Article I.  Preamble and Pledge of Academic Integrity

51吃瓜网 is a community of scholars in which students and faculty work and study together for the intellectual enrichment of all.  For such a community to thrive it is essential that all of its members honor the principles of intellectual and academic integrity, for without these principles scholarship is without merit and education of questionable value.  Academic integrity is a matter of exerting the most scrupulous care in acknowledging one鈥檚 scholarly debts, in giving credit for every source of information, in being fully responsible for the independence and integrity of one鈥檚 own work.  Academic integrity is an ethical commitment.  Such a commitment is made in the knowledge that the existence of a community of scholars depends upon it and in the belief that scholarship is worthwhile in its own right.  It is the hope of the College that the commitment will be lifelong.  It is in the interest of every member of the 51吃瓜网 community to see that the tradition of academic integrity is honored.  Each student, therefore, upon enrolling in the College and entering the community, is required to sign the following Pledge of Academic Integrity:

      As a member of the student body of 51吃瓜网, I guarantee to my fellow students, the faculty and the administration that I have read and that I will uphold the principles and procedures of the Code of Academic Integrity in all its articles during my residency and will make every effort to discourage violations by others.

Article II.  Composition of the Academic Integrity Council

1.   The Academic Integrity Council shall be a shared responsibility of Students, Faculty, and Administrators.

2.   The Council shall consist of nine members: six students; two faculty members; and one administrator.  The Student members shall consist of: one senior, one junior, one sophomore, two student members-at-large, and one non-voting freshman auditor.  There shall also be one alternate faculty member.

3.   An Academic Integrity Council Selection Committee shall be established to select new student members as needed and the freshman class auditor.  This committee shall consist of the current Chair and Vice Chair and at least one other student member of the Academic Integrity Council.  As new student members are needed, the Academic Integrity Council Selection Committee shall choose the new members through an application process with confirmation by the Student Government Association. The freshman auditor shall be selected in the fall term through the same standardized application process and confirmed by the Student Government Association.  It will be the responsibility of the selection committee to determine the application process. 

4.   A student member鈥檚 term shall last for the duration of theirenrollment at 51吃瓜网.  The Chair and Vice Chair shall be selected by the Academic Integrity Council annually in the month of April by majority vote of the Council.  The Chair must be a member of the student body who has served at least one academic year on the Council and the Vice Chair must be a member of the faculty.  The freshman auditor shall remain a non-voting member until the beginning of his/her sophomore year.  The Council reserves the right to allow the freshman member to vote before his/her sophomore year if agreed upon by unanimous vote of the Council.

5.   To be eligible to serve, a student must not be on academic or extracurricular probation nor have been convicted of any violation of the Code of Academic Integrity.  In the event of any conviction under the Code of Student Conduct, the Council reserves the right to hold a hearing by which a member of the Council may be removed by a majority vote with at least one faculty member in agreement.

6.   The Faculty Members shall be elected at the May Faculty meeting for a two-year term.  The terms shall be staggered.  An alternate shall be elected annually for a single year term.  A faculty member may serve for no more than two consecutive terms but shall be eligible for reelection to subsequent terms in accordance with this section after a period of at least one academic year has elapsed.

7.   The Administrative Member shall be the Provost of the College, the Associate Provost, or when necessary a substitute designated by the Provost of the College.

8.   A quorum shall consist of the Chair or Vice Chair and four of the members of the Council of which there must be at least one student and one faculty member.

9.   An emergency quorum shall consist of three members, including at least one faculty or administrative member, if the Chair and the Provost of the College concur in advance that the assembly of a full Council is impractical and that a timely resolution of the case is desirable.

Article III.  Violations

A.   The following acts will be considered violations of this Code:

1.   Committing plagiarism, which, in addition to the traditional definition (鈥淸T]he unauthorized use of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one鈥檚 own.鈥�  The Random House College Dictionary, 1995, p. 1032) includes the act of turning in, as one鈥檚 own, work done wholly or in part by another person,].

