SETTLEMENT OF A CHARGE OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FACULTY:
When you obtain information that a student may have committed an act of academic dishonesty, you must first
contact the Dean of Students Office (ext. 1164) to determine if this is the first violation for the student.
If this incident is a first violation, you may choose to resolve the issue on an informal basis with the student. The
maximum penalty which may be applied in this manner is a grade of “F” in the course. If you feel that the
offense warrants a more severe penalty, you may report it to the Dean of Students for formal resolution.
If this is NOT the first violation, the case must be reported to the Dean of Students for formal resolution under the
Student Code of Conduct.
PROCEDURE FOR INFORMAL RESOLUTION:
1. Meet with the student and present any evidence of a violation (a neutral party may be present during this
meeting).
2. Give the student an opportunity to offer an explanation after you have presented the evidence.
3. After hearing the explanation, determine whether a violation has occurred.
4. If you believe that a violation has occurred, complete and sign the “Instructor” portion of this settlement form.
5. Give the student a copy of the form. The student will have 72 hours to decide whether to admit guilt and
accept the penalty.
If the student decides to accept the penalty, he/she must sign the settlement form in your presence (the student
must be 18 years old in order to sign the form). You may then implement the penalty and forward the settlement
form to the Dean of Students Office.
FORMAL RESOULTION:
An allegation of academic dishonesty must be resolved through a formal process if one of the following is true:
1. The incident is not a first violation for the student.
2. You wish to impose a penalty more severe than a grade of “F” in the course.
3. The student disputes the charges or does not accept the penalty you propose.
In the formal process, the allegation will be treated as a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and the
charges will be resolved through the Judicial Process administered by the Dean of Students. You initiate a
written complaint by providing details of the incident to the Dean of Students.