The Student Honor Code Office further seeks to promote integrity and honesty both inside and outside of the classroom by:
- Contact the Student Honor Code Office prior to meeting with the student.
- View your meeting with the student as educational.
- Do not “make-up” your mind that the student is responsible for an honor code violation prior to meeting with the student.
- Outline the discussion that you plan to have with the student prior to meeting with the student.
- Utilize supportive communication by discussing your concerns regarding the student’s assignment. This entails focusing on the assignment and not the student. For example, addressing academic misconduct is a process for addressing behavior, not who the student is as a person.
- Do not accuse the student of engaging in academic misconduct during your meeting. Give the student an opportunity to discuss their perspective.
- Focus on factual statements. It is also a good idea to avoid assumptions and judgments regarding the student’s motives or reasons for allegedly violating the Student Honor Code. Have the student discuss any irregularities that you perceive as being present in their assignment or examination. • Discuss openly with the student the possible outcomes for his/her offense.
- Advise the student that he or she has the option to accept or not accept responsibility for violating the Student Honor Code and/or your recommended outcome(s).
- Refer the student to the Student Honor Code Office if they have questions that you are uncomfortable answering and/or if the student would like to speak to someone further about their options.
At the conclusion of your meeting with the student, it may be a good idea to send a follow-up email that recaps your meeting. Please remember these are just suggestions that we offer and do not necessarily represent policy and procedures.