If you’re an instructor who suspects a student in one of your courses may have turned in academic work that is academically dishonest, you’ve come to the right place.
When you suspect academic dishonesty, the first step is to notify the student(s) and contact them to discuss the situation. You should contact the student(s) in writing within 10 days of discovering the suspected academic dishonesty.
When contacting a student to discuss suspected academic dishonesty, you should:
- Contact them within 10 business days of your discovery of the suspected dishonesty
- Send the message to the student’s UMass email address and include the word confidential in the email subject line
- Request a meeting with the student (phone, Zoom, in person) to discuss the situation
- Specify a deadline for response, noting they have at least 5 business days to respond
Suggestions for your message:
- Notify the student what you’d like to talk to them about specifically
- Include your availability to meet and preferred way to meet
- Include reference to the Academic Integrity Policy, and resources, such as the Academic Intrgrity Office.
- If you are contacting more than one student to discuss academic dishonesty, make sure to keep FERPA guidelines in mind. See below for more information about FERPA and Academic Integrity.
Example message:
Your essay assignment #1 appears to violate the Academic Integrity Policy, as outlined in my syllabus. Several paragraphs appear to be plagiarized from one of the assigned readings.
I would like to meet with you to discuss this situation. I am available to meet during office hours, or we can schedule an appointment next week. Please respond to this message by [5 business days]. If I do not hear from you, I may file a formal charge with the Academic Integrity Office.
I also recommend that you review the Academic Integrity policy. You may also reach out to the Integrity Office at @email for support.
Yes! Instructors should contact students within 10 business days of discovering the potential academic dishonesty. Students have 5 business days to respond to the outreach.
When an instructor proposes an informal resolution to a student, the student should be given appropriate time to review the informal resolution and request a meeting with the Academic Integrity Office or the Ombuds office to discuss before making their decision to sign.
After discussing with the student or attempting outreach, a formal charge should be submitted within 15 business days of any of the following:
- The student admits to the suspected dishonesty, but the student and instructor are unable to reach an informal resolution
- The student denies the allegation, but the instructor still believes the dishonesty has occurred
- The student does not respond to the instructor's outreach within 5 business days*
- The instructor decides a formal charge is appropriate given the suspected dishonesty
When a student is formally charged, they have 10 business days to appeal the charge.
*If an instructor is interested in the Non-Communication process with a student who has not responded to their outreach, they must send at least one more outreach attempt that a) specifies another 5 business day deadline to respond and, b) includes that the instructor plans to submit a grade change through the Non-Communication Form to the Academic Integrity Office. After the second 5 business day deadline, the instructor should submit the Non-Communication form and supporting documentation within 15 business days. For more detail about this process, see the question below (What can an instructor do if a student does not reply to their outreach attempts?), or reach out to the Academic Integrity office at [email protected].
After discussing the situation with a student, you may find:
- There was a misunderstanding or a miscommunication, and no further action is required to resolve the situation. You dismiss the suspicion and grade the student as you normally would.
- The student was academically dishonest, but you and the student agree to an informal resolution to resolve the matter. You both complete and sign an Informal Resolution.
- The student does not respond to your outreach attempts, the student disagrees that they were academically dishonest, the student will not sign an informal resolution, or you find that the formal charge process is more appropriate for the instance of suspected dishonesty. You submit a formal charge to the Integrity office.
4) The student does not respond to your initial outreach attempt. You send the student at least one more outreach email, notifying them that you will submit a Non-Communication form to the Academic Integrity Office, which will include a grade penalty. The student does not respond within 5 additional business days. You submit a Non-Communication form to the Academic Integrity Office, with a grade penalty and supporting documentation of the outreach attempts and suspected dishonesty. The Academic Integrity Office reviews the documentation, informs you that the form has been accepted, and notifies the student of the grade penalty.
If you wish to impose a grade penalty or other sanction, you must do so through either the Informal Resolution, Formal Charge, or Non-Communication process.
Informal resolutions are agreements between the instructor and the student on both the description of the incident of academic dishonesty and an appropriate penalty. They are confidentially kept with the Academic Integrity Office, and do not appear on a student’s record*. In cases where a student agrees to an informal resolution, the repeated courses policy does apply. A student cannot appeal an informal resolution once it is signed by both parties.
Instructors submit a formal charge of academic dishonesty if a) they cannot reach an agreement with the student on an informal resolution, b) they do not believe an informal resolution is appropriate given the suspected instance of academic dishonesty, or c) they do not receive a response from a student they suspect of academic dishonesty. Students can appeal formal charges and have their case reviewed by members of the Academic Integrity Board at a hearing. If a student is found responsible for a formal charge, either by a hearing panel or because they do not appeal, it becomes part of their educational record. Students who are found responsible for a formal charge may retake the course (as long as they earned a C- or less), but the grade they received in the course will remain calculated in their GPA.
If you’d like to consult with someone about the process, please reach out to us at @email.
*Students with three or more violations of the academic honesty policy (informal resolutions and/or upheld formal charges) will face additional sanctions, which will be recorded on the student’s conduct record
If a student does not respond to your outreach about suspected academic dishonesty, you have a few options to move forward:
- Connect with your College Point Person to discuss additional methods of communication, or for their assistance in navigating the Academic Integrity Process
- If after 5 business days you do not receive a response from the student, you can submit a formal charge of academic dishonesty
- Pursue the Non-Communication Process
Non-Communication Process & Timeline
- Instructor suspects a student has violated the Academic Integrity Policy. Within 10 business days, they send the student an email asking to discuss the situation.
