Section 504-26-404. Procedure for academic integrity violations.

(1) Initial hearing.

(a) When a responsible instructor finds that a violation of academic integrity has occurred, the instructor shall assemble the evidence and, upon reasonable notice to the student of the date, time, and nature of the allegations, meet with the student suspected of violating academic integrity policies. If the student admits violating academic integrity policies, the instructor assigns an outcome in keeping with published course policies and notifies the office of student conduct in writing, including the allegations, the student's admission, and the sanctions imposed.

(b) If the instructor is unable to meet with the student or if the accused student disputes the allegation(s) and/or the outcome proposed by the instructor, the instructor shall make a determination as to whether the student did or did not violate the academic integrity policy. If the instructor finds that the student was in violation, the instructor shall provide the student and the office of student conduct with a written determination, the evidence relied upon, and the sanctions imposed.

(c) The student has twenty-one days from the date of the decision letter to request review of the instructor's determination and/or sanction(s) imposed to the academic integrity hearing board.

(2) Review.

(a) Upon timely request for review by a student who has been found by his or her instructor to have violated the academic integrity policy, the academic integrity hearing board shall make a separate and independent determination of whether or not the student is responsible for violating the academic integrity policy and/or whether the outcome proposed by the instructor is in keeping with the instructor's published course policies.

(b) The academic integrity hearing board is empowered to provide an appropriate remedy for a student including arranging a withdrawal from the course, having the student's work evaluated, or changing a grade where it finds that:

(i) The student is not responsible for violating academic integrity policies; or

(ii) The outcome imposed by the instructor violates the instructor's published policies.

(c) Students who appear before the academic integrity board shall have the same rights to notice and to conduct a defense as enumerated in WAC 504-26-403 except:

(i) Notice of hearing and written orders shall be sent to the address provided by the student in the student's request for review (unless an address is not provided therein); and

(ii) The written decision of the academic integrity hearing board is the university's final order. There is no appeal from findings of responsibility or outcomes assigned by university or college academic integrity hearing boards.

(3) If the reported violation is the student's first offense, the office of student conduct ordinarily requires the student to attend a workshop separate from, and in addition to, any academic outcomes imposed by the instructor. A hold is placed on the student's record preventing registration or graduation until completion of the workshop.

(4) If the reported violation is the student's second offense, the student is ordinarily required to appear before a university conduct board with a recommendation that the student be dismissed from the university.

(5) If the instructor or academic integrity hearing board determines that the act of academic dishonesty for which the student is found responsible is particularly egregious in light of all attendant circumstances, the instructor or academic integrity hearing board may direct that the student's case be heard by the university conduct board with a recommendation for dismissal from the university even if it is the student's first offense.

(6) Because instructors and departments have a legitimate educational interest in the outcomes, reports of academic integrity hearing board and/or conduct board hearings shall be reported to the responsible instructor and the chair or dean.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 28B.30.150. WSR 16-08-014, § 504-26-404, filed 3/28/16, effective 4/28/16; WSR 11-11-031, § 504-26-404, filed 5/11/11, effective 6/11/11; WSR 08-05-001, § 504-26-404, filed 2/6/08, effective 3/8/08; WSR 07-11-030, § 504-26-404, filed 5/8/07, effective 6/8/07; WSR 06-23-159, § 504-26-404, filed 11/22/06, effective 12/23/06.]

RCW 28B.30.150. WSR 16-08-014, § 504-26-404, filed 3/28/16, effective 4/28/16; WSR 11-11-031, § 504-26-404, filed 5/11/11, effective 6/11/11; WSR 08-05-001, § 504-26-404, filed 2/6/08, effective 3/8/08; WSR 07-11-030, § 504-26-404, filed 5/8/07, effective 6/8/07; WSR 06-23-159, § 504-26-404, filed 11/22/06, effective 12/23/06.

Rules

504-26-403,