Referring an Academic Integrity Case

Academic Integrity Incident Report Form

Referrals generally fall into two categories: academic integrity and/or behavioral misconduct.

Please direct all questions and referrals regarding academic misconduct to the Director of Academic Integrity, CAB 111, (615) 898-2715. 

All behavioral misconduct referrals should be directed to the Office of Student Conduct.

All referrals require DOCUMENTATION. Documentation should include the student’s full name, M number, phone number, and the relevant details describing the behavior in question. The documentation must also include the name and current contact information for the person referring the student for discipline.

All referrals do not end up becoming DISCIPLINARY CASES. A referral means that the matter will be reviewed and may result in a disciplinary case being opened against a student. The Office of Academic Affairs does not open cases against faculty members or professional staff members unless those people are also students at the institution.

ALL Academic Integrity referrals must use the above form to submit a referral to the Director of Academic Integrity.

The submitted form must include a copy of the academic work in question as well as any supporting evidence to substantiate the claim of academic integrity violation.

  • Plagiarism referrals must include a copy of the sources suspected of being used improperly and/or the Turnitin report.
  • Cheating referrals must include a copy of the academic exercise in question and the information used to cheat and/or evidence of how the student assisted another student to commit academic misconduct.
  • Facilitation referrals must include a copy of the academic exercise in question and the evidence of falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
  • The referring faculty member assigns neither a grade on the referred academic exercise, nor a final grade for the course, pending the resolution of the case (if the referred exercise will affect the final grade). If a grade needs to be submitted at the end of the semester, a referred student will receive a temporary grade of "incomplete" (I) until the case is resolved.
  • Grade penalties are at the sole discretion of the faculty member. The Director of Academic Integrity does not recommend or issue grade penalties.
  • If a student is found responsible for committing an academic integrity violation, they are awarded a disciplinary sanction and the grade penalty the professor issues. 
  • If a student REFUTES a charge of academic integrity, then the case is referred to the University Academic Integrity Committee for resolution. The faculty member will be called as a witness for the university to explain the circumstances surrounding the referral. This hearing will be coordinated by the Director of Academic Integrity.
  • When a case is resolved, the Director of Academic Integrity will email the referring faculty member to inform them that the case is resolved and that the grade can be determined by the faculty member.