The provost’s representative, the dean of Advising and Co-curricular Programs, is designated by the faculty and the Board of Trustees to be responsible for the observance and the enforcement of the standards of academic honesty. In turn, the dean of Advising and Co-curricular Programs has assigned responsibility for the supervision and coordination of academic conduct cases to the associate dean of Advising and Co-curricular Programs. All class deans in the Office of Advising and Co-curricular Programs serve as case administrators for allegations related to the Academic Integrity Policy. Normally, class deans do not handle cases that include students from the class levels they advise (e.g., the sophomore class dean will not normally be assigned a case involving a sophomore).
Academic Progress Committee
The Academic Progress Committee consists of four tenured members of the faculty, one from each of the four academic divisions; two untenured members of the faculty, one from the natural sciences or engineering and one from social sciences or humanities; and two student members selected annually by Student Government.
The Academic Progress Committee is responsible for hearing cases that are referred to it by the dean of Academic Advising and Co-curricular Programs or in which respondents have elected, in accordance with the procedures laid out in the code, to have their case heard by the committee. For a hearing to take place, at least five committee members (at least three with faculty status) must be present.
Student members deliberate and vote during the committee’s determination of responsibility, but student members do not participate in discussions regarding sanctioning of a respondent. The committee makes its determination by majority vote of those present at each stage of the process.
Students at Lafayette are part of a broader academic community, with a shared set of values and assumptions, and united by the common goals of acquiring and advancing knowledge. Within that community are many smaller, specialized communities, each with its own specific conventions for working and communicating. In general, however, intellectual endeavor involves discussing the ideas that others have already expressed; striving to understand them more deeply; applying those ideas to new and far-reaching problems; and respectfully challenging those ideas and attempting to extend or even replace them in light of new discoveries.
We at Lafayette share the values of the academic community, which (among other things) require us to acknowledge the contributions that others have made and to continue to add to ongoing intellectual conversations. Failure to uphold these values, either intentionally or inadvertently, is a violation of the community’s standards. Moreover, certain violations of the community’s standards clearly rise to the level of academic dishonesty and can have serious consequences.
While not an exhaustive list, the following actions are examples of academic dishonesty:
For helpful information, see Appendix II, How to Avoid Plagiarism.
A student who is found responsible for violating the Academic Integrity Policy may receive a range of possible sanctions, including suspension or expulsion. Finally, the underlying principle is one of intellectual honesty. If a person is to have self-respect and the respect of others, all work must be his/her own.
The following procedures will be used to address alleged violations of the Academic Integrity Policy outlined in this code. These procedures may be altered as necessary by the provost or designee in order to maintain a fair and equitable process for all parties involved. Any alterations and a rationale for those alterations will be explained to all parties involved.
Complaint
When an instructor suspects a student has violated the Academic Integrity Policy, the instructor shall consult with another member of the department (normally the head of the department) to obtain a second opinion. If the instructor’s assessment is upheld by the second member of the department, the instructor shall submit to the dean of Advising and Co-Curricular programs a written statement explaining the allegations and include a packet containing all relevant information and course materials.
Case Administrator Meetings
The following procedures will be in effect for academic conduct meetings with the case administrator:
The respondent will be contacted to schedule the first of two informal academic conduct meetings with the case administrator. During the first meeting, the respondent’s procedural rights are reviewed, and the respondent is notified of the particular way in which the Academic Integrity Policy was alleged to have been violated. The respondent receives the instructor’s written statement with all supporting case documents. The respondent may be accompanied by an individual chosen as adviser by the respondent from the student body, faculty, or administrative officers of the College. The respondent has the option to discuss the circumstances surrounding the alleged violation(s) with the case administrator.
The respondent will schedule the second informal academic conduct meeting to elect one of three courses of action, retaining the right to appeal to the Student Conduct Board. (See grounds for appeal listed in the Appeal Procedures section.) In certain circumstances, the respondent may be permitted to elect their course of action as part of the first meeting with the case administrator, making the second meeting optional. Regardless of the choice made by the respondent, if the case administrator has determined that an allegation could lead to a sanction of suspension or expulsion, the respondent will be automatically referred to the Academic Progress Committee for a full conduct hearing. The three courses of action are:
If an alleged incident occurs prior to the deadline to withdraw from classes, a respondent’s option to withdraw from a course in which an academic integrity allegation is pending will be held in abeyance until the allegation is resolved through the conduct process. Regardless of when an incident occurred, if the academic sanction is a failing grade or a grade of “NF” in the course, the respondent’s transcript will reflect the failing grade.
Academic Progress Committee Hearing
Normally, the chair of the Academic Progress Committee chairs academic conduct hearings. However, if the committee chair is not available, another faculty member of the committee may be elected by the committee members to chair an academic conduct hearing. The following procedures will be in effect for academic conduct cases heard by the Academic Progress Committee:
For information on sanctions and sanctioning guidelines for academic conduct cases, see the Sanctions section below.
Appeal Submission
A respondent who wishes to appeal the decision of a case administrator or hearing panel must submit the appeal
to the Office of the Dean of Advising and Co-curricular Programs (for academic dishonesty cases) by 5 p.m. on the third business day following the day the official outcome letter was sent to the respondent. Instructions for submitting an appeal are included in the original outcome letter.
