What happens in an Academic Integrity Preliminary Meeting?

When students meet with the Coordinator for Academic Integrity (AI), they will have the opportunity to review the referral and all supporting documentation submitted to the Center for Student Conduct. Students will discuss the incident with the Coordinator and will be offered options for going forward. Students may either: accept responsibility and agree to the sanction, or, choose to go forward to an Academic Integrity Council.

How long does the Academic Integrity resolution process take to complete?

There are a number of steps in the UVM conduct process, including the option to attend an Academic Integrity Council and an opportunity to appeal. Cases typically take a minimum of one week and could possibly take as long as 4-5 weeks. Cases referred at the end of a semester may take longer for resolution and sometimes may not be able to be resolved until the beginning of the following semester. The Center for Student Conduct resolves cases in as timely a way as possible.

Can the student talk to the faculty member if they submitted a referral?

Yes, students and faculty can talk. At minimum, students should be informed that a referral was submitted concerning a piece of their academic work. Faculty are also encouraged to talk with students about concerns prior to submitting a referral to make the student aware of the concerns and gather any additional information about the situation. These conversations may also provide some clarity about the perceived intent of the situation.

Should the student continue to attend class if a referral was made?

Students referred to the conduct process remain enrolled in all courses. Pending cases could have multiple outcomes; as such, students are encouraged to not make changes to their courses until a decision is rendered and they have more information about how the case may impact their academic experience.

What happens to grades once a referral is made?

The assignment of concern should not be graded and a final course grade should not be submitted until the case is concluded. Students may see an F on their transcript; this is an Administrative F that remains until the conduct process concludes. If the case results in the sanction of an XF, the Center for Student Conduct alerts the Registrar of that grade.

What are the possible outcomes of a finding of responsible? 

The Code of Academic Integrity [PDF] indicates “for a first deliberate offense, an undergraduate student will likely receive a grade of XF…for a second deliberate offense…a grade of XF and be suspended or dismissed from the University” (AI Code p. 23). Graduate students will likely receive a grade of XF and may be suspended or dismissed from the University for a first deliberate offense (AI Code p. 23).

What is an XF?

XF is defined by the Code of Academic Integrity as “failure resulting from academic dishonesty” (AI Code p. 18). XF, suspension, and/or dismissals are sanctions that are indicated on the student transcript. Students have the opportunity to remove the X if they attend an Academic Integrity Seminar offered through the Center for Student Conduct. This removal of the X is NOT an option if a student receives a second XF as a result of a second AI case, or if the student is a graduate student.