Student conduct issues such as academic integrity violations and/or non-academic violations are reported to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. The office administers the Student Code of Conduct (Section 41301, Title 5 California Code of Regulations) and has a student disciplinary process to handle such incidents.

Faculty alleging student(s) of violating the Academic Integrity Policy should do the following:

1. Inform the student(s) about the alleged violation (e.g. plagiarism, cheating, and unauthorized collaboration) and request a meeting with the student(s) to discuss the incident. If a meeting with the student(s) is not possible, the faculty should inform the student(s) about the alleged violation via e-mail.


2. When communicating with the student(s), the faculty should give the student(s) an opportunity to respond to the allegation, provide the student(s) with an appropriate grade as a result of the violation (if the faculty still believes a violation occurred), and inform the student(s) that the alleged violation will be reported to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for additional disciplinary actions.


3. To report an alleged violation of academic integrity, faculty should complete the Academic Integrity Violation Reporting Form (found on the OSRR website) and summit it to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (mail stop: 44 CAF) with supporting evidence.
   
   
   1. Supporting evidence may include:
      • Copy of any communication with the student(s)
      • Copy of syllabus, assignment, exam, paper, etc.
      • Copy of turnitin.com or SafeAssign report
      • Copy of any additional evidence

If you believe cheating is occurring during an exam, discreetly stop the behavior (e.g., confiscate the unauthorized aid, separate the collaborators, etc.) and identify the involved student(s) for yourself, but allow the student(s) to complete the exam. This is less disruptive to the other students in class, and, if it is later determined that a violation did not occur, it simplifies assigning a grade. When a suspected violation concerns unauthorized materials, retain the materials as evidence. One way to prevent cheating during an exam is to have a proctor present.

The internet has facilitated the accessibility of information for many students which also increases the ease of plagiarism. Similar to students, faculty can also use the internet as a plagiarism resource. Faculty can type in a student’s questionable sentence into a popular search engine and land a match. Other resources available through CSUB include SafeAssign, which is a feature on BlackBoard, and Turnitin.com, which is accessible through the Faculty Teaching and Learning Center. Both programs facilitate the detection of plagiarism.

In an incident in which there are multiple parties, you may determine that there are differing levels of accountability. If so, assess grade sanctions accordingly to the students and refer the incident to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities by completing the Academic Integrity Violation Reporting Form (available on the OSRR website). You may also consult with the OSRR at 654-2680 prior to taking any actions.

University personnel have options for responding to a disruptive student, such as initiating a private conversation with the student, giving the student a verbal warning, or giving the student a written warning. When informal interventions prove inadequate, you may consult with the department chair, the Counseling Center, University Police, and/or the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

If an individual exhibits behavior that poses immediate danger to himself/herself, is a risk to others, or makes violent threats, immediately contact the University Police Department at 654-2111.

When addressing difficult or sensitive matters concerning student behavior, you have several campus departments and resources available for consultation:

Behavioral Assessment and Response Team (BART)
BART was assembled to be a central place for the campus community to report any dangerous, concerning, or uncivil behavior on campus. Campus members should use the Incident Reporting Form to report such behaviors. The reporting form and contact information for BART members is available at www.csub.edu/bart.

University Police Department: (661) 654-2111
If an individual exhibits behavior that poses immediate danger to himself/herself, is a risk to others, or makes violent threats, immediately contact the University Police Department.

Counseling Center: (661) 654-3376

Student Health Center: (661) 654-2394

Even though a violation of University policy may seem obvious to the reporting individual, having a student disciplinary process in place is necessary to protect the rights of the alleged student(s). The need for a disciplinary process comes from the judicial interpretation of the guaranteed due process right under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. An allegation is considered an assertion that a student has violated a University policy. Whether or not that assertion is true is a fact to be established, not assumed, even when such an assumption seems quite reasonable.