Honor System & Standards of Academic Conduct
Honor System Authority
The director of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity or designee will develop procedures for the administration of the Honor System and Standards of Academic Conduct, including procedural rules for conducting hearings. They will select the membership of the Honor Council and individual Decision Boards and Sanction Review Boards. They will appoint an administrator or board from among eligible Honor Council members to adjudicate matters as appropriate. If an appropriate board cannot be convened within a reasonable period of time, the director will establish an ad hoc committee of appropriately trained students and employees (including faculty) of the university to adjudicate the matter. The director or designee is the final authority for questions involving interpretation or application of the Honor System and Standards of Academic Conduct.
Please Note:
The university will presume that a respondent is not responsible for an alleged violation of the Honor System and Standards of Academic Conduct unless and until the university makes a determination through the adjudication process outlined in this policy, including a completed investigation, resolution, and any review by a Decision Board and/or Sanction Review Board. The university will find a respondent responsible for academic misconduct only if clear and convincing evidence shows that the student is responsible for the particular violation charged.
VCU will not issue a degree to any student charged with violating the Honor System and Standards of Academic Conduct until an allegation has been completely investigated and resolved. Student Conduct and Academic Integrity will place a temporary administrative hold on the respondent’s record pending resolution and notify the graduation coordinator and the respondent’s school or college.
If a reporting party determines that their referral was improper at any time before the respondent is found responsible under this policy, they may inform Student Conduct and Academic Integrity of their belief and request withdrawal of the referral. Student Conduct and Academic Integrity will determine if the university will pursue the matter based on all available evidence and information provided by the reporting party, including their determination that the referral was improper.
The Honor System and Standards of Academic Conduct resolution process will proceed regardless of a respondent’s decision to discontinue attending a course or withdrawal from the course. A student should meet with an academic adviser to discuss the potential academic or enrollment consequences of a decision to discontinue attendance or withdrawing from a course in which the alleged violation has occurred.