5.01
Departmental Hearing.
When an instructor has reasonable grounds to believe that a student has committed
an act of academic dishonesty, the instructor shall notify the chair of the concerned department, in writing, within
five class days of discovery. Students who believe they have observed an act of academic dishonesty
shall report the incident to the instructor, as soon as possible, who shall report the incident in writing to the chair
within five class days. In case waiver of a hearing is an option as provided in
Article 5.04, the chair shall, within five class days of receiving the
instructor's report, inform the accused in writing of the nature of the offense and recommended penalty,
and ask the accused to select between the hearing and waiver options. If the chair has not received a response within
10 class days of the notification of these options, the chair shall, within the next five class days,
schedule a departmental hearing. In case waiver of a hearing is not an option, the chair shall, within 10 class days
of receiving the instructor's report, schedule a departmental hearing. To schedule a departmental hearing, the chair
shall notify the instructor, the accused, and the accusing party, if other than the instructor, of the nature of the offense
and the time and date of the hearing. Normally, the accused shall be notified by certified mail. Should any of the parties fail
to appear, without good cause, at the departmental hearing, the chair may render a decision in their absence.
Both sides shall have an opportunity to present their cases during the above hearing. This may include the introduction
of physical evidence as well as testimony from individuals who have knowledge of the circumstances. If either side intends
to have individuals appear at the hearing for such testimony or as legal counsel, the chair must be notified at least
three class days before the hearing. If either side will be advised by legal counsel, the hearing cannot
be held with such counsel in attendance unless a representative from University of Houston legal counsel is also present.
The chair shall render a decision within three class days after the hearing and forward copies of the
decision to the student, instructor, and Dean of the college responsible for the course in which the alleged offense occurred.
Both the accused student and the instructor have equal right of appeal if the decision of the chair is not acceptable. If a
written appeal is not received by the Dean of the college within ten class days of the decision at the
departmental level, the action recommended by the chair shall be implemented. A departmentally recommended penalty involving
suspension or expulsionshall be reviewed in a college hearing unless such hearing is waived as provided in
Article 5.05 below.
5.02
Colleges Without Departments.
For colleges that do not have individual departments, the decision of the initial hearing officer designated by the Dean of the college shall constitute the equivalent of a departmental decision. Only if this decision is reviewed and upheld by the college by virtue of appeal or automatic review would a college decision be rendered. The hearing officer for the college appeal or review shall not be the initial hearing officer.
5.03
Group Violations of the Academic Honesty Policy.
In instances where two or more students are alleged to be involved in the same infraction of the academic honesty policy, at the discretion of the chair, the case against the whole group will be dealt with at a single hearing. The facts common to all cases will be presented with all students allegedly involved in attendance. Each student shall be allowed to present his/her defense to the chair separately. If requested by the presenting student, such a defense shall be presented outside the hearing of the other students.
5.04
Waiver of Departmental Hearing.
When notifying the chair of the alleged infraction, the faculty member shall have the option of suggesting, to the chair, a sanction for the alleged violation of the Academic Honesty Policy that would, if acceptable to the student, instructor, and chair, preclude a departmental hearing. Such sanctions would normally include reduced or zero credit for a test assignment, a grade of "F" in a course, or other such agreed upon sanctions. Sanctions involving disciplinary probation or sanctions requiring a college level hearing cannot be used. In cases for which the instructor suggests a sanction so as to preclude the departmental hearing, the accused shall be notified, in writing, by the chair of the choice of: (1) acknowledging the alleged academic honesty violation, waiving the formal departmental hearing, and accepting the associated sanction; or (2) proceeding to a formal departmental hearing. Upon electing the waiver of a departmental hearing, the student's name will be placed on a list that is maintained, by the department, the Dean's office and the Provost's office, until graduation. Following graduation, the student can request that his/her name be removed from these lists. An agreement to settle an academic honesty infraction via a waiver of the formal departmental hearing will not result in any record being kept that is reflected on the student's transcript or his/her permanent record. The waiver of a departmental hearing process must be agreed to by the instructor, the student and the department chair. In the event that all three cannot agree to a waiver, the case must be moved to a formal departmental hearing. A student is eligible for a waiver only if he/she has no previous violations of the Academic Honesty Policy. A formal departmental hearing will be scheduled should a student fail to respond to written notifications concerning the alleged infraction of the academic honesty policy.
5.05
Waiver of Automatic College Hearing.
If a student wishes to accept a departmentally recommended sanction of suspension or expulsion, he or she may submit a written waiver form to the Dean of the college no later than 10 class days after being notified of the departmental decision. The waiver form is issued from the Dean of Students Office only after the student has met with the Dean of students (or his/her designated representative), who will ensure that the student is aware of his/her rights in the appeal process. The Dean shall then implement the departmental decision and notify the appropriate parties of the disposition of the case within five class days of receipt of the waiver request. The sanction is considered a college level decision.
5.06
Conflict of Interest.
When faculty responsible for the implementation of the Academic Honesty Policy (Deans, chairs, or designated representatives) are themselves party to a case, they shall in no way participate in the administration of the policy. Such responsibilities shall pass to faculty and administrators not directly involved in the case.
