Academic honor and integrity are essential to the existence of a university community. If high standards of honesty are not maintained by everyone, the entire community and society itself suffer. As responsible citizens of the UNCP community, students (undergraduate and graduate) are obligated to uphold basic standards of honesty and to actively encourage others to respect and maintain those standards. Allowing academic dishonesty is just as dishonest as committing a dishonest act oneself.
The general categories of acts that violate the Academic Honor Code are: cheating, plagiarism, fabrication and falsification, abuse of academic materials and complicity.
If the faculty member responsible for a course obtains evidence, either directly or through information supplied by others, that a student may have violated the Academic Honor Code, the faculty member contacts the director of Student Conduct to see if the student has a previous Academic Honor Code violation. If it is the second such violation for a student, then the faculty member must take the case to the Conduct Hearing Board via the director of Student Conduct. However, if it is a student’s first violation, the charge may be settled between the faculty member and the student with the settlement form signed and filed with the Office of Student Conduct (Student Handbook, page 56).
Academic Honor Code Violation - Instructions for UNC Pembroke Faculty and Staff
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Holds
Holds can be placed on a student’s record for a number of reasons. While a student is going through the Academic Honor Code process a hold will be placed on their record until the process is completed.
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Withdrawls
Once a student has received notice that they are alleged to have violated Academic Honor Code and has been notified of the allegation, the student may not withdraw from the course or the university in order to avoid the penalty (Student Handbook, page 56).
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Request for Appellate Consideration
In order for a student to appeal a determination of the Conduct Hearing Board in an Academic Honor Code violation, the student must contact the Office of Student Conduct to complete the request for appellate consideration form. A student must submit a request for appellate consideration form within five (5) calendar days to the director of Student Conduct. The director of Student Conduct will deliver the request as well as all related materials to the Conduct Appeal Board (Student Handbook, pages 57-58).
https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UNCPembroke&layout_id=1
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FAQs about the Academic Honor Code Process
What types of acts violate the Academic Honor Code?
cheating, plagiarism, fabrication and falsification, abuse of academic materials and complicity (Student Handbook, page 55)
What are the penalties faculty may impose for a student’s first-time violation of the Academic Honor Code?
A formal written warning or reprimand; A reduced grade (including F) for the assignment; A reduced grade (including F) for the entire course; and Supplemental educational assignment(s) in conjunction with the other named penalties (Student Handbook, page 55)
Are Academic Honor Code violations on a student’s record and for how long?
Academic Honor Code violations do not appear on a student’s transcript; however, in all cases, whatever the penalty, a signed settlement of a violation of the academic honor code form will be kept for ten years in the Office of Student Conduct. The purpose of this record-keeping is to deter students from repeating offenses and to maintain continuity of record-keeping regarding academic misconduct. A second purpose is to be sure students who violate the Academic Honor Code a second time are appropriately adjudicated (Student Handbook, pages 55-56).
When does a Conduct Hearing Board get involved in the Academic Honor Code process?
The Conduct Hearing Board (CHB) handles all second offenses, some more serious first offenses and any charges that the student feels are unfounded. In addition to any of the penalties available to an individual faculty member, the CHB may implement educational sanctions (i.e. educational courses on academic integrity, referral to academic support services, referral to counseling, etc.) suspend the student from the university for a designated period of time (one semester, one year, etc.), or dismiss the student from the university (Student Handbook, page 56).
What are the steps to the settlement procedure used by individual faculty members in the case of an Academic Honor Code violation?
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The faculty member meets via phone, video conferencing or in person with the student suspected of violating the Academic Honor Code
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Presents the evidence of the violation and requests an explanation from the student.
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After hearing the explanation, if the faculty member decides that a violation has occurred, the faculty member fills out and signs the settlement of a violation of the academic honor code form, which is available to all faculty members online or in hard copy through the Office of Student Conduct.
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The faculty member indicates the nature of the violation and the penalty to be applied, and then gives a copy of the form to the student.
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After receiving the form, the student has three (3) calendar days to consider and seek advice on whether to admit responsibility and accept the penalty by signing the form.
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If the student agrees to sign, admitting responsibility and accepts the penalty proposed, the faculty member does so in the presence of the faculty member or email communication with the faculty member.
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The faculty member then imposes the penalty.
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The faculty member will then make two (2) copies of the signed form. The faculty member will provide one copy to the student and keep one copy for their files.
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The faculty member will send the original signed settlement form to the director of Student Conduct, who keeps a record of first
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offenses for ten years, and thus the matter is ended.
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If the student decides not to admit responsibility or not to accept the penalty, the faculty member must take the case to the Office of Student Conduct for the incident to be referred to the CHB, if any penalty is to be imposed.
Is a student allowed to have representation-of an attorney or non-attorney advocate-during the Academic Honor Code process?
In accordance with North Carolina General Statute §116-40.11[1], students and student organizations at UNC Pembroke who have been accused of a violation of disciplinary or conduct rules-only-may be represented by a licensed attorney or a non-attorney advocate during any disciplinary procedure. This does not include Academic Honor Code violations.
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