Academic Integrity Process

This is an overview of the academic integrity process. If you have specific questions about the process, please get in touch with the Center for Community Standards at 509-335-4532 or email community.standards@wsu.edu.

Step 1: Initiating the Process

Your instructor believes you may have violated academic integrity policies at Washington State University. Your instructor will then:

  1. Collect all evidence related to the possible violation and,
  2. Make a reasonable attempt to meet with you to understand your side of the story.
Step 2: Instructor's decision and reporting

Your instructor will decide based on the evidence and your statements, if you choose to meet with your instructor, whether you are responsible for violating academic integrity policies. Your instructor will then do the following if you are found responsible:

  1. Your instructor will notify you of their decision. This notification will also include information about any academic penalties they are assigning you, and how to submit an appeal to their decision.
  2. Your instructor will report the violation to the Center for Community Standards (CCS).

Once CCS gets your instructor's report. CCS will send you an email to your WSU account containing essential information about the next steps in the process. 

Step 3: Appeal

You have the right to appeal your instructor's decision. 
You have 20 calendar days to submit an appeal to the Center of Community Standards (CCS). On the 21st calendar day, your instructor's decision becomes final, and no appeals may be submitted. You may submit an appeal for the following reasons:

  1. You believe that you did not violate the academic integrity policies at Washington State University.
  2. You believe that the academic penalties given to you by your instructor are not in alignment with your instructor's class syllabus or policies.

If you submit an appeal, CCS schedules an Academic Integrity Hearing Board (AIHB) and will send you an email to your WSU account with information about who will review your appeal, and on what date they will review your appeal.

If you do not submit an appeal within the appeal window and this is your first academic integrity violation. CCS will send you an email to your WSU account and ask you to schedule a Conduct Officer meeting. If you do not schedule a Conduct Officer meeting, one will be scheduled for you.

Step 4a: Academic Integrity Hearing Board

 The Academic Integrity Hearing Board (AIHB) will review all information submitted in your instructor's report to the Center for Community Standards (CCS) and all information submitted in your appeal to CCS. The AIHB will then decide:

  1. If you violated academic integrity policies at Washington State University and,
  2. If your instructor followed the class syllabus or policies when giving you an academic penalties.

You will receive an email to your WSU account once the AIHB makes a new decision. This email is also sent to your instructor and the chair or dean of your academic program.

If the AIHB decides, you did violate academic integrity, and this is your first academic integrity violation. CCS will send you an email to your WSU account and ask you to schedule a Conduct Officer meeting. If you do not schedule a Conduct Officer meeting, one will be scheduled for you.

If the AIHB decides, you did not violate academic integrity. CCS then closes the case, and the instructor must grade your assignment as if no violation occurred and may not assign you academic penalties related to this incident.

Step 4b: Conduct Officer Meeting

If you do not appeal your instructor's decision or if an AIHB decides you did violate academic integrity polices at Washington State University. CCS will send you an email to your WSU account and ask you to schedule a Conduct Officer meeting. If you do not schedule a Conduct Officer meeting, one will be scheduled for you.

The purpose of meeting with a Conduct Officer is to:

  1. Discuss what happened that led to you being found responsible and,
  2. Discuss ways in which to avoid this occurring again and,
  3. Your Conduct Officer will assign you an educational sanction.

Submit an Appeal

If your instructor has found you responsible for violating academic integrity policies at Washington State University, and you disagree with their decision. You may submit an appeal of your instructor's decision to the Center for Community Standards (CCS).

Submit an Appeal for an Academic Integrity Decision

Still have questions?

Please contact us if you need help at any point.