Consistency
For the honor code to succeed, it must be applied consistently throughout the institution. Students must be able to expect that similar violations will result in similar sanctions, regardless of professor, field, or class. It is therefore important that whenever faculty members have a concern about a possible honor code violation, they consult with the judicial affairs officer.
Resolving Suspected Honor Code Violations
Not all suspected honor code violations result in an Academic Judicial Board hearing. If judicial action is warranted, students who do not contest the charges may pursue Disposition Without Hearing, in which the judicial affairs officer, in consultation with the professor, assigns a sanction that would approximate the kind of outcome the AJB would likely reach. Cases that are contested or involve more intricate issues are heard by the AJB. For more information about the both options, see How the Judicial Process Works.
Current Procedures For Reporting Plagiarism or Cheating
If you suspect a violation of the honor code, it can be helpful to begin by consulting with your department chair for guidance and support.
- Your next step is to contact the judicial affairs officer to share your concerns. The judicial affairs officer for 2009-10 is Associate Dean of the College Karen Guttentag (kguttent@middlebury.edu; x2024).
- The judicial affairs officer can help you to evaluate the evidence you have, and can advise you on whether it is sufficient to proceed with judicial action of some kind.
- Although some cases or plagiarism or cheating are very clear cut, others involve considerable "gray area." In cases where the evidence is largely circumstantial, and may be insufficient for a board to be able to reasonably resolve the situation, the judicial affairs officer may suggest another course of action. This might involve a formal meeting with the student(s) to share your concerns and to reiterate the importance of the honor code. The judicial affairs officer may join you at this meeting if you wish. Additional outcomes, such as referrals to CTLR for instruction on citation practices, or other educational steps, may be appropriate.
- If there is enough evidence to move forward with the judicial process, it is the job of the faculty member to notify the student(s) that concerns have emerged about possible Honor Code violations, and that the matter has been referred to the judicial affairs officer.
- You will then submit a written description of the infraction with a copy of the student's work in question to the judicial affairs officer by email or hard copy.
- For plagiarism cases, indicate the alleged infractions as clearly as possible on the student's work by underlining (not highlighting - please). Please also provide photocopies of the original sources and underline all allegedly plagiarized passages, then assign corresponding numbers to the student and source passages.
- Please also submit a copy of the course syllabus and, if available, the assignment sheet for the assignment in question.
Next steps in the judicial process are explained on the Judicial Boards Web page "How the Judicial Process Works."