The Academic Ombuds Office offers information for students on both plagiarism and cheating, you can find the information here: https://ombud.uky.edu/students. Please share with your students at the beginning of the term to help prevent violations.
The university has procedures that must be followed when a violation is suspected. Please review the procedure at: https://www.uky.edu/ombud/academic-offense-procedures before contacting a student regarding an academic integrity violation.
A summary of the Academic Offense Process can be found below. Before initiating the process make sure to check that the process has not changed.
Step 1: Suspicion of Offense
If the instructor suspects that a student has committed an academic offense, the instructor should consult with the chair. The suspicion may be based on the instructor’s observation or determination or on the report of another person.
Step 2: Allegation of Offense
Instructor and chair discuss the evidence and decide whether to allege that the student has committed an academic offense.
Step 3: Initial meeting with student
When instructor, after consultation with the chair decides to allege an academic offense, the instructor notifies the student of the allegation and invites the student to meet with the instructor and chair.
As part of the invitation to meet, the instructor must set a deadline for the student to respond. That deadline must be at least seven days after the invitation is provided to the student.
If the student fails to respond to the invitation or fails to attend the meeting that had been scheduled, the instructor and chair may proceed without meeting with the student.
Step 4: Evaluation of Academic Offense
No academic offense.
Instructor notifies the student. No further action is taken.
SR 6.4.3. A.2 states: If….an action that can be construed as an academic offense is “so slight or inconsequential” that it does not warrant even the minimum penalty of zero on the assignment, then the instructor should not treat the action as an academic offense, but simply as an ordinary error that may earn the student a lower grade on the assignment.”
If the action is greater than “so slight or inconsequential,” the chair contacts the Registrar (sean.cooper@uky.edu) to determine whether there are any prior offenses or letters of warning. The chair notifies of the instructor if there were previous offenses.
If no prior offenses or letters of warning, instructor must award a grade of zero for the assignment on which the offense occurred.
Instructor may also impose additional penalties (in consultation with chair) that are identified in Senate Rule 6.4.3.A.3 (a) – (d).
If instructor imposes a penalty less than a grade of E or F for the course, the offense is a “minor offense.”
If the student has received a prior letter of warning, the instructor must assign a grade of E or F for the course.
If the offense is “particularly egregious” and the chair approves, the chair may forward case to responsible dean with a recommendation for a more severe penalty (than E or F for the course). See SR 6.4.3.A.3 (d).
Instructor notifies the student of the penalty within 7 working days of the meeting with the student. The notice should be sent via USPS and email to the student. Instructor notifies the ombud via campus mail or email (ombud@uky.edu).
The notice includes the student’s name, ID number, the college in which the student is enrolled, the course and section in which the offense occurred, the date and nature of the offense, the penalty that is being imposed or recommended, warns the student that any future offense will be penalized by at least E or F in the course, and any right that the student may have to appeal the finding or penalty.
If the student has received a penalty for an academic offense at least as severe as E or F in the course, the chair informs the dean who then imposes a penalty in accordance to Senate Rule 6.4.3.B.1 (b).
This last-mentioned rule requires that the dean impose a grade of XE or XF for the offense.
If the student has received a penalty for an academic offense at least as severe as XE or XF in the course, the chair informs the dean who is required to forward the case to the Provost with recommendation of either minimum penalty of suspension, or a harsher penalty. C. If the finding of an academic offense is not appealed, the ombud will forward the letter of warning to the dean of the student’s college, the dean of the college in which the offense occurred, the chair of the department, the instructor of the course, and the registrar who will place the letter in the student’s file.
If the student appeals the finding or penalty, the chair of the University Appeals Board will inform the ombud and instructor of the outcome of the appeal.
In case it is helpful, below is a template letter faculty may edit to notify a student of the determination of a minor offense penalty (zero on assignment). If the action is more egregious or the student has a prior offense, please contact ombud@uky.edu to receive a template letter for a more severe penalty.
Personal and Confidential
[Date]
[Name of Student]
[Street]
[City, State Zip Code]
Student Number: [XXXXXXXX]
Dear [name of student]:
The purpose of this letter is to state the facts of the finding that you recently committed an academic offense and to inform you of the consequences should you commit another offense in the future.
On [date of offense] in [course number and section], [name of course], you [cheated on a quiz or exam, plagiarized in an essay, collaborated on homework that was to be done alone, falsified laboratory data, other — please be specific].
All incidents of cheating and plagiarism are taken very seriously at the University of Kentucky. The minimum penalty for a first infraction is a zero on the assignment. In this particular case, because you had no prior infractions on your record, I decided to impose [state penalty -- the minimum penalty, perhaps an additional penalty].
Please note that Senate Rule 6.4.3.A.6 prohibits you from withdrawing from a course in which you have been charged with an academic offense. If you do withdraw, the Registrar will reinstate you.
You should also be aware the Registrar will retain a record of the offense although it will not appear on your transcript. If you commit an academic offense again, the minimum penalty for that offense will be an E for the course, and a harsher penalty (which would appear on your transcript) could be imposed. The current offense will remain in your academic files, but it will only be available to third parties if (a) you grant permission, or (b) such specific records are requested as part of a court-ordered subpoena.
It is your responsibility to ensure that any behavior on your part cannot be construed as an academic offense. In the future, if you are in doubt as to whether a particular action is permitted, please ask your instructor. You will find that instructors are eager to make their expectations clear so that both they and their students can avoid becoming entangled in accusations of academic improprieties.
You have the right to appeal this decision and may contact the Academic Ombud Office located in 109 Bradley Hall (859-257-3737) to discuss your case and the appeals procedure. You must contact the Ombud Office within ten days.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
cc Academic Ombud
