Academic Honor Policy: Quick Reference Guide

 

Students have four options to resolve alleged violations of the Academic Honor Policy:

  1. Students may sign a Student–Instructor Resolution. This means that a student takes responsibility for violating the Academic Honor Policy and accepts the sanction proposed by the instructor. Signed forms will be sent to the Office of Faculty Development and Advancement (FDA) by the instructor of record. Students with prior violations may not use this option.
  2. Students may sign a Disputing the Sanction Form. This means that a student accepts responsibility for the alleged violation but disagrees with the instructor’s proposed sanction. The student will need to write a statement containing information about why the sanction is too harsh or disproportionate to the alleged violation. This statement, along with the relevant form and all supporting documentation, should be sent to Irvin Clark, EdD, Associate Dean, Student & Strategic Initiatives
    by the instructor of record. Students are encouraged to submit supporting documentation/evidence with their written statements; merely claiming dissatisfaction and/or hardship are not justifications for violating the Academic Honor Policy. Students with prior violations may not use this option.
  3. With an instructor’s permission, a student may have their case resolved via an Administrative Case Resolution, which is a one–on–one meeting with an administrator appointed by Irvin Clark, EdD, Associate Dean, Student & Strategic Initiatives. The administrator will determine whether to find the student “responsible” for the alleged violation and what sanctions to impose. The intended benefits of the modified process include more efficient scheduling and faster notification of the outcome. 
  4. A student may decide to not accept responsibility for the allegation and present evidence showing that they did not violate the Academic Honor Policy. As a result, the instructor will complete an Academic Honor Policy Hearing Referral and the case will go to a hearing where a panel of faculty and students will determine the alleged student’s “responsibility” (or lack thereof) for the allegations.
    1. ✓ Students may not drop, withdraw from, or change the grading basis of courses in which there are Academic Honor Policy allegations and/or violations.
    2. ✓ If the alleged violation is considered egregious or if a student has a prior violation, the case will automatically be resolved via an Academic Honor Policy Hearing unless the student is deemed eligible for and consents to an Administrative Case Resolution.
    3. NO grade penalties may be imposed for alleged academic misconduct without following a resolution process outlined in the Academic Honor Policy. 
    4. Any record of a resolved Academic Honor Policy case where the student has been found “responsible” (including Student–Instructor Resolutions) will be maintained in a confidential database for 5 years (longer for expulsions). Violations are not posted on transcripts—except in cases of expulsion.

For additional information please contact:

Irvin Clark, EdD

Associate Dean, Student & Strategic Initiatives
iclark2@pc.fsu.edu
(850) 770-2100