2.   Knowingly doing work for another person to turn in as their own, or knowingly permitting one鈥檚 work to be used in this manner.

3.   Reading, copying, or discussing another student鈥檚 academic work, or knowingly permitting another student to read, copy, or discuss one鈥檚 own academic work contrary to the expressed directions of the instructor or proctor, including sharing or uploading course materials to internal or external digital platforms.

4.   Using any unauthorized books, notes, or electronic devices in the performance of academic work, or bringing any such unauthorized materials into an examination room, contrary to the expressed directions of the instructor or proctor.

5.   Violating any clearly expressed stipulation or restriction applied to the performance of academic work. 

6.   Gaining or providing unauthorized access to exams or assignments, including work completed in the current or previous terms.

7.   Falsely reporting research or laboratory/fieldwork as having been done, or deliberately falsifying the results, including the illicit submission of one鈥檚 own graded work in a different course or for a different instructor.

8.   Knowingly making a false statement to any faculty member or academic official of the College in regard to an academic matter, including forgery on academic forms.

9.   Deliberately defacing, mutilating, or damaging library, classroom, or laboratory materials or equipment, or the removing, or attempting to remove, the same from general use without authorization (e.g. hiding or misfiling).

10. Illicitly or maliciously accessing, altering, copying, using, or damaging computer software or files, or facilitating others to do the same by sharing one鈥檚 login credentials, whether the shared credentials are actually used in this way or not.

11. Illicitly or maliciously accessing, altering, copying, using, or damaging confidential academic records or materials, or facilitating others to do the same by sharing one鈥檚 login credentials, whether the shared credentials are actually used in this way or not.

12. Contempt of Council, which includes:

a.   Making any deliberately false statement regarding a violation of the provisions of this Code to the Academic Integrity Council or to any student, faculty member, or administrator involved in the investigation of such a violation; and

b.   Any act or conduct prohibited by Article VI, B2(e).

      All of these provisions apply to 51吃瓜网 students who are pursuing academic work in off-campus situations or through cooperative agreements with other institutions, unless other provisions apply.

Article IV.  Reporting Procedures, Responsibilities and Options

A.   Definitions:

      1.   Observer: A student, faculty member, or administrator who has observed a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity or has reason to believe that a violation has occurred.

      2.   Instructor: A faculty member (or staff member with faculty status) teaching a course in which an alleged violation of the Code of Academic Integrity occurred.  An instructor may also be the observer; however, Section E of Article IV outlines procedures specific to the instructor that must be followed in all cases, even when the instructor is also the observer of the alleged offense.

      3.   Responsible Official: Any College official, including an instructor defined above, who has the authority to administer the Code of Academic Integrity or its sanctions.  These officials include, but are not limited to, library staff, the College鈥檚 Registrar and Assistant Registrars, and the members of the Academic Integrity Council.

      4.  Day, Business Day, or Working Day: When used in this Code, these terms refer to regular College work days during which College offices are open for students, staff, and faculty to transact academic business. Weekends, College holidays, and published calendar recesses (e.g. spring break, fall break, Thanksgiving recess) shall not count against any limits on days, business days, or working days specified herein.

B. An observer who suspects that a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity has occurred:

1.   Must secure evidence and/or witnesses, and;

2.   Should talk to the student involved and inform them of the specific charge(s) and evidence, and;

3.   In the course of this conversation must give the student involved the chance to explain.

C.  If the observer is satisfied by the explanation and convinced that no violation has occurred, the matter should be dropped.

D.  If, after following the procedure in Article IV, B, the observer is convinced or has reasonable grounds to believe that a violation has occurred, the observer either:

1.   Should counsel the offender and warn them of the consequences of repeated offenses, if the offense seems to be minor or unintentional or uninformed; or,

2.   Should report the offense to the instructor (or responsible official) involved (or a neutral party such as the Chair of the Department involved, or to a member of the Academic Integrity Council) who will refer the charges back to the instructor involved:

a.   If extenuating circumstances prevent and/or make inadvisable a direct confrontation; or,

b.   If the offense does not seem to be minor, unintentional, or uninformed; or,

c.   If the alleged offender chooses not to heed the warnings given.

