A. Academic Integrity-Academic Response

Valdosta State University policy is that a violation of Appendix A, Section I Academic Integrity Violation may and should be managed by the course instructor, the student, and the department head or academic dean concerned with the offense. Penalties for an academic integrity violation should be outlined in the course syllabus.

Any faculty member who has documentation and/or suspects that academic dishonesty has occurred shall (1) gather all pertinent information, and (2) meet with the student or students involved, and (3) inform the student or students of the academic response to an alleged violation of academic integrity. The faculty member should notify their department head and/or dean of these decisions.  

The most severe action that may be administered by any faculty member is a grade of "F" in that particular course. This is an academic response and not a disciplinary recommendation. A student who wishes to appeal an academic response to an alleged violation of academic integrity should complete the Student Grade Appeal Form which is available on the Registrar’s “Forms” webpage: . Additionally, the student may not exercise the right to withdraw from a class to avoid earning a failing grade in a course.

 

B. Academic Integrity-Disciplinary Response

To initiate the disciplinary response process for an academic integrity violation, a faculty member should first meet with the student that has committed the alleged violation to determine whether the appropriate recourse solicits restorative practice or an immediate referral to the Office of Student Conduct & Title IX.

All referrals will be made through the along with all supporting documentation and explanation of steps taken by the faculty member to address and resolve the violation.

This report shall be made part of the student's disciplinary record and shall remain on file with the Office of Student Conduct & Title IX in accordance with Board of Regents record retention policy. A student's file on academic dishonesty is not intended nor designed to allow access by faculty members seeking historical information concerning a particular student. The purpose of the file is for the Office of Student Conduct & Title IX to determine if multiple incidents of academic dishonesty have occurred during a student's academic career at Valdosta State University. If a student is found to have cheated/plagiarized and withdraws from the course prior to the awarding of a grade, the report of academic dishonesty will still be placed on file in the Office of Student Conduct & Title IX. 

  • After a second (or subsequent) report of academic dishonesty has been submitted to the Office of Student Conduct & Title IX, members from the Valdosta State University Conduct Committee will review incident reports and any documentation provided and make determination for the next steps which may include recommendations for dismissal from the major and/or program. 
  • Faculty members may request that a particularly serious violation of the Academic Integrity Policy (buying or selling papers, stealing an exam, taking an exam for another student, significant plagiarism at the graduate level, etc.) be referred directly to the Valdosta State University Conduct Committee. The Office of Student Conduct & Title IX designee and the academic dean of the student's major will consult concerning the referral of a particularly serious first offense to the Valdosta State University Conduct Committee.

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