At Rutgers, the first person to size up an academic integrity case usually isn’t the professor or a hearing board. It’s an Academic Integrity Facilitator, a trained administrator, staff member, or faculty member who receives the report and determines the initial level of the alleged violation. That initial determination shapes the path the case takes, from a decision by a faculty member or facilitator to, in the most serious cases, a University Hearing. Students can appeal any finding or sanction to a Campus Appeals Committee.
Rutgers has revised its Academic Integrity Policy several times over the years, and procedures can vary by campus. The version in effect on a student’s campus when a case arises applies. Older versions of the policy, which still circulate online, sorted violations into “separable” and “non-separable” categories; current Rutgers procedures describe the facilitator determining the level of a violation instead.
How a Rutgers Case Starts
Any member of the Rutgers community who becomes aware of a possible academic integrity violation can file a formal complaint with the Office of Student Conduct or its campus equivalent, and faculty are expected to do so. When a report comes in, the appropriate Academic Integrity Facilitator determines the initial level of the violation.
Rutgers’ Office of Student Conduct, or its equivalent on each campus, partners with the university’s academic integrity officers in administering the policy and keeps student disciplinary records.
Who Decides the Case
Depending on the level of the violation, a faculty member or a facilitator may meet with the student, review the evidence, interview witnesses, and decide the allegation. More serious cases can lead to a University Hearing. Rutgers’ conduct code states that in an academic integrity appeal, the Campus Appeals Committee includes a faculty member. Allegations of unauthorized assistance and other collaboration issues are among the most common kinds of cases that move through this process.
Campus Advisors and Support People
Rutgers entitles an accused student to the assistance of a Campus Advisor and the presence of a support person. Campus Advisors are members of the Rutgers community, trained by the university, who can help a student prepare for a disciplinary proceeding, meeting, or appeal. If an accused student wants someone outside the process, such as a family member or attorney, to have access to information about the case, Rutgers allows the student to submit a release form.
Rutgers’ FAQ also notes that student conduct proceedings don’t follow the criminal or civil procedures used in a court of law.
Appealing a Rutgers Decision
According to Rutgers, an accused student has the right to appeal any finding or sanction by submitting an appeal form and supporting documentation to the Campus Appeals Committee within the short period the procedures set. The complainant, the investigator, and any presiding officer may respond to the student’s appeal. Because the appeal is often decided on paper, how it’s written matters a great deal; see our guide to appealing an academic misconduct decision.
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences has its own academic integrity and disciplinary procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Academic Integrity Facilitator at Rutgers?
A trained administrator, staff member, or faculty member who receives reports of alleged violations and determines the initial level of the violation.
Does Rutgers still use separable and non-separable violations?
Older versions of Rutgers’ policy used those categories. Current Rutgers procedures describe the Academic Integrity Facilitator determining the level of the violation.
Can I have an advisor in a Rutgers academic integrity case?
Yes. Rutgers provides for a Campus Advisor from the Rutgers community and a support person, and a student can sign a release so others, such as a family member or attorney, can access case information.
How do I appeal a Rutgers academic integrity decision?
By submitting an appeal form and supporting documentation to the Campus Appeals Committee within the period Rutgers sets.
Getting Help With a Rutgers Case
Rutgers’ process relies on Campus Advisors from within the university, but students can still work with an outside advisor to prepare. Richard Asselta, a student defense attorney who advises students in university academic integrity processes nationwide, works with Rutgers students behind the scenes, helping them prepare for their meeting with the facilitator, organize their evidence, and build a written appeal to the Campus Appeals Committee. Call 855-338-5299 or learn more about Richard Asselta.