      In any case, the observer must accept the responsibility to appear as a participant in the case of subsequent hearings, since anonymous accusations cannot be pursued or admitted for consideration in any subsequent hearing.  The observer must submit all evidence and the names of any witnesses to the appropriate party.

E.   When the instructor (or responsible official) learns of an offense as a result of the procedure outlined in Section D or as a consequence of direct observation as the observer, they must also proceed within five business days in accordance with Sections B, C, and D, with the following exceptions and additions. 

1.   If the instructor (or responsible official) believes that an offense has been committed, before taking any action or commenting on the possible disposition of the matter, the instructor (or responsible official) must ask the Provost鈥檚 Office if the student in question has been previously convicted of an offense of this code.

2.   If the student has been found guilty of a prior offense, the Provost鈥檚 Office will notify the instructor (or responsible official) that the new case must be referred to the Academic Integrity Council.

3.   If this would bethe student鈥檚 first offense, the faculty member (or responsible official) may handle the matter themself, if the student concurs, or may refer the case to the Academic Integrity Council.

4.   If either party wishes the Academic Integrity Council to handle the matter, the case must be referred to them.

      a.  When the alleged misconduct involves more than one student, Faculty members are encouraged to bring all accused students to the Council, regardless of prior offenses, in order to ensure consistency and fairness in adjudication.

5.   If the instructor (or responsible official) intends to handle the case, they:

a.   Must inform the student of the option which the student has to take the case to the Academic Integrity Council;

b.   Must inform the student of the range of penalties from among which an instructor (or responsible official) is authorized to choose;

c.   Should not reveal the intended penalty, since they might not be making the final judgment of penalty;

d.   Must ask the student to decide, within 24 hours, who will adjudicate the case.

6.   If the student so elects, the instructor (or responsible official) must refer the case to the Academic Integrity Council within 48 hours of the student鈥檚 decision.

7.   If the case is to be decided by the instructor (or responsible official), they:

a.   Must have the student acknowledge in writing that they will submit the matter to the judgment of the instructor and will waive the right to a hearing by the Academic Integrity Council.  Such a declaration shall not be considered an admission of guilt.

b.   Must inform the student that an appeal may only be made in accordance with the provisions of Article IX;

c.   Must present the charge to the student, must provide evidence, and must allow the student to respond to the charge and/or evidence.

F.   If the instructor (or responsible official) decides on a verdict of guilty, they may choose one or more of the following:

1.   Reprimand and counsel the student; or

2.   Require that the work in question be done again or may make some suitable substitute or additional assignment; or

3.   In the case of non-course related offenses, require some form of compensation or sanction; or

4.   Award a reduced grade, grade of F or a grade of 0 (zero) on the work in question depending on the seriousness of the offense; or

5.   Award a reduced grade in the course; or

6.   Award a grade of F in the course in question.

      The instructor or responsible official must reach and report a decision and report any of the above actions taken to the student involved and the Provost鈥檚 Office in writing within seven (7) working days.  Copies of relevant materials must be sent to the Provost鈥檚 Office, to be subject to the provisions of Article X. The Provost鈥檚 Office will keep a record of all such actions (see Article X).

Article V.  Academic integrity council Investigation Procedures

A.   Any proceeding of the Academic Integrity Council shall consist of three phases: investigation, hearing, and judgment.  All members of the Council will take steps to ensure that the confidentiality of the accused student(s) is preserved throughout each of the phases. When a possible violation of the Code of Academic Integrity has been referred to the Academic Integrity Council in accordance with the procedures outlined in Article IV, the Chair of the Academic Integrity Council will initiate the investigation process.

