At the University of Arizona, every student reported to the Dean of Students Office for a Code of Academic Integrity violation is required to attend an Academic Integrity Workshop, regardless of the other sanctions in the case. The instructor decides the case after meeting with the student and can assign sanctions from a written warning to a permanent transcript notation. For the most serious sanctions, Arizona’s Code grants the student an automatic appeal to the Dean of the College.
Arizona’s Code of Academic Integrity and its procedures can change, and the version in effect when a case arises applies. This summary follows the current Code and the Dean of Students Office’s published materials. Arizona State University, a separate school, has its own process, explained in our Arizona State post.
The Faculty-Student Conference
A case usually begins with the instructor meeting with the student. Arizona uses a Faculty/Student Conference form, completed after the meeting, to start the formal academic integrity process. The Code applies to students in all credit-bearing courses, whether or not an instructor sets special rules for a particular class.
Sanctions at Arizona
According to Arizona’s Dean of Students Office, all reported students must attend the Academic Integrity Workshop, a 2.5-hour educational workshop with a fee. Instructors then assign one or more sanctions, which can include:
- A written warning, which still constitutes a violation and is recorded in the Dean of Students Office.
- Loss of credit on the work, which may affect the course grade.
- A permanent notation on the transcript, reading “Academic Integrity Violation,” placed in the semester when the incident occurred.
- Suspension from a program, department, college, or the university, or, in the most serious cases, revocation of a degree.
A permanent notation is the kind of consequence that can follow a student into later applications, as covered in does academic misconduct show up on your transcript.
Appeals to the College Dean and the Hearing Board
A student can appeal a violation to the Dean of the College. Under Arizona’s Code, if the faculty member assigns a transcript notation, suspension, expulsion, or degree revocation, the student is automatically granted an appeal to the Dean of the College.
The Dean’s decision is generally final. The exception: a student found in violation can appeal to the University Hearing Board only if the sanction is suspension, expulsion, a permanent transcript notation, or degree revocation. For multiple violations, Arizona’s Code assigns additional sanctions to the student’s Academic Dean, who doesn’t revisit decisions made in earlier violations.
Advisors at Arizona
Arizona’s Code states that the Dean of Students serves as an advisor to students on process questions under the Code of Academic Integrity. Separately, Arizona’s student disciplinary procedures for conduct cases allow a student to be accompanied by an advisor of their choice, at their own expense, who may be an attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to attend a workshop if I’m reported at the University of Arizona?
Yes. Arizona’s Dean of Students Office states that all reported students must attend an Academic Integrity Workshop.
What does a University of Arizona transcript notation say?
“Academic Integrity Violation,” placed in the semester when the incident occurred.
When do I get an automatic appeal at the University of Arizona?
When the faculty member assigns a transcript notation, suspension, expulsion, or degree revocation, the student is automatically granted an appeal to the Dean of the College.
Can I appeal to the University of Arizona Hearing Board?
Only if the sanction is suspension, expulsion, a permanent transcript notation, or degree revocation, and the student has been found in violation.
Getting Help With a University of Arizona Case
Richard Asselta, a student defense attorney who advises students in university academic integrity processes nationwide, helps Arizona students prepare for the Faculty/Student Conference, understand the sanctions at stake, and build an appeal to the Dean of the College or the University Hearing Board. Students facing a first accusation may also find it useful to read what happens if you get caught cheating in college. Call 855-338-5299 or learn more about Richard Asselta.