1. How will a professor/GSI find out if I plagiarize a paper or part of a paper?
Answer: If a Professor or GSI has reason to suspect dishonorable activity, he or she can use electronic resources to check the validity of the paper. If the suspicions turn out to be true, the Professor or GSI will inform the student and/or the Dean’s office. See the following website for a more detailed explanation: http://www.lib.umich.edu/acadintegrity/instructors/violations/index.htm

2. Does my professor, or GSI or the Dean have to prove that I cheated?
Answer: The student is presumed innocent until evidence demonstrates otherwise. A professor may choose to handle the case without the assistance of the Dean’s office, in which case he/she makes a decision based on his/her discretion. The student may go to the Dean’s office if he/she feels the professor reached an unfair decision. In adjudication hearings, the Assistant Dean holds the decision-making power and uses the available information to make an informed, fair decision. Adjudication hearings are NOT trials. Evidence of misconduct must be present to find a student responsible for academic misconduct.

3. After I graduate, it will not matter that I cheated in college, right?
Answer: Not true. Many employers as well as most professional schools check to see if their applicants have recorded cases of cheating on their record. It could make the difference between employment or admission and not.

4. Who will handle my “case” if I am accused of cheating?
Answer: Professors may choose to handle cases of academic misconduct themselves. They need to follow certain guidelines set out in the LSA Handbook for Faculty and Instructional Staff. Professors can also hand the case over to the Assistant Dean of Student Academic Affairs. Either the Assistant Dean or the Deputy Dean is in charge of the case and will make the ultimate decision. Students have the option of appealing their case to the Academic Judiciary Committee, which has the final say in outcome of the case. One Honor Council member is present at each adjudication hearing. HC members do NOT have decision-making power.

5. What are the consequences of violating the Code of Academic Integrity?
Answer: “Sanctions that may be imposed by the Assistant Dean include, but are not limited to:

• A letter of reprimand
• Workshop attendance
• Community service
• A defined period of probation with the attachment of conditions
• A defined period of suspension, with or without the attachment of conditions
• Permanent explusion from the College
• Notation on the official record
• Withholding of a degree, or
• Any combination of the previously listed sanctions”

(LS&A, Office of Assistant Dean)

6. It was determined that I cheated, but I assert that I did not, is there any way to appeal the decision of a professor of Dean?
Answer: “The student may submit written appeal to the College Academic Judiciary Committee in a timely manner. This notice must state what is being appealed (the finding of academic dishonesty, the sanction imposed, or both) and describe in detail the grounds for the appeal.” (LS&A, Office of Assistant Dean)

7. What is the Academic Judiciary Committee?
Answer: The Academic Judiciary Committee either sustains or reverses the finding of academic dishonesty during an appeal. They have sole discretion over the appeal. (LS&A, Office of Assistant Dean)

8. If it is found that I cheated, will my friends and family find out?
Answer: All cases of academic misconduct are completely confidential.

9. The guidelines in my professor’s syllabus differ from those found in the Academic Integrity, which set do I follow?
Answer: Faculty have discretion over the Academic Integrity policies in their classrooms. Always follow their guidelines, however a student may bring a case of academic integrity to the attention of the Assistant Dean if, for example, the student feels that a faculty member has imposed inappropriate sanctions. (LS&A, Office of Assistant Dean)

10. Is the process similar to a legal court case? Do I need a lawyer?
Answer: No, you do not need a lawyer. The process is not a trial. The whole process involves only the student, the Assistant Dean, and one member of Honor Council. The student sets up a meeting time with the Assistant Dean. The student and the Dean meet with the main goal of finding out the truth of what happened. The hearing process typically lasts thirty minutes to an hour. The goal is for the student and Dean to engage in an honest conversation and, if the student is responsible for misconduct, for the student to accept responsibility. The Dean determines the sanctions for those found responsible of misconduct.

11. Where can I get more information about how to cite properly?
Answer: The best way is to check the UofM library site here. They have referenced a lot of the different ways to cite correctly.