B.   The Chair of the Academic Integrity Council, or their designee, will:

1.   Receive a charge or notice of a violation in writing.

2.   Set the time and place of the hearing, which should be within 3 to 7 working days of receiving the charge at a time and place when all parties involved can be present, if circumstances permit.

a.   When requested by the accused, an additional 48 hours of preparation time beyond the three to seven days may be granted by the Council to accommodate a verifiable physical illness or academic disability.  Any such request for, or grant of, additional time shall not be considered by the Council during subsequent proceedings.

3.   Notify in writing all parties of the time, place and purpose of the hearing. This notification shall be delivered electronically to the student鈥檚 college e-mail address and to the student鈥檚 campus mailbox.  The Academic Integrity Council is not responsible for address errors or a student鈥檚 failure to check or read e-mail or campus mail.

4.   Inform in writing the person accused of their rights and obligations, and provide them with information as to the procedures of the hearing, and any possible penalties.

5.   Designate a Hearing Coordinator in accordance with the stipulations of Article II.

C.  The Hearing Coordinator will:

1.   Communicate with all parties in the case to ensure that each knows what to expect from the hearing, knows what materials to bring to the hearing, and knows whom to contact with questions or concerns prior to the hearing.

2.  Manage the delivery of all notifications and correspondence arising from the case.

3.   Secure a final version of the written charges signed by the observer(s) and make it available to the principals at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.

4.   Secure a list of witnesses scheduled to appear at the hearing, and make it available to the principals at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.

5.       Ensure that all witnesses and evidence are directly material to the specific charge.

6.   Secure a list of the evidence to be presented at the hearing, and make it available to the principals at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.

7.   Serve as a facilitator and source of information regarding the Code, hearing and investigation procedures for the accused and the observer, and as a result does not participate in the questioning phase of the hearing.

8.   Attempt to gain a thorough knowledge of the facts of the case and the perspectives of both sides, while maintaining an objective outlook.

9.   Act as a resource for the Academic Integrity Council during the hearing.

D.  A person accused of a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity should:

1.   Write a response to the charge and provide it to the Hearing Coordinator at least 24 hours prior to the Hearing.

2.   Provide to the Hearing Coordinator a list of witnesses who will appear on their behalf at least 24 hours prior to the Hearing.

3.   Provide to the Hearing Coordinator the physical evidence, which is to be presented at the hearing at least 24 hours prior to the Hearing. 

4.   Secure from the Hearing Coordinator all available information, guidance and advice.

5.   Be available to the Council for the duration of the proceedings. This includes responding to requests for information from the Provost鈥檚 Office and the Hearing Coordinator, as well as checking their campus mailbox or otherwise following instructions concerning the retrieval of important documents.  Failure to respond to a request for information, to retrieve or read documents relating to the case, or to appear at a hearing without prior notice may reduce or void the procedural protections provided to the accused in this Code.

E.   An observer of a possible offense must:

1.   Cooperate with the Hearing Coordinator and agree to appear at the hearing.

2.   Give the Hearing Coordinator the names of all witnesses and any physical evidence available at least 24 hours prior to the Hearing.

3.   Secure from the Hearing Coordinator all available information, guidance and advice.

Article VI.  Hearing Procedures

A.   The Chair of the Academic Integrity Council shall call the hearing to order at the appointed time and place under the following considerations:

1.   A quorum of the Academic Integrity Council must be present (see Article II).

2.   The observer (accuser) of the alleged offense should be present at the hearing.

3.   If the accused declines or fails to appear at the hearing, the hearing may proceed in their absence.

4.   If more than one person is accused inthe same offense, the Academic Integrity Council may, at its discretion, hold one hearing orseparate hearings. If separate hearings are held, the Council may defer the discussion of judgment and or penalty until after all hearings have concluded.