- If the student does not respond within 5 business days, the instructor sends an additional email asking to discuss the situation. This email must (example below):
- Be sent to the student’s UMass email address
- Include a statement notifying the student of the Non-Communication process and intended grade sanction
- Specify an additional 5 business day deadline for the student to respond
- If the student does not respond within the second 5 business day deadline, the instructor should submit a Non-Communication form [link] to the Academic Integrity Office. This form requires the instructor to submit:
- A description of the suspected academic dishonesty and supporting documentation (course syllabus, assignment details, and student work)
- A description of the intended grade sanction (grade penalty and impact on student’s course grade)
- A description of the outreach attempts and supporting documentation
- The Academic Integrity Office will review the form to ensure the process was followed and supporting documentation is included.
- The AIO will notify the instructor that the form was accepted and the grade sanction can be implemented. If supporting materials are needed to accept the form, the AIO will request them from the instructor.
- The AIO will also notify the student of the form and grade penalty, and will provide the student an opportunity to schedule a meeting
Email Example for Non-Communication Process
Dear Student,
Your essay assignment #1 appears to violate the Academic Integrity Policy, as outlined in my syllabus. Several paragraphs appear to be plagiarized from one of the assigned readings.
I contacted you initially on date to discuss this situation but did not receive a response from you. I would like to meet with you to discuss this situation. Please respond to this message by [5 business days] to schedule a meeting with me. If I do not hear from you by this date, I will file a Non-Communication Form with the Academic Integrity Office and assign you the grade of X on this assignment.
I also recommend that you review the Academic Integrity policy. You may also reach out to the Academic Integrity Office at @email for support.
When a student appeals a formal charge of academic dishonesty, the matter is resolved at a Formal Charge Appeal Hearing. During these hearings, a panel of members of the Academic Integrity Board review information presented by both the instructor and student to make a formal finding on the outcome of the case.
Instructors will be able to:
- Provide availability to the Academic Integrity Office to schedule the hearing
- Submit any additional materials (in additional to the formal charge form and any materials included)
- Bring an advisor (such as a department head or colleague) or any witnesses to the hearing to present information or consult with. A full list of who can be present at the hearing can be found in the Academic Integrity Policy.
- Present to the hearing panel during the hearing. Instructors and students have 10 minutes for an initial presentation, and 10 minutes to make a closing statement
- Ask the student questions during the hearing. This happens through the Chair of the hearing panel to ensure the hearing does not become a debate between the student and instructor.
For more information about hearings, including who can be present at the hearing, please view the Academic Integrity Policy, or contact @email.
FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, protects the confidentiality of student records in academic environments. Student records related to Academic Integrity are protected under FERPA.
Instructors Should Not:
- Share information about a student’s academic honesty record with anyone (including instructors, other students, staff, etc.) other than the student without the student’s consent.
- Include names or other identifying information of other students on Academic Integrity forms or in outreach about suspected Academic Dishonesty.
- Show or submit academic work of one student to another without first redacting the student’s name or other identifying information.
Some instances of academic dishonesty may involve multiple students. Instructors may prefer to speak with both (or all) students at once to discuss the incident and can do so if they first receive consent from the students. For example, if an instructor believes two students collaborated on an exam, the instructor should reach out to the two students separately and ask if they are willing to attend a meeting together, without sharing names or identifying information.
For more information on FERPA, check out the Registrar’s Office’s resources here.
If grades are due while you are in process with a student for Academic Dishonesty (i.e., discussing an informal resolution or waiting for a signature, waiting for a hearing to occur, etc.), you should request an NR grade.
To request an NR grade, email the Registrar's office at @email and cc @email. Provide the student’s name, ID number, and course information.
After the situation is officially resolved (usually through an informal resolution or the formal process), you may submit a grade change in SPIRE to replace the NR grade with the student's final grade by selecting Grade Change from the Faculty Center tile in SPIRE. Step by step instructions to change a grade are available here.
For more guidelines for managing suspicion of academic dishonesty at the end of the semester, view Appendix C of the Academic Integrity Policy.
When resolving an incident of academic dishonesty with an informal resolution or formal charge, instructors lead the conversation on what the appropriate consequence (i.e., sanction) should be. Sanctions help preserve individual and institutional integrity by holding students accountable for their actions and helping them learn from their mistakes.
Instructors are encouraged to consider the seriousness of each specific incident (such as the overall percentage of their course grade the assignment or academic exercise counts for, the student’s intent demeanor, or other factors) when deciding on a sanction. Appendix B of the Academic Integrity Policy provides suggestions for reasonable consequences.
For informal resolutions, sanctions can include the following: resubmitting work; completing additional assignments; grade penalties on assignments, exams, or courses; failure of a course.
For formal charges, sanctions can include the same sanctions as informal resolutions, and can also consider University Sanctions such as probation, deferred suspension, or suspension. For more information about University Sanctions, please view the Student Code of Conduct.
For questions about sanctions, please reach out to the Academic Integrity Office at @email.