Box 352180
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195
Phone: (206) 543-8590
Fax: (206) 685-0666
College of Engineering - Academic Misconduct Process:
Guide for Faculty
What should I do if I encounter a student who I suspect has committed
academic misconduct?
The instructor MUST meet with the student to explain that he or she
suspects academic misconduct and what he or she feels the student cheated
and/or plagiarized on the particular exam, test, homework assignment,
etc. If more than one student is involved, it is recommended that the
instructor meet with each student separately.
There are two options to proceed:
The instructor formally sends the case to the Associate Dean
in the Office of Academic Affairs:
Instructor assigns the student an "X" grade until the case
is resolved by the AD. The instructor DOES NOT give the student a score
of zero on the assignment/exam in question, or on the final grade. Giving
a score of zero might imply the student is guilty before the hearing.
The case is then forwarded to the AD with a written description of
the allegation on the Report of Academic Misconduct Form along with
the original assignment or exam in a sealed envelope marked "CONFIDENTIAL"
to Box 352180.
At this point, the instructor does not need to do anything further
until the case is resolved by the AD.
Once the case is resolved, a copy of the final letter and report will
be sent to the instructor notifying him/her of the AD's decision. Instructions
will be provided in the letter and report indicating whether or not the
instructor should: (a) if student is found guilty, "assign a score
of zero on the exam, homework, etc. in question and calculate the final
grade for the course reflecting the zero score"; OR (b) if student
is not guilty, "assign the appropriate score for the assignment or
exam and recalculate the final grade for the course reflecting exoneration."
CASE IS CLOSED.
Informal resolution:
Instructors are encouraged to work with the student resolve the situation.
See example of one way an instructor may handle an academic misconduct
situation.
Following is a guide to the instructor on how he or she can resolve the
case directly with the student:
If the student admits that he or she is guilty of cheating/plagiarizing,
the instructor should reduce the score as appropriate on the assignment
or test in question. ONLY the score of the assignment or test in question
should be reduced or given a zero, and the final grade for the course
should be calculated accordingly. No other assignments or tests should
be affected by this decision. The instructor may send an informal report
to the Associate Dean in the College of Engineering. Please note that
the report is available to the student on request. Case is closed.
If the student states that he or she is not guilty, and after discussing
the situation the instructor feels that the student is telling the truth
and is not guilty, the instructor should regrade the assignment or test
as if academic misconduct did not occur. No report is necessary. Case
is closed.
If the student states that he or she is not guilty and the instructor
still feels academic misconduct occurred, then the instructor should
let the student know that the case will be forwarded to the Associate
Dean (AD) in the College of Engineering and that the AD will be contacting
the student to resolve the case.
PLEASE NOTE: If the informal resolution is not successful, the formal
resolution option must be utilized.
What happens to the case after it is sent to the
Associate Dean's office?
Please refer to the Academic
Misconduct Process for details. If you have questions, please contact
the AD's staff at 543-8590.
UW College of Engineering - Office of Academic Affairs