B.   During the course of a hearing, the Chair or the presiding memberof the Academic Integrity Council will chair the proceedings, maintain order and decorum, protect the rights of the accused and see that minutes are kept.  To facilitate the taking of minutes, a recording device should be employed by a member of the Council. No other recording devices may be used during the hearing. Only the accused, the observer or responsible official, witnesses, and members of the Academic Integrity Council may be present during the hearing. The hearing will adhere to the following format:

1.   The Chair will introduce for the record the members of the Council who are present at the hearing.

2.   The Chair of the Academic Integrity Council will read the following statement of rights:

a.   鈥淭he purpose of this hearing is to permit the members of the Council to make a fair and informed judgment on the matter presently before us.  This is an administrative hearing and formal rules of evidence and jurisprudence do not apply. Unlike a court of law, it is not an adversarial process. All questions and comments from those appearing before the Council should be directed to the presiding Officer of the Council and not to those appearing before it.

b.   Both those bringing a charge before the Council and those accused in the charge may present evidence in the form of documents, objects, and other things, as well as witnesses to support their respective positions. The right of rebuttal is permitted through the Presiding Officer of the Council. Any member of the Council may ask questions of those bringing the charge and those accused of a violation, as well as any witness.

c.   The accused may be asked to testify by the Presiding Officer on matters that could involve self-incrimination and an adverse inference may be drawn from a failure to respond. A student鈥檚 previous conduct at the College is admissible.

d.   The Presiding Officer may declare a recess or a postponement in the hearing whenever appropriate or at the request of one of the parties involved in the hearing.

e.   Any act or conduct which shows disrespect for the dignity and authority of the Council during the hearing, or which obstructs, tends to obstruct, interrupt, prevent, or embarrass the proceedings or the prior investigations or the administration of justice shall constitute contempt of the Council. False testimony of a person in a hearing shall also constitute contempt of the Council. Any member of the Council may bring a contempt charge before the Council. Charges brought during the hearing may be decided at that hearing.鈥�

3.   The Hearing Coordinator will introduce the accused and the observer(s) of the alleged offense.

4.   The Chair will ask whether the participants wish to have the written charges read into the hearing record.  If any participant wishes to hear the charges, the Hearing Coordinator will read the written charges against the accused.  The Chair will ask the observer(s) to confirm that the statement is correct as read. In any case, all written charges will be entered into the hearing record.

5.   The Chair will ask whether the participants wish to have the written response from the accused read into the hearing record.  If any participant wishes to hear the response, the Hearing Coordinator will read the response to the charge written by the accused and the Chair will ask the accused to confirm that the statement is correct as read. In any case, any written response to the charges will be entered into the hearing record.

6.   The Hearing Coordinator will inform the Academic Integrity Council of witnesses and evidence to be presented.  Witnesses may be sequestered until their testimony is required, at the discretion of the Academic Integrity Council.

7.   The Chair of the Academic Integrity Council must:

a.   Ask the observer to indicate what evidence or other witnesses substantiate the charge;

b.   Allow the other members of the Academic Integrity Council to ask questions of the observer and/or witnesses;

c.   Insure that questions asked are appropriate to the discovery of guilt or innocence.

8.   If the accused is present, the Chair of the Academic Integrity Council must:

a.   Ask the accused to present evidence and/or witnesses and/or a reasonable number of character witnesses on their behalf;

b.   Allow the accused the opportunity to question the evidence and/or testimony presented; (At the discretion of the Academic Integrity Council, witnesses may be recalled for clarification of fact.)

c.   Allow the accused to present extenuating circumstances, explanations and/or a reasonable number of character witnesses.

d.   Allow the other members of the Academic Integrity Council to ask questions of the accused and/or witnesses;

e.   Insure that questions asked are appropriate to the discovery of guilt or innocence.

9.   During the course of the hearing all parties must speak on their own behalf.

10. Throughout the hearing the Hearing Coordinator is to act as a resource person for the Council, the observer and the accused; they do not participate in the questioning phase of the hearing.

11. At the discretion of the Academic Integrity Council, short concluding remarks may be permitted.

12. Before concluding the hearing, and in accordance with the provisions of Article VIII, the Presiding Officer will ask the observer to indicate in writing and without comment their suggested penalty in the event the Council reaches a guilty verdict.

