Investigating Suspected Academic Dishonesty

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The following pages are part of the Academic Integrity toolkit entries.

You can jump around or review each page in sequence by following the hyperlinks:

  1. Academic Integrity Section Overview
  2. Promoting Academic Honesty
  3. Investigating Suspected Academic Dishonesty (This page)
  4. Academic Integrity in Online Environments
  5. Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity
  6. Sample Artificial Intelligence Syllabus Statements
  7. Additional Resources

I suspect academic dishonesty. What do I do now?

Many faculty aren’t prepared for this moment, but the fact that you are reading this means you will be! As our collective understanding of student development continues to grow, it is important to keep a student-centered philosophy and address issues from a growth mindset.

Calmness is Strength

Depending on when and where you suspect dishonesty, it is important to balance and maintain the perspectives of: 

  1. your emotional reaction (e.g., it’s normal to feel shock, anger, or disappointment—but temper that in the moment), 
  2. the dignity of the student (e.g., humiliation doesn’t result in deeper learning) and, 
  3. the overall experience of witnesses. You should avoid negative over-reactions and public responses that humiliate and distract others, such as making an “example” out of a student in front of the class. Handle the event privately and calmly.

UC San Diego's Academic Integrity Office offers the three C's for actually speaking with students about dishonesty Links to an external site. (i.e., clear, compassionate, & candid) and even provides sample scripted questions you can ask the student in the moment. 

Consult

You may want to consult with your department chair or another trusted colleague to seek guidance on how to effectively talk with the student. UC San Diego’s Academic Integrity Office has a great page with advice on how to respond in the moment Links to an external site..

Collect Evidence

Take the necessary steps to investigate if dishonesty has actually happened and gather proof/evidence. Lacking evidence can present more complexities and challenges. The most important thing you can do is speak to the student when you discover academic dishonesty or suspect it. In fact, the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development (OSCED) will not move forward on the report until the instructor has met with the student. Be mindful of your unconscious biases about the student. It’s important to approach the situation from a place of curiosity and leaning into understanding what may have happened from the student’s perspective. 

Here are some suggestions to help you prepare for a discussion with the student:

  • Engaging in email or Canvas messaging may not be the best approach in these types of situations. Request to meet with the student in person or via Zoom instead of writing an email. 
  • Be prepared to discuss evidence gathered, inquiries on the content, grading penalties, and that you may refer students to OSCED.
  • In the meeting, you can ask the following: 
    • Did the student read the content before submitting it? 
    • Where did they source the information from and can they provide resources? 
    • Can they provide copies of prior drafts? 
    • Are there other writing samples from the student that can be used for comparison purposes? 
    • If you are still uncertain if a student engaged in academic dishonesty, let the student know they have been placed on notice and if anything further happens, they may be referred to OSCED.
  • If the student confesses, please report them. OSCED will utilize a developmental approach when addressing these incidents.

 

Facilitate Student Learning and Consequences

If it has been determined that a student has engaged in academic dishonesty, it is helpful to keep in mind that the consequences can go beyond disciplinary actions and also lead to an opportunity for the student to learn from this experience. By learning from the experience, they can move forward and choose to act with integrity in the future, which will help them be successful at CSUN and in their future career. 

What is the appropriate way for this student to truly learn about academic integrity and what consequence is appropriate? 

  • As outlined by the Faculty Policy, there are two kinds of consequences: course-level penalties (e.g., lower grade on assignment or overall course) and institutional-level "disciplinarian actions" (e.g., expulsion from CSUN). Faculty have full autonomy on their course-level penalties (and still must report those penalties) and can request that harsher disciplinary actions also be imposed by the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs. This office decides on disciplinary actions.
  •  UC San Diego has a developmental chart Links to an external site. of consequences that you may find helpful when making these decisions. For instance, to facilitate student learning about integrity they require students complete academic integrity reflection papers and/or complete an academic integrity seminar at their own cost.
  • Partner with CSUN’s Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Student Conduct and Ethical Development (Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs) to help you determine appropriate consequences. It’s important to understand the bigger picture implications of disciplinary actions since they can impact a student’s scholarships and may lead to a student leaving CSUN. The Director of Student Conduct & Ethical Development is an excellent resource to help faculty navigate the process. They can help you consider the impact of the possible disciplinary options on the student and help you determine the most appropriate course of action.  
  • Even if you don’t impose a grade penalty for a student who has been academically dishonest, as defined by the CSUN Student Conduct Code, you still must report the student to the Office of Vice President of Student Affairs using this form Links to an external site. because the behavior is likely to be repeated.  Read the full CSUN Policy on Academic Dishonesty including the formal Faculty Policy. 
  • The assignment of a final grade based on academic dishonesty for which there is not sufficient evidence of misconduct can result in a student filing a grade appeal through the Academic Grievance and Grade Appeals (AGGA) process (your evidence is critical in that process as well).
  • As a reminder, if you determine that a student should fail the course, the student has a right to continue attending class and cannot be removed solely on academic dishonesty. Removing a student from a course would require interventions from OSCED.