The written appeal must:
Grounds for Appeal
The option to appeal is limited to respondents who participated in the original conduct hearing or meeting. For an appellant who accepted responsibility, the only ground of appeal is inappropriate sanction (see number three below). Appellants who did not accept responsibility are permitted to appeal on any or all of the following grounds:
Appeal Response
Appeals of academic conduct decisions are run through the Office of Student Conduct. Upon receiving the written appeal, the Office of Advising and Co-curricular Programs will share the appeal and all relevant materials with the Office of Student Conduct. The Assistant Dean of Students or designee will then see that all procedures outlined in the Appeals section of the Student Conduct section of the Student Handbook are followed.
All records pertaining to student academic conduct meetings or hearings are maintained either on paper or electronically by the Office of Advising and Co-curricular Programs and are considered part of a student’s education record as defined by FERPA. These records are maintained permanently.
The sanctions listed below are not exhaustive and may be added to or modified by the case administrator, Academic Progress Committee, or appeal panel as deemed appropriate to achieve the goals mentioned above.
The following sanctions are intended to communicate to respondents the likelihood that repeated or escalated behavior could result in more severe sanctions including suspension or expulsion. Individual departments and programs, both internal and external to the College, may establish their own guidelines that rely in part on a student’s disciplinary status. It is important to note that even if the case administrator or board panel has assigned a sanction that does not have any restrictions, this does not preclude other programs and organizations from enacting their own sanctions or limitations based on these sanctions.
Academic Sanctions: See section below.
Formal Warning: Serves to remind a respondent that the incident will be recorded in the Office of Advising and Co-curricular Programs and will be considered in any future conduct cases.
Warning Probation: Given for a stated period of time as a warning that further misconduct may result in a more severe sanction. Warning Probation is not restrictive in nature.
Disciplinary Probation Level I: Given for a stated period of time. Level I may affect involvement in College programs and activities, such as full participation on sports teams and residing off campus. Specific departments and programs should be consulted for eligibility. While a student on Disciplinary Probation Level I may apply to study abroad, the probationary period must end before the official start date of the program. Please refer to the study abroad website for more detailed information. Any subsequent violations of college regulations may result in Level II Probation or suspension or expulsion from the College.
Disciplinary Probation Level II: Given for a stated period of time. A student on Level II is not eligible to hold office in any student organization or to represent Lafayette College in any official capacity (including study abroad, intercollegiate athletics, or club sports). The student is ineligible to become affiliated with a living group, and may not participate in extracurricular activities except those of an academic or religious nature or those approved specifically in the outcome determined by case administrator or board panel. Moreover, it is a warning that any further violations may result in suspension or expulsion from the College.
Social Probation: Social Probation is assigned to organizations that are found responsible for violating College policy. The specific restrictions placed on an organization that has been assigned Social Probation are determined by the case administrator or board panel making the decision in each case.
Suspension: The student is removed from the College community for a specified period of time. Suspension may be for the remainder of the semester and/or for the following semester(s). Suspension is noted on the transcript for the duration of the suspension. A student who is suspended from the College may not be present on any College property or participate in any College or student organization sponsored programs or services during the suspension.
Expulsion: The student is permanently removed from the College community without an opportunity for readmission. Expulsion is noted on the transcript permanently. A student who is expelled from the College may never be present on any College property or participate in any College or student organization sponsored programs or services.
Educational Sanction: Individuals or organizations may be required to participate in an educational experience such as a program, workshop, online tutorial, or individual meeting.
Fines: Fines will be billed to a student’s College account or assessed to a student organization as appropriate.
Loss of Privileges: Individuals or organizations may be denied access to privileges afforded to them as a member of the community as appropriate. Privileges include, but are not limited to, internet access, parking privileges, cross-visitation, and involvement in College programs or activities.
Parent(s) and/or Guardian(s) Conference: The parent(s) and/or guardian(s) will be asked to have a conference (in person or over the phone) with the respondent and an appropriate College administrator to discuss the incident.
Parent(s) and/or Guardian(s) Notification: A copy of the outcome letter will be sent to the address on file for the respondent’s parent(s) and/or guardian(s).
Revocation of Admission/Degree: Admission to or a degree awarded from the College may be revoked for fraud, misrepresentation, or other violations of institutional standards in obtaining the degree, or for other serious violations committed by a student prior to graduation.
Substance Use Assessment: Individuals may be required to complete a substance use assessment with an agency identified by the College or of the student’s choosing. A student also may be required to complete any recommendations for treatment resulting from the assessment. The student will be required to furnish proof of completion of any required assessment or treatment.
Other Sanctions: Case administrators and panels may create and design sanctions as appropriate to achieve the goals of sanctioning mentioned above and to respect the individuality of each case and each respondent. These may include, but are not limited to, reflection papers, research papers, service projects, program attendance, meetings, and program creation.
Academic Sanctions
In addition to the above penalties, the following guidelines will be used to determine academic sanctions when a respondent has been found responsible for violating the Academic Integrity Policy. The case administrator or panel may modify these guidelines:
A grade of “NF” will be noted permanently on a student’s transcript and indicates that the grade resulted from an academic conduct case. A sanction involving a grade in a course does not take effect until the end of the semester.