C.  At the conclusion of all testimony the Presiding Officer will read the following statement:

      鈥淭he Council has now had an opportunity to hear from both sides in this matter, and will meet in closed session to reach a decision. The decision will be based on the merits of the case as presented and will be decided by a majority vote. The decision will be made in writing within three (3) days and will include findings of fact, and where appropriate to such findings, it will include a suitable penalty. This hearing is now closed.鈥�

Article VII.  Judgment

A.   The judgment phase of the hearing shall proceed immediately after the procedures outlined in Article VI have concluded.

B.   The determination of guilt:

1.   A finding of guilty requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Academic Integrity Council present.

2.   If the accused is found not guilty, the Chair will notify the Provost鈥檚 Office and direct the Hearing Coordinator to destroy all records of the proceedings.  The instructor or other college official involved will be informed of the finding by the Council and advised to proceed on the assumption of innocence in the matter.  Faculty members and College officials will be bound by the decisions of the Academic Integrity Council once a case has been submitted.

3.   If the accused is found guilty, the Council will proceed immediately to the penalty phase.

C.  The Judgment and penalty phases must be kept separate and distinct.  No discussion of penalties is to be permitted before a finding of guilt or innocence is made.

Article VIII.  Penalties

A.   If the offense involved course work of any kind, the Academic Integrity Council must ask the instructor involved to suggest an appropriate penalty or range of penalties from those listed below.  The Council will seek the instructor鈥檚 suggested penalty in writing at the conclusion of the hearing.  These suggestions are informative and non-binding, but the Council must give serious consideration to them.  The instructor must also provide contact information for the Council to use following a finding of guilt in the event that course or grading-related information is required for the determination of a suitable penalty. 

B.   A penalty decision requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the members of the Academic Integrity Council present.  In general, the Council will impose a penalty that reflects the nature of the instant offense, that is more severe than the penalty received in any prior offense(s), and, in the case of a course-related offense, that has a greater impact on the student鈥檚 academic record than would have occurred had they simply not done the work in question. A student鈥檚 conduct during the proceedings will also be considered. The Council reserves its harshest penalties for those students who have committed multiple offenses under the Code.One or more of the following penalties, listed in descending order of severity, may be imposed:

1.   Expulsion;

2.   Suspension

a.   For a term or terms, not to exceed the equivalent of an academic year

b.   For the remainder of a term;

3.   Failure in the course involved;

4.   A reduced grade in the course;

5.   Failure in the work involved;

a.   0 (zero) on the work involved if the course is graded on a numerical scale.

b.   F on the work involved if the course is graded on a letter grade system.

6.   A reduced grade in the work involved.

7.   Extra work with the consent of the instructor or responsible official involved.  Additional work will also be subject to the Code of Academic Integrity.

8.  Substitute assignments with the consent of the instructor or responsible official involved.  Any substitute assignment will also be subject to the Code of Academic Integrity.

9.  Letter of reprimand.

C.  Faculty members and College officials will be bound by the decisions of the Academic Integrity Council once they have been submitted.

D.  The accusedmust be notified of the decision within three working days of the decision.  The observer will be notified of the Council鈥檚 decision once the time for any appeal has expired.

E.   The results of the Academic Integrity Council proceedings for the previous academic year shall be published in the Yellow Jacket Newspaper during the subsequent fall term, without names or punishments, noting only the category of the violation and the outcome.

Article IX.  Appeals

1.   If a student is found guilty by the Academic Integrity Council or by an instructor (or responsible official), they have a right to appeal the decision.  The appeal may be made only on the question of guilt, not on a question of the severity of the penalty imposed.  Appeals may be made on the basis of new evidence, new witnesses, wrong jurisdiction, or improper procedure.  Appeals may not be made on the basis of mere dissatisfaction with the sanction received. 

