You should receive information from the Student Honor Council as to the time, date, and location of the Honor Review. Please contact the Office of Student Conduct (301.314.8204) if you have questions about the notice.
You should know that students who are referred to the Student Honor Council normally have the right to know the name of the person who reported the alleged act of academic dishonesty. Students may also view any information contained in their disciplinary file. Frequently, the advisers or advocates (e.g., students, parents, attorneys) who assist students in preparing for an Honor Review see this material as well.
As the referring faculty member, you may be assisted by an undergraduate Community Advocate. This Advocate in a sense "represents" you as the Complaining Party for the hearing. The Advocate will assist you in preparing for the hearing, gathering evidence for the hearing, and participating fully in the hearing process.
You may wish to contact the Office of Student Conduct and request any information the Office has received from the respondent. If, for example, the student has submitted a written statement responding to your allegation of academic impropriety, you might want to have the opportunity to review this before the hearing. In this way, you may be better prepared to answer some of the questions which arise.
You should bring your class grading book and previous papers/projects/assignments completed by the student. Honor Board members may deem the student's performance in the course relevant. In addition, copies of the exams or assignments of other students may prove invaluable in helping the Board place the referred student's work in proper perspective.
You should consider an appropriate sanction recommendation in the event that the referred student is found responsible. You may wish to seek advice from colleagues within your department on this matter; in the past, some faculty members have consulted others in general terms about the case to that end. Remember that an Honor Review is a confidential investigation and you should refrain from discussing specifics with anyone not directly involved in the matter.
In most instances, students found responsible for a dishonest academic act will receive an "XF," which is noted on the transcript as "failure due to academic dishonesty." Nonetheless, the Honor Board may impose a lesser or more severe sanction. Generally, acts involving advance planning, falsification of papers, conspiring with others, or some actual or potential harm to other students will merit a severe sanction, i.e., suspension or expulsion, even for a first offense. Conversely, the Board may consider mitigating circumstances which may warrant a less stringent penalty than the "XF." In addition to the "XF," possible sanctions include:
Dismissal from the university (suspension/expulsion)
"F" in the class or a "0" on the assignment/exam
Taking the Academic Integrity Seminar
An educational and/or reflective assignment
Even if the Honor Council has not requested their presence, you may ask the course Teaching Assistant, Departmental Chair, or other relevant witnesses to attend. If a witness is unable to appear, then a written statement witnessed by a university employee may be submitted. Obviously, though, the presence of a witness at the Honor Review will be of greater value.
