Frequently Asked Questions
I was offered a warning letter or instructor resolution with penalty form (IRWP) by a course instructor. Should I sign the form?
If you agree you are responsible for the infraction outlined on the form, and you would like to accept responsibility and the assigned penalty, you may sign the form.
If you do not agree that you are responsible for the infraction, you may choose to decline the form and have your case heard by the Board on Academic Honesty.
If you are unsure whether to sign the form, you may wish to meet with the academic honesty liaison to discuss your case. Separate from the secretary, the chair, or anyone else in the honesty system, the academic honesty liaison gives confidential advising on the policy, what options you have, and how you might want to make decisions going forward.
I declined to sign an instructor resolution form. If the Board on Academic Honesty finds me responsible for the alleged infraction after a hearing, what kind of sanction(s) will I receive?
Please note that if you are found responsible by the hearing board, it is the hearing board that will decide your sanction(s) (not your instructor). If you have reviewed the Academic Honesty Policy and believe you are not responsible for the alleged infraction, you should not sign an instructor resolution form.
To ensure you understand the allegation(s) before declining to sign the form, you should meet with your course instructor, and you may wish to speak with the academic honesty liaison. As of fall 2022, whether you sign an instructor resolution with penalty, or the Board finds you responsible after a Board hearing, you will be assessed a $50 administrative fee.
Re: IRWP forms, how are the penalties decided?
Penalties are based on the AS&E Academic Honesty Policy—specifically, the section on sanctioning guidelines. Instructors may consult the board chair when determining a fair and consistent penalty for the infraction, or may also check with the academic honesty liaison for confidential advice.
After both you and the instructor sign the form, the board chair must accept and approve the form and any assigned penalties. If the form is not approved, a revised form will need to be submitted.
Why does the board need to approve instructor resolution forms?
The board chair reviews the form for completeness, and to ensure any penalties determined are consistent with board precedent (other similar cases). For instance, it would not be equitable to assign a warning letter for a moderate to major infraction, when most other students with similar findings have received reductions in their course grade.
My instructor offered me an instructor resolution for an honesty violation I committed; I have a previous infraction (or infractions) on file. Can I still sign the instructor form this time?
Instructor resolutions are only available for first offenses. If you have a prior infraction(s) on file, the case will need to be heard by the board.
I am responsible for an academic honesty infraction and signed an instructor resolution form. Who has access to this information?
Academic honesty records are separate from other academic records, like your transcript. Under the AS&E Academic Honesty Policy section on confidentiality, your case file is available only to the board and select senior administrators with a need to know.
If you signed a warning letter: You do not need to self-report to internal parties (e.g., when applying to certain positions on campus). You may not need to self-report a warning letter to external parties either. However, there are important exceptions such as law school and medical school; you should check with the academic honesty liaison and/or the Greene Career Center if you have any questions about what it expected.
If you signed an IRWP: Findings of responsibility for academic dishonesty arrived at through an IRWP are reportable violations under our Policy. The board will share a summary of the infraction and assigned penalty with internal and/or external parties (e.g., a graduate school) if you request this and sign a one-time waiver to release your records.
If I choose to sign an instructor resolution form, can I still S/F the course?
If you signed a warning letter: Yes. If a warning letter was approved for your case, you may still S/F the course, because your instructor and the board chair both agree your behavior was minor and due primarily to inexperience. Internal to the University, warning letters are considered improper conduct, not quite the same as a policy violation.
If you signed an IRWP: No. If you receive a grade reduction in a course because of an academic honesty infraction (rather than improper conduct), you may not drop, withdraw, or declare an S/F in the course. Your behavior was not considered minor and due to inexperience. If you have taken the above actions (drop, withdraw, S/F), you will be reinstated in the course/the S/F designation will be rescinded.
When will the confidential hold on my academic records be released?
In addition to whatever penalties are assigned by your instructor, all instructor resolution forms (warning letters and IRWPs) require an academic honesty tutorial to be completed in Blackboard. The board secretary will send you instructions for completing the tutorial.
Once you have completed the tutorial, and your grade for course has been submitted by the course instructor (with additional grade penalty applied if you signed an IRWP), the confidential hold will be removed. If you have completed the tutorial and there is still a hold on your records, you can email the board secretary to check the status of your case.
I regret signing an instructor resolution form. Can I withdraw the form, and have my case heard by the board?
No. Once you and your instructor have submitted the form for approval to the board, it cannot be withdrawn and a board hearing option is no longer available. Please consider the form carefully and ensure you understand what your obligations are under the policy before signing your name to this form.
As a reminder, you can set up an appointment with the academic honesty liaison to talk about your case confidentially—including your decision of whether to sign an instructor resolution form. You can also contact the board secretary with any logistical questions or concerns you may have.
I received a notice that I have been suspected of committing academic dishonesty and a Board Resolution has been filed. What are the next steps?
The board will schedule a hearing, considering your course schedule, and you will be informed of the hearing date and time.
You are encouraged to schedule an appointment to view your case file by contacting the board secretary at college.honesty@ur.rochester.edu. The secretary is also available to meet with you to discuss hearing logistics.
You may also wish to meet with the academic honesty liaison to discuss your case confidentially. The academic honesty liaison gives confidential advising on the honesty policy, what options you have based on it, and how you can prepare for your board hearing and/or make decisions going forward.
A hearing has been scheduled regarding my case. In the meantime, how does this effect my ability to complete the course, and my academic records?
While the investigation is in process, you may not drop, withdraw from, or declare the S/F option in the course. If you have taken these actions, you will be reinstated in the course, or the S/F will be rescinded.