2.   The Appeals Board shall be composed of seven members of the 51吃瓜网 community: three students appointed annually in the Spring by the Student Government Association, three faculty members elected in the Spring to two-year terms, and the Provost or the Provost鈥檚 designee.  The Provost or the Provost鈥檚 designee the Associate Dean of the College will serve as Chair for appeal hearings. If the appeal originates from an Academic Integrity Council decision, the Chair must be whichever did not did not sit on the original hearing.  One faculty alternate shall also be elected in the Spring, as well as one student alternate appointed by the SGA, who will serve as substitutes when needed. To be eligible to serve, a student must not be on academic or extracurricular probation nor have been convicted of any violation of the Code of Academic Integrity.

3.   Temporary or long-term vacancies on the Appeals Board will be filled by action of the appropriate appointing authority.

4.   A quorum shall consist of the Provost or Provost鈥檚 designee and three members of the Appeals Board, of which there must be at least one faculty member and one student member.

5.   Intention to appeal by a convicted student must be filed in writing with the Provost of the College within three working days after the announcement of the verdict by the Academic Integrity Council or the adjudicating instructor (or responsible official).  The Provost shall decide within three working days following the filing of the appeal if the facts of the case warrant an appeal and inform the student in writing of that decision. If the appeal is granted, the Provost must convene the Appeals Board within three to seven working days. 

6.   The Appeals Board will determine its own procedure for reaching a decision, within the following parameters:

      a.   The appellant must bear the burden of proof in order to warrant a reversal of an Academic Integrity Council or instructor鈥檚 (or responsible official) decision.

      b.   The Appeals Board must call the Chair of the Academic Integrity Council or his/her designee as a witness in all appeals proceedings in all cases arising from the decisions of the Academic Integrity Council.

      c.   The party bringing the appeal and the party responding to the appeal shall both be present during the appeal hearing to ensure the right of rebuttal.

      d.   To facilitate the taking of minutes, a recording device should be employed by a member of the Appeals Board. No other recording devices may be used during the hearing.

7.   The Appeals Board may only affirm or reverse the guilty verdict; it may not impose a new sanction. Reversal of an Academic Integrity Council or instructor鈥榮 (responsible official) decision requires the affirmative votes of a simple majority of the Appeals Board members.

8.   The decision of the Appeals Board is final.

9.   The Appeals Board shall inform both parties of its verdict in writing within three days of the decision.

Article X.  Record Keeping

1.   The Academic Integrity Council and the Appeals Board will keep minutes of all procedures.

2.   If a student is found not guilty, all records and minutes are to be destroyed and no mention of the proceedings is to be made in the student鈥檚 academic records.  All other minutes and materials will be deposited in the office of the Provost of the College as soon as each case resulting in a guilty verdict is resolved.

3.   On or about July 1 of each year, the minutes and accompanying materials from the preceding year will be placed in a secure archive and dated. 

4.   When files have been on deposit for more than five years, they should be destroyed at the end of the next academic year. 

5.   All of the above records are for the exclusive use of the Academic Integrity Council and the Administration of 51吃瓜网, in the enforcement of the Code of Academic Integrity, and may be used and consulted only as is consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

6.   If a student is suspended from the college, their transcript shall be stamped 鈥淪uspended for Violation of Code of Academic Integrity for the period ____________.鈥�  Upon readmission to the College, or petition by the student, this transcript notation will be removed once the period of suspension has expired.

7.   If a student is expelled from the college, their transcriptshall be stamped 鈥淓xpelled for Violation of Code of Academic Integrity.鈥�

Article XI.  Amendment

An amendment to this Code requires a majority vote of the Faculty Meeting and a majority vote of the students voting in a referendum.

Article XII.  Implementation

This Code shall take effect at the start of the next academic year following approval by a majority vote in a Faculty Meeting and a majority vote of the students voting in a referendum.

Article XIII.  Suspension of Constitution

This Code shall be deemed null and void if so voted by two-thirds of the students voting in a referendum or if so voted by two-thirds of the Faculty Meeting.