if a faculty member wishes to request access to data collected by Honorlock as part of an investigation into alleged academic misconduct, they will need to do so through the CCA The College Conduct Administrator will work with the faculty and the Office of Information Security to request the necessary Honorlock information for the investigation. Once the request has been made by the CCA, the Office of Information Security will work directly with the faculty member as needed to share the appropriate information. 

2. In addition to requesting Honorlock information, if a faculty member wishes to request other information that would need support from IT (such as CANVAS logs or messages), they will need to request that information by emailing abuse@uc.edu. When requesting this information faculty should include that the information is being requested as part of the academic misconduct process and a very brief description of how the information being requested will help in that investigation process. 

Alleged Use of Unauthorized Online Material

Academic Misconduct Process

In the age of digital coursework, utilization of unauthorized online material may lead to an investigation of alleged Academic Misconduct. The Academic Misconduct process is outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, which can be accessed at this link: https://www.uc.edu/campus-life/conduct/student-code-of-conduct.html. If you have questions regarding this process, please contact your College Conduct Administrator (CCA) for support and guidance.

Some of the most common sites utilized by students that may contain unauthorized material (but can also be excellent study tools) include, but are not limited to: Chegg.com and CourseHero.com. These types of sites have specific rules and policies regarding information posted on their sites and how to have it removed under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) or other applicable policies. Included below is some additional information regarding how to request material be removed as well as how to request additional information about posted material (if applicable). If you have further questions about these processes or need support navigating another website’s process, please reach out to your CCA.

The Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (SCCS) strongly recommend that faculty set clear expectations regarding the use/misuse of online resources to students in their course syllabi.

Request for Removal of Material ONLY

Chegg: Faculty are able to request that information be removed from Chegg’s website without assistance if the content was uploaded with a potential violation of the DMCA. To submit this request visit Chegg’s website and complete their online form. That form can be found at this link: https://www.chegg.com/copyright/takedown-request

CourseHero: Similar to Chegg, faculty are able to request information be removed from CourseHero’s website without assistance if the content was uploaded with a potential violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). To submit this request visit CourseHero’s website and complete their online form. That form can be found at this link: https://www.coursehero.com/takedown-notice/#/

Request for Information for Academic Misconduct Investigation AND Removal of Material

Chegg: If you are requesting additional information about who posted the material to Chegg’s website, who accessed it, or any other additional information to use during the Academic Misconduct Process, you will need to submit a request for data on Chegg’s website. This must come from a Dean’s office and have an accompanying letter on official letterhead. If you are requesting this information you will need to submit that information to your CCA. When you are submitting information to your CCA for them to send the request on your behalf be sure to include:

1. Links to ALL material you are seeking to have removed

2. What information you are wanting to gather from Chegg

Your CCA will submit the request via Chegg’s investigation link, which can be found here: https://www.chegg.com/honorcode/investigation-request. Chegg will send the information directly to the CCA, who will provide it to the faculty member for consideration in the Academic Misconduct process.

CourseHero: CourseHero does not currently have a process to gain additional information regarding who posted or accessed materials to their website. They will only remove information if it violates the DMCA (or if personal information was shared) using the process outlined above.

Notification of Misconduct

The instructor has 10 business days after discovering the misconduct to formally notify the student of the allegation. Formal notification entails completing a Notification Form and sending it to the student via email or by delivery in person.

Under the Student Code of Conduct (SCOC), students are allowed to continue in the course without prejudice until the academic misconduct process has concluded. The academic misconduct process concludes after students have exhausted their appeal options and/or the time to appeal the outcome has lapsed.

The instructor must send the Notification Form to the student within the 10 day period. If the instructor does not, the allegation will be dismissed.

Notification Form

  • When completing the Notification Form, the instructor should fill in all sections as indicated.
  • The instructor should describe the alleged violation(s) in as much detail as possible, so the student is clearly aware of the allegation.
  • The instructor will send the completed Notification Form to the student in order to set up the Review Meeting to discuss the alleged violation. 
    • The instructor must schedule the Review Meeting with the Student to proceed with the allegation of misconduct.
  • The Review Meeting serves to allow the instructor and student to discuss: 
    • The alleged misconduct that occurred.
    • The evidence to support the allegation of misconduct.
    • The instructor’s determination of responsibility, or reason for dismissal of the allegation.
    • The proposed sanctions in a finding of responsible.
  • After the Review Meeting, and based on the instructor's discussion with the student, the instructor has two options:
    1.    Dismiss the allegation(s) completely, which resolves the case, and notify the CCA that the allegations have been dismissed; OR
    2.    Send a Resolution Form to the student outlining the sanctions for the misconduct.                 
    • The instructor must send the Resolution Form 5 business days after the Review Meeting with the student or the allegations will be considered dismissed.
  • If the student fails to respond to the Notification Form within 5 days, the instructor should send the student a Resolution Form, and copy the CCA.

