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PROCEDURES
Guide
for Complainants
Guide for Respondents
A GUIDE FOR COMPLAINANTS
PREPARING FOR AN ACADEMIC INTEGRITY HEARING
This guide has been designed to provide you with information you need
to prepare for an academic integrity hearing; it is not meant
to be all-inclusive. For a complete description of the Academic Integrity
Council's Hearing Panel procedures, please consult the Code of Academic
Integrity (Article III, Section 6).
Copies of the Code can be found here, or can be obtained in hardcopy format from
the Academic Integrity Office.
Pre-Hearing
Allegations and Sanction
Take time to think through the allegations you have made and the sanction
you have proposed. When you address the Hearing Panel, you will need to
be specific as you present your version of the facts of the case. Be prepared
to offer a rationale for what you think the appropriate sanction should
be.
Hearing Date/Time
The Academic Integrity Office will make every effort to accommodate your
schedule when setting a date for a hearing. Once a hearing date is established
however, requests to change the date may not be considered.
Witnesses
If you would like to call any witnesses to support your case, please
prepare a list, along with telephone numbers and email addresses and inform
the Academic Integrity Office. The Presiding Officer will review the list
and issue appearance requests to those witnesses determined to have material
knowledge of the case. While the Presiding Officer may issue appearance
requests, the Academic Integrity Council cannot compel the presence of
any individual.
Advisor
You may be accompanied to the hearing by an advisor of your choice. The
role of an advisor is limited to consultation during the hearing. The
advisor may not address the Hearing Panel or question the respondent or
any witnesses. Advisors who do not confine their activities to the role
describe in the Code, may be excluded or dismissed from the hearing.
Recording of Hearing
Hearings will be conducted in private and are recorded. In the event
that an appeal is filed, the recording will serve as a verbatim record
of the proceedings. You may make arrangements with the Academic Integrity
Office for access.
Hearing
Punctuality
Please arrive on time for the hearing. Remember that since the burden
of proof in a university administrative hearing rests with the Complainant,
there will be no grounds to find the Respondent "in violation"
if you are not present. We will wait no longer than 15 minutes from the
stated time of the beginning of the hearing.
This is not a criminal trial
University disciplinary proceedings are not analogous to a criminal trial.
In academic integrity hearings, panel members play an active role in questioning
all parties and eliciting relevant evidence. Complainants and respondents
are entitled to call appropriate witnesses and present relevant evidence,
under the direction of the Presiding Officer of the hearing.
Burden of Proof
The complainant bears the burden of proof, and therefore you will present
evidence first. After you present evidence, the Hearing Panel and respondent
will have an opportunity to ask questions. The respondent will then have
an opportunity to present evidence. When the respondent is done, you will
have an opportunity to ask questions. While you may direct appropriate
inquiries to the presiding officer, you should refrain from interrupting
the respondent’s presentation. You, as well as members of the Panel,
will have the opportunity to question the respondent and any witnesses
called to support the respondent’s case.
Role of the Presiding Officer
The Presiding Officer shall exercise control over the proceedings to
avoid needless consumption of time and to achieve an orderly completion
of the hearing. Any person who disrupts the hearing may be excluded by
the Presiding Officer.
Panel Deliberation
Panel Deliberation
When there are no more questions, the Presiding Officer will ask for closing statements and ask the complainant and respondent (and any advisors) to leave. Panel Deliberation is not recorded and is completed in private.
A finding of "in violation"
A finding of "in violation" requires a three-fourths vote
of the Panel. The Panel will forward a recommendation
of sanction to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. A recommendation
of a sanction other than expulsion requires a three-fourths vote of the
Panel, and a recommendation of a sanction of expulsion requires unanimity.
A finding of "not in violation"
A finding of "not in violation" by the Hearing Panel requires at least three-fourths of the voting members of the Panel. No sanction is recommended to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Post-Hearing and Panel Deliberation
Notification of Results
Faculty and staff complainants will receive notification of the Panel’s
decision on culpability and the Provost’s decision on the
sanction normally within one week of the hearing date. Due to federal privacy
restrictions, student complainants will not receive notification of the
Panel’s decision.
Appeal
Appeals of the decision of the Hearing Panel or of the sanction imposed by the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs shall only be based on new evidence or evidence of bias. After a decision has been confirmed by the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, either party may file, within three working days, an intention to appeal with the Academic Integrity Office. A petition of appeal must be filed within five working days of the declaration of intention. Appeals will be reviewed by the President of the University or a designee. The President or a designee will then make a decision on the appeal, based on the petition and the reports of the Hearing Panel and the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Questions?
Please contact the Academic Integrity Office at 202-994-1977.
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A GUIDE FOR RESPONDENTS
PREPARING FOR AN ACADEMIC INTEGRITY HEARING
This guide has been designed to provide you with information you need
to prepare for an academic integrity hearing. This guide is not meant to be all-inclusive. For a complete description of the Academic
Integrity Council’s Hearing Panel procedures, please consult the Code of Academic
Integrity (Article III, Section 6).
