At Champlain College, we hold academic integrity in high regard and have processes in place to address academic honesty violations if and when they occur in the classroom. We are committed to helping students understand the importance of information ethics in the context of the academic setting.
Below are the steps to follow when you discover a violation, or if you have questions about whether or not you should report the incident. Note that you need to obtain Program Director approval (via email or phone conversation) before any formal report is submitted to Academic Affairs. Please read details below:
When an incident occurs in your class, you will be required to submit an Academic Honesty Violation Report form. Following, are the steps to follow when you discover a violation:
You Have Clear Evidence of an Academic Honesty Violation That You Think Needs to be Reported
- Complete a draft of the Academic Honesty Violation Report and send to your Program Director for their Approval. Approval is needed before going any further. Please do NOT send to the student or academic affairs before being reviewed by PD.
- The Program Director will verify whether or not the student has had a prior violation. Please do not contact Champlain College Office of Academic Affairs on your own–work with your Program Director.
- Have an educational conversation with the student because every instance is a teaching opportunity (see #4 below).
- Only after your PD has approved and you’ve had a conversation with the student, then submit the formal Academic Honesty Violation Report form by emailing it to acadaffairs@champlain.edu, the student, and your Program Director.*It is not necessary to obtain the student’s signature on the form as long as you have written (electronic) acknowledgement that you have had an educational conversation with the student about the violation.
- Upon receipt of the form, the Provost’s office will send the student a letter to confirm that the report has been filed.
You Aren’t Certain It’s An Academic Honesty Violation That Needs to be Reported:
- Contact your Program Director to discuss whether the incident in your class constitutes an academic honesty violation.
- The Program Director will verify whether or not the student has had a prior violation. Please do not contact Academic Affairs on your own–work with your Program Director who will work with the Academic Success Advisor.
- Decide with the Program Director how to best proceed and at the same time communicate with the student–have an “educational conversation.”
- Communicate with the student because every instance is a teaching opportunity:
- Reach out (assignment feedback, inbox message) to the student to let them know what you have observed, and ask them to explain/help you understand. Documentation of the “conversation” is important.
- To the best of your ability, ensure that the student understands how what they did was either in violation of the academic honesty policy, or could put them at risk for being reported for an academic honesty violation.
- In the context of the conversation, share the link to the Academic Honesty Policy with them.
- Inform them of what to expect next (i.e., grade, sanction, report filed etc) depending on what you’ve discussed with your Program Director.Every incident is a “teachable moment” regardless of the violation, the outcome or the sanction.
For more information about academic honesty at Champlain College, and in your class in particular, please talk with your Program Director.
Sample Email:
Hello [Student]
As we had previously discussed, assignments that you have submitted in [Course number: course title] violate Champlain College’s academic honesty policy. [Attached here] is the completed violation form that describes the violation and the action that I took. Please review it and let me know if you have any questions. [Program Director Name], Program Director, and Academic Affairs (both CC’d here) are receiving this form. At this time, it is not necessary for you to sign the form. Know that this form is not a “penalty”; rather, it functions as a record that the violation has occurred and that you have been informed about it. You will receive a letter from the Provost’s office for your own records. [Where applicable], also attached are the TurnItIn results of your submitted assignments. See Viewing the Similarity Report for instructions on how to view your TurnItIn results. Again, please let me know if you have questions beyond what we’ve already discussed.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
[Instructor Name]