Academic Integrity Procedures

UCI Academic Senate Procedures for Resolution of Cases of Academic Integrity Policy Violations

Academic Integrity Information for Faculty/Staff

What Happens if I've Been Reported?

Please follow the instructions in your Notification Letter. Students who are reported for allegedly violating the Academic Integrity Policy have the option of requesting a meeting with the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct (OAISC). 

In accordance with §103.10.C – Administrative Holds, no student shall be awarded a degree while an allegation of a policy violation is pending against that student or until any assigned Administrative Sanctions or student disciplinary conditions have been fully resolved. As such, an Administrative Hold has been placed on your student records to prevent your graduation or conferral of a diploma or degree, while this matter is pending. When the pending disciplinary matters have been resolved, this will be removed. A student may submit a written request articulating the reasons supporting removing this hold to the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct (OAISC). The Director of OAISC, or their designee, shall decide whether to grant, grant in part, or deny a written request to remove a hold and their decision shall be final. The request may be submitted to conduct@uci.edu. 

Students who have been reported to OAISC for policy violations are encouraged to reach out to the resources listed in your Notification Letter:

Office of the Ombuds:
The Office of the Ombuds provides a safe place to discuss complaints, concerns or problems. The Ombuds acts as an independent, informal, impartial, and confidential resource. The office can assist any student or faculty involved, by helping them understand their rights, and explaining policies and procedures.

For more information about the Office of the Ombuds, please visit www.ombuds.uci.edu. To schedule a meeting with the Office of the Ombuds, please call (949)824-7256.

Disability Services Center: If you have disability-related needs and wish to request reasonable accommodations to ensure your full participation in this process, please contact the Disability Services Center (DSC). For more information about their services, you may also reach out to the DSC by phone (949) 824-7494 or visit the DSC website.

Academic Integrity & Student Conduct Peer Advisors: Peer Advisors assist students in navigating the process for resolving Academic Integrity Policy Violations. They are available to provide proactive education to students who have been notified of an alleged policy violation. Peer Advisors can explain the components of the Academic Integrity process including the notification letter, the administrative meeting process, the standard of evidence used in investigations and an overview of possible sanction options. Please note that the Peer Advisor’s role is to help, assist, and support the student. The role of the Peer Advisors is not to act as a spokesperson, advocate, or defense counsel for the student.

Schedule a meeting with an OAISC Peer Advisor. 

Procedures for Resolving Academic Integrity Policy Violations

You can view a flowchart of the Process for Resolving Academic Integrity Policy Violations on our website.

Meeting and Outcome:

If you are reported for allegedly violating the Academic Integrity Policy, you have the option to attend an Administrative Meeting via Zoom with a representative from the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct to review the information related to the incident and respond to the allegations. You have ten instructional days from the date of the Notification Letter to schedule an Administrative Meeting. The Notification Letter will include the deadline to schedule an Administrative Meeting. You are encouraged to call as soon as possible as appointments book up quickly.

If you choose not to attend a meeting, the OAISC staff member assigned to your case will review the information without the benefit of your information. OAISC may also follow up with the course instructor and/or other witnesses.

The “Preponderance of Evidence” is the standard used to determine if a student is responsible for the allegations of policy violations. 

If it is determined that a policy violation has occurred based on the preponderance of the evidence, sanctions will be imposed. Information about sanctions can be found below and on the OAISC website - FAQ. 

Appeal:

Appeals of academic integrity decisions are processed through the UCI Academic Senate - Academic Integrity Review Board (AIRB). Your Academic Integrity Decision Letter includes an individual link, for you to submit an appeal. For additional information see the Procedures for Resolution of Cases of Academic Integrity Policy Violations §V. The Hearing Phase.

An appeal must be based on one or more of the following grounds:

1. New evidence which could not be adduced earlier which is likely to change the results;
2. Violation of due process; or
3. An imposed sanction that is too harsh given the findings of fact.

A student must submit an appeal in writing, clearly articulating the ground(s) they are appealing, include all supporting information, and be submitted, within ten (10) business days, from the date of the Academic Integrity Decision Letter. Depending on the OAISC outcome, the student will be afforded two options, refer to §V11. Hearings.

A: If you submit an appeal for an outcome of warning, probation and educational sanctions, the AIRB will limit its review to the written documentation you provide, your appeal letter, and the written documentation provided by the OAISC. You will not attend an appeal hearing.

B: If you submit an appeal for an outcome of suspension or dismissal, the request is to hear the case from the beginning; you will be present and have the opportunity to present to the hearing panel.  Following receipt of your appeal letter, the AIRB will schedule a hearing. Students are allowed to have an advisor, please see Support Person/Advisor Guidelines.

Possible Sanctions:

The Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct may assign sanctions for Academic Integrity Policy Violations. Some of these sanctions are listed below:

• Educational Opportunities (e.g., workshop attendance, online tutorial, resource follow up/consultation)
• Warning
Disciplinary probation
• While on disciplinary probation, students may continue taking classes but may be restricted from other activities and campus privileges. Violating the terms of the probation may result in further disciplinary action, usually suspension.
Suspension
• While on suspension, students may not take any classes at UCI or through UCI extension. Students will have a notation of the suspension placed on their transcript for the duration of the suspension.
• Dismissal
  • When dismissed from the University, students will receive a permanent notation of the dismissal on their transcript. Students may not participate in any campus activities after they have been dismissed.