Review Meeting

  • The Review Meeting is an opportunity for the instructor and the student to resolve the allegation of misconduct, through dismissal of the allegation or a finding of responsible and issuing of appropriate sanctions.
    • If the proposed date, time, or location conflicts with the student’s schedule, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor for an alternative meeting date, time, or location.
  • The student may choose to have an Adviser with them at this meeting. The student must complete a FERPA Release and submit to the instructor prior to or at the Review Meeting. 
    • Adviser Rules:
      • The Adviser may consult with the student verbally or in writing in a quiet, non-disruptive manner, but may not participate as a spokesperson or vocal advocate in meetings or hearings.
      • Students are required to notify the College Conduct Administrator 72 hours prior to any meetings or hearings if the Adviser is an attorney and plans to attend the hearing and/or meeting.
      • The Conduct Process will not be delayed to accommodate an Adviser’s schedule.
      • An Adviser may not be present in lieu of a student who does not attend the meeting or hearing.
    • If the student selects an attorney as their adviser for the review meeting, the instructor must notify the CCA who will coordinate with the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and Office of General Counsel.
    • The instructor may also have an adviser present with them in the Review Meeting if they so choose, in the form of the CCA, another professional member of the college, or other appropriate representative. The instructor adviser also may not participate as a spokesperson or vocal advocate in meetings or hearings.
  • Review Meeting Outcome:
    • After the Review Meeting, the Instructor will have 5 days to either:
      • Provide written notice to the student that the allegation(s) has been dismissed and the case will be considered resolved, OR
      •  Move forward with the allegation(s) and provide a Resolution Form to the student outlining the alleged misconduct violation(s) for which they were found responsible and assigned sanction(s).

Resolution Form

  • A Resolution Form is sent to a student for two reasons:
    • The student did not respond to the Notification Form within 5 days; OR
    • The instructor met with the student for the Review meeting and found the student responsible for the alleged violation.
  • The Resolution Form is different from the Notification Form. It will prompt the instructor to fill out much of the same information. However, it is necessary because it provides the student with the finding in the case, and the options for the student to select from as outlined below.
  • The student has 3 options to respond to a Resolution Form:
    • Option 1: Accept responsibility for the misconduct and the sanction(s);
    • Option 2: Accept responsibility, but dispute the sanction(s) and request a College Hearing Panel review; OR
    • Option 3: Deny responsibility and request a College Hearing Panel review.
  • If the student selects Option 1, forward the Resolution Form to the CCA. The student must complete the agreed upon sanctions by the deadlines and stipulations listed on the Resolution Form.
  • If the student selects Option 2 or 3, forward the Resolution Form to the CCA and copy the student. The CCA will convene a College Hearing Panel to review the student's challenge.
  • If the student fails to respond to the Resolution Form within a 5 day period, forward the Resolution Form to the CCA. The sanctions and findings will be final.

College Hearing Panel (C.H.P.)

  • If a CHP is convened, Faculty or staff alleging misconduct must participate in the hearing in-person or via video conference. 
  • The student has the right to attend and dispute any allegation of misconduct or sanctions.
    • If the student chooses not to attend the hearing, a written statement will be reviewed and evaluated based on the information available.
  • The CHP shall consist of:
    • The hearing chair, who will be the CCA or designee and only vote in the event of a tie
    • One representative selected by the college faculty
    • One representative selected either by the college tribunal of Student Government for undergraduates, or by the graduate college tribunal of Graduate Student Governance Association for graduate students.
  • The student and instructor can challenge any member of the CHP for conflict of interest via an email to the CCA.
  • At this point in the process, the CHP will make a determination of responsibility and sanctions when appropriate.
  • Within three (3) days, the hearing chair of the CHP will notify the student of the CHP’s decision and appeal procedures.