A complete copy of the
Code may be found here, or obtained in hardcopy format from the office of your school’s
dean, or the Academic Integrity Office. Should the Code ever
conflict
the "Guide to Student Rights and Responsibilities" the latter
will govern.
Pre-Hearing
When you receive notification
After receiving the Charge of Academic Dishonesty form, review the specific
charge(s) that have been made against you. Be prepared to enter a plea
of "in violation" or "not in violation" for each of the charges. Take time
to think through your response to each charge. When you address the Hearing
Panel, you will need to be specific as you present your version of the
facts of the case. If you are accepting responsibility for the charges,
be prepared to offer a rationale for what you think the
appropriate sanction
is.
Hearing Date/Time
The Academic Integrity Office has made every effort to accommodate your
published class schedule when scheduling a hearing. Once a hearing date
has been established, request to change the date may not be considered.
Witnesses
If you would like to call any witnesses to speak on your behalf, please
prepare a list of witnesses, along with their telephone numbers and email
addresses, and turn it in to the Academic Integrity Office. The Presiding
Officer will review the list and issue appearance requests to those witnesses
determined to have material knowledge of the case. Character witnesses
may not be used. While the Presiding Officer may issue appearance requests,
the Academic Integrity Council cannot compel the presence of any individual.
Advisor
You may be accompanied to the hearing by an advisor of your choice. The
role of an advisor is limited to consultation during the hearing. The
advisor may not address the Hearing Panel or question the Complainant
and any witnesses. Advisors who do not confine their activities to the
role described in Article III, Section 6(e) of the Code may be excluded
from the hearing.
Recording of Hearing
Hearings will be conducted in private and are recorded. In the event
that an appeal is filed, the recording will serve as a verbatim record
of the proceedings. You may make arrangements with the Academic Integrity
Office for access.
Hearing
Punctuality
Be on time for the hearing and consider your appearance. Remember that
the hearing can be held in your absence, and a plea of "no contest"
will be entered if you are not present. The Complainant will still have
the opportunity to present the evidence against you. The hearing will
begin no later than 15 minutes after the stated time.
Be Truthful
The testimony you provide must be truthful. Intentionally furnishing
false information at a hearing constitutes a violation of the Code of
Student Conduct, and may result in separate charges being filed with the
Dean of Students Office and may also affect the Hearing Panel’s sanction,
assuming you are found in violation of the Code.
This is not a criminal trial
University disciplinary proceedings are not analogous to a criminal trial.
In academic integrity hearings, Panel members play an active role in questioning
all parties and eliciting relevant evidence. Complainants and other Respondents
are entitled to call appropriate witnesses and present relevant evidence,
under the direction of the Presiding Officer of the hearing.
Burden of Proof
The Complainant bears the "burden of proof" and therefore will
present evidence first. You may direct appropriate inquiries to the Presiding
Officer after the Complainant’s presentation, and you should refrain
from interrupting the Complainant’s presentation. You, as well as
members of the Panel, will have the opportunity to question the Complainant
and any witnesses called to support the Complainant’s case.
Your side of the story
After the Complainant concludes, you will be given an opportunity to
present your evidence, including any mitigating factors which may impact
the sanction which may be imposed. The Complainant and the Panel members
may question you and any witnesses you choose to call. You have the right
not to be compelled to be a witness against yourself. However, you waive
this right should you decide to testify on your own behalf. This means
that if you testify on your own behalf, you can be asked questions about
your testimony.
Role of the Presiding Officer
The Presiding Officer will exercise control over the proceedings to avoid
needless consumption of time and to achieve an orderly completion of the
hearing. Any person who disrupts the hearing may be excluded by the Presiding
Officer.
Panel Deliberation
Panel Deliberation
When there are no more questions, the Presiding Officer will ask for closing statements and ask the complainant and respondent (and any advisors) to leave. Panel Deliberation is not recorded and is completed in private.
A finding of "in violation"
A finding of "in violation" requires a three-fourths vote
of the Panel. Should the Panel find you in violation of any charge(s), a recommendation
of sanction will be forwarded to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. A recommendation
of a sanction other than expulsion requires a three-fourths vote of the
Panel, and a recommendation of a sanction of expulsion requires unanimity.
A finding of "not in violation"
A finding of "not in violation" by the Hearing Panel requires at least three-fourths of the voting members of the Panel. No sanction is recommended to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Post-Hearing and Panel Deliberation
Notification of Results
Faculty and staff complainants will receive notification of the Panel’s
decision on culpability and the Provost’s decision on the
sanction normally within one week of the hearing date. Due to federal privacy
restrictions, student complainants will not receive notification of the
Panel’s decision.
Appeal
Appeals of the decision of the Hearing Panel or of the sanction imposed by the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs shall only be based on new evidence or evidence of bias. After a decision has been confirmed by the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, either party may file, within three working days, an intention to appeal with the Academic Integrity Office. A petition of appeal must be filed within five working days of the declaration of intention. Appeals will be reviewed by the President of the University or a designee. The President or a designee will then make a decision on the appeal, based on the petition and the reports of the Hearing Panel and the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Questions?
Please contact the Academic Integrity Office at 202-994-1977.
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