Faculty and Staff Report an Incident

The resolution of first time Student Honor Code allegations has changed starting June 7, 2018. Whether a potential first time violation, or a subsequent one, SCCR will send notice to an accused student and meet with them. Faculty will no longer be required to contact our office for information on prior history, meet with the student, or complete a written form with the student. Once SCCR sends out a charge letter to the student regarding the allegation, faculty are welcome to have a conversation with the student if you so chose.

Once a student is issued a Notice of Charges (charge letter) for an alleged Student Honor Code violation they will not be permitted to drop or withdraw from the course and will have a temporary grade of “N” issued until the final resolution of the case.

To report an alleged academic misconduct incident please visit the link below to provide as much DETAILED information as possible. All additional documentation must be provided when reporting an incident (i.e. ProctorU videos, syllabi, quizzes in question, email communications, etc.).

Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution will respond to your submitted report within 1 – 2 working days. If you have any additional questions regarding this form, please contact Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution at 352-392-1261.

Incident Reporting Form

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All incidents of academic honesty should be reported to the Office for Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution because:

It helps avoid any claim that a student’s rights were violated by an instructor who did not follow UF procedures.
Insisting on academic integrity is good educational practice. Following proper procedures will decrease the likelihood of a challenge to the University and its faculty’s/instructor’s judgments in dealing with an educational matter.
It communicates the seriousness of the violation and to his/her classmates and promotes integrity.
Accurate records document the extent of academic dishonesty and repeat offenders can be identified.

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The value that the University of Florida places on education should be reflected in our response to academic dishonesty. In the absence of mitigating factors, we recommend that a grade penalty for the course should be the minimum appropriate response for deliberate violations. An appropriate supplement to the grade penalty you impose may be a referral to an educational or ethics seminar, all of which may be arranged through our office. If it is a second offense violation, suspension or expulsion should be considered as a sanction. This type of sanction can only be pursued through the University of Florida’s conduct system.

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It does not violate state or federal confidentiality laws to discuss the student’s case with the Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution staff or your department chair or dean. It would violate confidentiality however, to reveal the charged student’s name, charges, sanction imposed to other students, instructors/faculty, staff or parents. Should parents call, you must have a written, signed statement from the student that you can discuss this issue with family members. You can seek the advice of colleagues about the nature of the incident without using the name of the student. It would also be helpful to discuss cheating/plagiarism, in general terms, with the class at the beginning of each semester.

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The form becomes part of the student’s conduct file, which is kept in the Office for Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution through graduation and then destroyed (unless there is a suspension or expulsion). The student’s conduct file is subject to the same laws as other educational records, as this information can only be released within the University to those with a legitimate educational need to know. Any information can not be released outside without the student’s permission. No notation of academic dishonesty appears on the printed academic transcript.

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In resolving a disputed case of academic dishonesty, the student and instructor must be treated fairly. This means that:

The University’s conduct procedures must be used to resolve the case.
The standard of evidence necessary is “more likely than not” in order to impose sanctions for a violation.
Our office will send official notification of the charges to the student.

If it is apparent to us that your suspicions are supported by a preponderance of the evidence, a student’s meeting with us may clarify for them that a conduct committee will likely draw the same conclusion. This meeting may avoid the necessity of a hearing. However, the student may decide to resolve their case through a hearing. A hearing is not a trial; the format is informal. You will be asked to participate as a key witness in the case.