Faculty & Staff

How to Report Academic Integrity

Maintaining the academic integrity of ECU is the responsibility of all members of the academic community. Faculty should ensure that submitted work accurately reflects the ability of the individual student. Students are responsible for promoting academic integrity in their own work and by reporting any suspected violations. A faculty member, student or university community member knowing of circumstances in which an Academic Integrity Violation may have occurred (or is likely to occur) should bring this knowledge to the attention of a faculty member or OSRR.

Faculty members addressing a potential academic integrity violation should review the full policy for specific procedures.

  1. Faculty member must notify the student in writing (click here) of a suspected academic integrity violation and request a meeting within seven (7) calendar days of becoming aware of the suspected violation.
  2. The student has seven (7) calendar days to contact the faculty member and schedule a meeting. If the student fails to schedule the meeting, they forfeit the opportunity to present their understanding of the situation to the faculty member.
  3. The initial meeting (click here) with the faculty member and the student is held to discuss the suspected violation(s). The student and the faculty member may have a nonparticipating observer at the meeting.
  4. If the student agrees with the faculty members decision, the student can sign a waiver (click here) agreeing to the outcome and sanctions.
  5. If the student disagrees, the student and the faculty member will meet with the Department Chair for a formal departmental meeting.
    • The formal departmental meeting should occur within twenty-four (24) days of the date that the suspected AIV came to the faculty members attention.
  6. Once all meetings have concluded the faculty member/Department Chair must:
    • Notify the student in writing regarding the outcome. This should occur within ten (10) calendar days of the meeting.
    • Complete and submit the Academic Integrity Violation Form (AIV) (click here).
    • In severe cases in which the faculty member believes a failing grade in the course alone is inadequate disciplinary action, the faculty member will recommend to OSRR that the case be forwarded to the University Committee on Academic Integrity (UCAI) for additional sanctions, such as separation from the university. In this case, the faculty member must still issue an academic penalty in the course.
Academic Integrity Flowchart (click here)

Academic Integrity Educational Resolution Process

In some instances, a faculty member may deem it best to approach a potential matter involving academic dishonesty as a learning opportunity. In such cases, a faculty member may require that a student complete additional work in order to better understand the severe nature of academic dishonesty and learn ways of avoiding future infractions.

If at any point, however, the faculty member determines that a grade reduction or other substantial academic penalty is merited in the case, either as a result of the initial infraction or as a result of a student not sufficiently completing the additional work agreed to, she or he must follow the process outlined in the Faculty Manual, including reporting the situation to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for its review and handling.

If the circumstances warrant such, the faculty may choose to use an Educational Resolution Alternative (ERA). This is a mutual determination between the faculty and the student acknowledging that a violation has occurred and both parties agree to an educational resolution. This incident will serve as an FYI only and will be stored within the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR) database.

Faculty members may fill out the form here and upload the Academic Integrity Educational Resolution Agreement (click here) form to the submission.

Upholding Academic Integrity

Faculty Resources

  • Paraphrasing Activity: This activity, from the Purdue Online Writing Lab, can be a helpful tool in teaching students how to appropriately paraphrase. You can assign this as an in-class assignment or provide it as a helpful resource to students on blackboard.
  • Syllabus & Test Statements: Setting clear expectations with students via your syllabus (click here) is important. When discussing academic integrity, it is best to share your obligation (and student’s obligation) to report as well as sharing the specific ways in which a student can violate ECU Academic Integrity (included in the ECU Faculty Manual). Lastly, outlining your standard grade penalty if the student is found responsible by the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities can be a helpful deterrent to academic dishonesty behavior.

Dealing with Disruptive Behavior

While some classroom disruptions can be signs of a student in distress, many are simply acts of ignorance or disrespect that do not indicate a higher level of concern. Please visit the Dean of Students website for a helpful guide on managing classroom disruptions, including differentiating between classroom disruptions from concerning behaviors.

Setting expectations for how you will deal with disruptive behavior is critical. In the event that you encounter a disruptive situation, this information can assist you in addressing the concern.

For more information on academic disruptions, click here.