A confidential hold will be placed on your academic records, and you cannot be issued an official copy of your transcript by the Registrar until the case is resolved.
A hearing has been scheduled regarding my case. Who will be present at the hearing?
Hearing boards consist of four members: two faculty members, who are part of the Board on Academic Honesty, and two undergraduate ACJC representatives (for undergraduate student hearings) or two graduate students (for graduate student hearings).
All faculty members, undergraduate ACJC representatives, and graduate students, have been trained to participate on hearing boards.
Once the hearing date and time have been scheduled, we encourage you to contact the board secretary for the names of who will be on the hearing board. If there is a conflict (e.g., you have taken a class with a faculty member or know one of the student representatives assigned to the case) please alert the Board secretary as soon as possible.
You may bring a member of the University community with you to the hearing for moral support.
What information will the hearing board have access to?
The hearing board has access only to the information provided in the case file. If additional materials are added to the case file after you have already viewed it, the board secretary will let you know, so that you may view the file again before your hearing.
Will I have a chance to give a statement?
Yes. You may present an opening statement at the hearing. If you would like a copy of the statement included in your case file, you can email your opening statement and any supporting materials to college.honesty@ur.rochester.edu in advance of the hearing. If you would like additional support discussing what to consider/how to draft an opening statement, you can contact the academic honesty liaison for confidential advising.
I have a previous infraction(s) on file (either through a responsible board finding or signing an instructor resolution form); will the hearing board be aware of this?
When deciding whether or not you are responsible for violating the academic honesty policy, each case is considered individually. Unless you are found responsible for the allegation(s) this particular hearing pertains to, the members of this hearing board will not be made aware of any previous infraction(s) you may have on file.
At the start of each hearing, a confidential note is included with the case file. Following deliberations, the hearing board votes on whether it is likelier than not that your actions violated honesty policy. If the majority vote finds you responsible for the alleged infraction(s), the hearing board will open the note to see whether you have a previous infraction on file. If you have any prior infraction(s), this hearing board can request to see information from previous case file(s).
When determining what sanctions to apply, hearing boards will consider whether it is a first or subsequent responsible finding.
What are the possible outcomes of the hearing?
Hearings may result in exoneration, a responsible finding for improper conduct (i.e., warning letter), or a responsible finding for misconduct at minor, moderate, or major level. All responsible findings will be assessed a $50 administrative fee, and typically involve a zero on the assignment(s) in question; findings for misconduct will include additional sanctions.
Please review the violations and sanctioning guidelines sections of AS&E’s academic honesty policy for more details.
The board did not find me responsible for an infraction. What happens now?
If the hearing board did not find you responsible, you were exonerated. The confidential hold will be lifted from your academic records, and your instructor will be told to submit your grade without penalty. You will not need to pay the $50 administrative fee in this case.
I was found responsible for an academic honesty violation. When will the confidential hold be lifted from my academic records?
The confidential hold will be lifted once you have completed the assigned sanctions (e.g., the academic honesty tutorial, academic integrity seminar, meetings with the academic honesty liaison), and your grade in the course, with the penalty applied, has been submitted. Please note that, once you complete the integrity seminar, it takes 2-3 business days for the confirmation from Integrity Seminars to be sent.
I was found responsible for an academic honesty violation. Will this appear on my transcript?
If the board determines you will receive an ‘XE’ or ‘XF’ grade in the course, this indicates failure of the course resulted from an academic honesty violation. This is the ONLY designation that will appear in your outward-facing academic records. Otherwise the honesty violation will appear in your confidential board file, NOT on your transcript or in your advising file.
I was found responsible for an academic honesty violation. Who has access to this information?
The board will keep your case file for a period of seven (7) years, after which it will be destroyed. However, a record that the violation occurred will be maintained in our confidential electronic database.
Academic honesty records are kept separately from your academic records. Under the policy confidentiality provision, your case file is available only to the Board and select senior administrators.
The reporting professor will be made aware of the outcome of your hearing, only for purposes of submitting your grade for the course.
I was found responsible for an academic honesty violation. How will this impact my postgraduation plans?
If you decide to apply to graduate school, or if you apply for certain jobs or fellowships on campus, you may be asked or expected to voluntarily disclose what is in your honesty record.
The board will share a summary of your case with internal and/or external parties if you request this and once you have signed a one-time waiver to release your records.
Consult the confidentiality section of AS&E’s Academic Honesty Policy and/or make an appointment to speak with the academic honesty liaison if you have questions about this aspect of the policy/process.
I was found responsible for an academic honesty violation. Can I appeal the board’s decision?
Yes. Undergraduate students can appeal to Dean of the College and graduate students can appeal to the Provost. The deadline to appeal is seven (7) calendar days after you receive the decision letter from the board.
All appeal letters should be submitted to college.honesty@ur.rochester.edu.
You may wish to meet with the academic honesty liaison to discuss drafting an appeal letter.
If I choose to appeal, do I risk having additional/more severe sanctions?
No. Potential outcomes of appeal include upholding the board’s decision or adjusting the sanctions. Appeal decisions will not result in additional penalties or harsher sanctioning than what the Board assigned. You may wish to meet with the academic honesty liaison to discuss more about appeals process.
I would like to appeal a decision made by the Board several months/years ago. Is this still possible?
No. If there are extenuating circumstances, the board may be able to slightly extend the deadline for an appeal. This is by special permission only (at the Dean of the College’s or Provost’s discretion) and covers a few business days at most.