Adjudication Process - Instructor
STEP 1
Upon encountering an alleged violation of the Honor Code, the instructor has the option of handling the case himself/herself or referring the case to the Honor Council
STEP 2
If the instructor decides to handle the case autonomously, he/she will meet with the Alleged Violator. In this meeting, the instructor shall inform the student of the violation and give him/her the opportunity to be heard. If the instructor is unable to make contact with the student, the instructor may file the Honor Code Violation form with the notation "Student was not available for a response" in the student response section.
STEP 3
During the meeting with the Alleged Violator, the instructor will determine if there has been a violation of the Honor Code. If no violation is found, the case is dropped and no action is taken. If the instructor determines that there has been a violation of the Honor Code, or if there is still a question of whether there is a violation of the Honor Code after meeting with the student, the instructor may either file the report autonomously following the steps below, or may file the report and refer the case to the Honor Council for adjudication.
STEP 4
If the instructor determines that there has been a violation of the Honor Code and wishes to handle the case autonomously, the instructor determines the severity of the Honor Code violation, and assesses a sanction using the sanctions option provided by the Honor Council. The instructor will notify the student of the sanction(s) to be applied and the appeals process.
The instructor may impose the following sanctions, which are fully described in the Honor System Rules:
STEP 5
If, in the opinion of the instructor, the violation is so egregious that it deserves a sanction of separation from the University, the case is referred to the Honor Council for adjudication.
STEP 6
If the student accepts responsibility for the violation and accepts the sanction(s) assigned by the instructor, the Honor Code Violation Report is filed with the Galveston Aggie Honor System Office as soon as practicable, preferably within five (5) University business days, where it is kept on record.
STEP 7
If the student indicates on the Honor Code Violation form that he/she does not agree with the sanction, or denies that the violation occurred, the student will then make an appointment with the Galveston Aggie Honor System Office for a meeting with the case manager. At this meeting, the student will indicate in writing of his/her intention to appeal the decision of the instructor. This submission begins the appeal process.
STEP 8
If, after meeting with the student, the instructor is still unsure of whether a violation has been committed, or is not comfortable with the sanctioning process, the case can be filed (using the Honor Code Violation form) and forwarded to the Honor Council for adjudication as soon as practicable, preferably within five (5) University business days.
Note: The Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs has the option of extending any deadline for extenuating circumstances.