Academic Integrity Conduct Process

Student Conduct & Care works in collaboration with the Office of the Provost to maintain the standards of Academic Integrity (AI). To gain a complete understanding of the academic integrity standards, review the full Academic Integrity Policy.

The process for AI allegations differs from that of general misconduct. It is also important to note that the sanctioning for AI cases is two-fold. The faculty or academic department can impose sanctions related to the course or program of study. For example, a faculty member may assign a lower grade or a failing grade in the class. Student Conduct & Care can impose sanctions related to a Student's status at the University. Students who have allegedly violated an AI Policy should review the process for these cases carefully and direct questions about the process to StudentConduct@drexel.edu.

Students will be notified in writing by a faculty member that a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy has occurred via their Drexel email. A Student should provide a response to the letter via Drexel email no later than two (2) calendar days from receipt of the notice from the faculty member. The Student will be required to meet with the faculty member to discuss the alleged violation within seven (7) calendar days.

The meeting outcome will determine the next steps as outlined below:

• If the Student agrees that a violation has occurred, the faculty member will inform the Department Head or designee, Program Director, or equivalent administrator (hereafter referred to as Department Head) offering the course of the alleged violation. The faculty member will determine the appropriate academic sanction and notify the Student. The Student will have applicable rights to an appeal as outlined in Section 12.
• If the Student disagrees that a violation has occurred, there are two processes:
  • If it is a complex case or the academic outcome could lead to the student's dismissal from the program, the faculty member will refer the case to Student Conduct & Care using the reporting portal. The Student Conduct process will commence. After the Student Conduct process is complete, the faculty member will determine the appropriate academic sanction, if applicable, and notify the Student.
  • If the case is not complex or would not result in dismissal, the faculty member can determine the appropriate outcome (responsible or not responsible) and sanctions, if applicable.
  • In cases involving alleged misuse of Artificial Intelligence, faculty members must present at least one form of supporting evidence/documentation of the alleged violation that does not include an AI detection report. Examples of such evidence may include: comparative samples of work demonstrating a different “voice,” misinformation within the submitted assignment, inaccurate citations, repetitive patterns involving specific keywords or phrases, or the student’s inability to speak knowledgeably of their own assignment.
• The faculty member's decision, along with a full incident report, will be reported to Student Conduct & Care. Students are not eligible to withdraw from courses where they have had an academic integrity violation.

Once a case is referred to Student Conduct & Care by a faculty member or academic department, Student Conduct will begin their process. For first-time violations, the academic unit will provide the information and, in most cases, Student Conduct & Care will simply document the incident and send the accused Student a letter notifying them that a report has been received. No additional action is required for a first-time violation. A file will be kept of the violation in a secure database.

All subsequent violations will require the Student to go through the full conduct process to determine disciplinary sanctions, which can be found on the Conduct Process page. If a student submits an academic appeal, the appellate authority should submit the final appeal decision to Student Conduct & Care to be documented.

Appeal Process for Violations of the Academic Integrity Policy

Academic Integrity Violations are assigned two types of sanctions:

• Academic Sanctions: Sanctions assigned by the faculty or college/school related to the academic coursework. Examples include grade reduction, failure in a course, or removal from the program.
• Disciplinary Sanctions: Sanctions assigned by Student Conduct & Care related to your disciplinary record. Examples include probation, suspension, and expulsion.

First-Time Violations:

• Academic sanctions can be appealed through the college/school. This process is described below.
• Disciplinary sanctions are not typically assigned for first-time violations and, thus, cannot be appealed.

Subsequent Violations:

• Academic sanctions can be appealed through the college/school. This process is described below.
• Disciplinary sanctions can be appealed through the standard conduct Appeals Process.

Academic Sanction Appeal Process

Students must initiate any appeal related to a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy within seven (7) calendar days after the decision has been issued.

• For the first level of an Academic Sanction Appeal, the Student can choose to appeal in writing to the dean of the college/school or designee at which the course was taken. Once the appeal is received, the dean or designee will review the appeal and issue the appeal outcome letter to the Student.
• The second and final level of appeal requires the Student to appeal in writing to the provost or designee within seven (7) calendar days after the first-level appeal has been issued. Once the appeal is received, the Provost or designee will review the appeal and issue the appeal outcome letter to the Student. The Provost's or designee's decision is final and there is no further option for appeal of academic sanctions.

The appeal should be written and emailed to the appropriate person outlined in the Academic Sanction Appeal Process. The appeal should include:

• If you are appealing the finding that you violated the academic integrity policy, or the academic sanction that you received as a result of the policy violation, or both.
• Information to support your appeal claim and what outcome you are seeking as a result of appealing.