Frequently Asked Questions

Faculty are not required to report academic misconduct to this office although they are strongly encouraged to do so. Faculty may not impose a grade penalty based merely on their belief that the student has committed academic misconduct. In cases of academic misconduct, grade penalties may only be imposed if the student has taken full responsibility by signing the Report of an Academic Integrity Violation Form, or following a finding of responsible through a hearing process.

In addition, reporting these incidents to the Office of Student Conduct gives us the opportunity to work with the student to change their behavior for the future and to protect the integrity of your class and the university. Sometimes faculty are reluctant to submit documentation to the Office of Student Conduct based on their belief that reporting an incident will result in lifelong consequences for the student. This is an exaggeration. In fact, should a disciplinary separation from NC State occur, there is a process by which a student can petition to have a suspension notation lifted from their transcript. Again, the goal is to change behavior.

Each case is different. It is much easier to gather all the information in the case if the TA for the class or the faculty saw the student looking at note cards and then took the cards than it is to track down a passage in literature that might be plagiarized. In addition, students who are truthful and cooperative will likely take less time to walk through the process than students who are defensive and evasive.

If a student chooses to have their case go through a hearing process, hearings typically last between 2 and 2 1/2 hours. Our experience is that most cases resulting in a hearing will likely take at least three hours.

Start by reading the section on Confronting Academic Integrity Violations.  Then, we recommend reading additional information related to the policies and procedures governing student conduct.  Finally, you should feel free to contact our office if you have any questions or concerns.

Please see our section on Confronting Academic Integrity Violations.  There, you will learn more about how to report any academic misconduct to the Office of Student Conduct.

Some faculty have been concerned about their discussion with a student being misrepresented at a later date. Generally, you do not need a witness when meeting with the student. Our best advice is to familiarize yourself with the procedures by reviewing this site, contact the Office of Student Conduct if you need additional guidance, then meet with the student. Approaching the discussion as a facilitator usually results in a reasonable and calm exchange. If at any time you or the student feels uncomfortable, it is a good idea to take a break from the meeting and seek further advice.

If the student accepts responsibility or is found responsible through the disciplinary process you can recommend sanctions.

At a minimum, the Office of Student Conduct will assign a year of Academic Integrity probation. There are a wide range of additional sanctioning options that you can recommend from the following:

• having the student retake a similar exam;
• reducing the grade for that assignment including the possibility of no credit for the exam;
• completing of the Academic Integrity Module;
• issuing a failing grade for the course;
• requesting a hearing to explore the possibility of suspension or expulsion.

In many situations, it is appropriate to consider assigning multiple sanctions (i.e. grade penalty and completion of the Academic Integrity Module). Other options may be available depending upon the specific case. Please contact the Office of Student Conduct if you have questions in this area.

As a side-note, we strongly recommend that all students who sign the RAIV form be required to complete the Academic Integrity Module or Wellness Coaching. We have found the Module to be a useful resource in educating students about their behaviors and the dangers of academic misconduct, whereas, Wellness Coaching is useful when the student exhibits challenges with time management, stress, or goal setting.

A student found responsible for Academic Misconduct will be placed on Academic Integrity Probation for at least one academic year. This is a pre-suspension period where the student isn’t in good standing with the University. Probation does not appear on their transcript. A student may be placed on a longer period of Academic Integrity Probation, suspended, or expelled if further Academic Misconduct is committed. (Code of Student Conduct, Section 9). 

Some involvement or awards may be impacted while on Academic Integrity Probation depending on the program’s expectations. The student should consult with the Office of Student Conduct or the program directly to understand the implications. 

You are not obligated to discuss your concerns with a student’s parent. In fact, the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) prohibits this type of contact without first securing a release from the student. If you do not want to participate in this type of discussion you are encouraged to direct the student’s parents to this office for information about the process and instruction about releases and confidentiality.

You can also contact the Office of Student Conduct for copies of a FERPA release to use in these situations. After having the student sign an appropriate release, you may engage the parents in a discussion about the incident in question. This form is not available on the web because some cases require specific language in the release. We can help sort through these issues.

There have been no reported incidents of students making threats against faculty for engaging in this process. In terms of legal risks, there are greater risks of litigation when faculty penalize a student without going through the university’s published student disciplinary process.

Students with questions should be referred to the Office of Student Conduct (919.515.2963). It is always better to delay a decision for a day or two while a student gets the information that they need in order help him/her respond to the charges in their case.

Confidentiality in student conduct cases is guided by the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), and its various amendments. As a general rule, it is a good practice to keep this information confidential during the review process with the exception of your department head and staff in the Office of Student Conduct.

Once a case has concluded, the confidentiality guidelines stay in place. It would be a violation of the Federal law to share that information with other colleagues who may have that student in class, to use it as an object lesson for the class, or to discuss information specific enough to identify the student in a forum such as a departmental meeting.

Call the Office of Student Conduct to consult with one of the staff. You will have an opportunity to describe what you have observed and to share what you believe has occurred. Staff in the Office of Student Conduct can help to interpret the Code and/or give you ideas for further investigation.

There is often an increase in reports of academic misconduct during final exams. If grades are due before the case can be resolved, we suggest you submit an Incomplete. A late grade submission carries an expectation for a quick turnaround time on the final grade change. An Incomplete submission provides additional time if necessary to fully explore the issues of the case.