Reporting Academic Misconduct

Frequently Asked Questions About Reporting

Here are some commonly asked questions about reporting and our suggestions:

What if you have suspicions but you're not sure?
If you suspect academic misconduct, gather the available information and documents. If possible, discuss your concern with the student(s) involved before referring to see if the student can explain what happened. In talking to students:
- Use a non-confrontational approach (don't accuse or blame); avoid calling the student a "cheater" or "plagiarist".
- Tell the student you have questions about the work (for example, their test has answers to a different version of the exam) and that because of this, you must refer the case to OSSJA for review, as required by campus rules.
- Caution students that they don't have to say anything but if they do respond, they must tell the truth; providing false information to you or in the discipline process is a separate violation.
- Explain that the OSSJA process is informal and fair, and reassure the student that they will have a full opportunity to tell their side -- and if no agreement can be reached, a formal hearing will be held.
- Contact OSSJA if you have questions about the process or whether you should report a particular incident.
When should I report?
If the student denies responsibility and you are persuaded that there was no academic misconduct, that ends the matter. If, however, the student admits to the violation, or if the student denies the misconduct but you still have suspicions, refer the matter to OSSJA. Referrals to OSSJA for suspected student misconduct must be sent to OSSJA within 30 business days after the end of the quarter in which the alleged misconduct was discovered.
How do I report?
You can file reports online.
Where do I report?
Please utilize the public report form above. If you are unable to submit electronically, you can also deliver or mail reports to: OSSJA / Room 3200 Dutton Hall / One Shields Ave. / Davis, CA / 95616. Please mark all referrals "Confidential."
What happens when you report a student?
Once OSSJA receives a written report, the student is informed by email of the referral and instructed to schedule an appointment with a specific Judicial Officer at OSSJA to discuss the case. At this meeting, the student is provided with information about the disciplinary process and the reasons for the referral, and is given an opportunity to respond. OSSJA will let you know the student's response. If the student admits responsibility, possible resolutions are discussed separately with the student and with you. Neither you nor any student witness will become involved in a formal hearing unless you so choose. In the majority of cases, the student admits to the misconduct and the case is resolved through this informal process with the student signing a written contract taking responsibility for the violation and accepting disciplinary sanctions and educational assignments. OSSJA will keep you informed of the progress of the case, and will consult with you before reaching an agreement with the student.
What about the student's grade?
If a student admits to the misconduct or is found in violation at a formal hearing, Academic Senate Regulation 550 authorizes the instructor to give the student an "F" for the course, regardless of how many points the paper, exam, lab, etc. was worth. The instructor may instead choose to give the student a zero for that particular piece of work only, or to give the student some other grade penalty (for example, reducing the student's final letter grade from a B to a C). No grade penalty may be imposed until the student admits to the misconduct or is found in violation after a hearing.
What if grades must be submitted before the student's case is resolved?
If a disciplinary matter is unresolved at the end of the quarter, submit a grade of "Y" for the student on the grade report form. This is just a "place-holder grade"; once the matter is resolved by agreement or hearing, OSSJA will notify you and provide a link to the Registrar's Grade Change page.
What if the student doesn't respond to OSSJA?
If the student doesn't respond, administrative holds are placed that prevent the student from adding or dropping classes, enrolling for the next quarter's classes, etc. Although ultimately effective, holds can sometimes take a frustratingly long time -- especially if the student has already signed up for the following quarter's classes. However, most students come in before OSSJA needs to place holds on them.
What discipline is imposed?
Disciplinary sanctions include Censure/Warning, Disciplinary Probation, Deferred Separation, Suspension and Dismissal, from least to most severe. In addition, most students also receive one or more "educational sanctions," such as community service, workshops on how to cite and paraphrase correctly, or an Academic Integrity Seminar. In general, students are not removed from the University for first -time violations, although this happens on occasion if the misconduct is exceptionally egregious. Most first violations are resolved with Disciplinary Probation and community service, although a Censure/Warning may be issued in some situations and Deferred Separation in others. A second violation generally results in either Deferred Separation and an online Academic Integrity Seminar or Suspension from the University for some number of quarters. Suspension or Dismissal is usually sought by the University for second violations aggravated because they involve premeditation, conspiracy, theft of another's work, or other egregious academic dishonesty. For third violations, suspension or dismissal is imposed. Suspension and dismissal are noted on transcripts, and records are retained indefinitely. Other sanctions do not appear on transcripts and disciplinary files are maintained until graduation only. All disciplinary records are confidential. The discipline imposed is designed to help the student learn from the experience, to promote fairness and honesty, and to uphold UC Davis' high academic standards. Students are often referred to campus resources such as the Academic Assistance and Tutoring Centers or Student Health and Counseling Services to help ensure that they do not repeat their misconduct.
What if the student denies the violation?
If a student denies the violation, you and the Judicial Officer will discuss whether there is enough evidence to refer the case on to a formal hearing before a student-faculty panel of the Campus Judicial Board. You will be consulted before any decision is made to dismiss a case or refer it for a hearing. Only about 5% of all cases reported to OSSJA go on to formal hearings; the vast majority are resolved informally by mutual agreement.

Edited on 2/7/2019 by slh

One of the responsibilities delegated to faculty by the UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct is to report suspected academic misconduct to the Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs. It is important that all instructors utilize our centralized disciplinary system in order to ensure consistency -- and therefore fairness -- in the handling of academic misconduct, and to catch repeat offenders. Many instructors have indicated that they appreciate this system as it allows them to focus on their teaching and research rather than being distracted by disciplinary matters.

If you suspect academic misconduct on any graded work that a student submits, you may talk with the student about your concerns before referring them to OSSJA but you are not required to do so. If you do speak with the student and continue to believe that cheating or plagiarism occurred, don't let the student dissuade you from reporting the incident. You may need to remind the student that instructors are required to report suspected academic misconduct. Whether to inform the student (either directly or via email) that you have referred them to OSSJA, is also up to you.

If you are unsure whether to report a particular incident, feel free to call our office (530-752-1128) to consult with a Judicial Officer.

Before You Submit a Report

The more evidence you submit to support the report, the more likely it is that the student will admit to the misconduct if in violation. While this requires more time at the front-end of a referral, in the end it saves time by reducing the number of meetings and emails necessary to resolve the issue and by reducing the possibility that the case will need to be referred on to a formal hearing. Additionally, if the case does need to go on to a formal hearing, you will already have done most of the work necessary to prepare the case. Tips:

Be sure to include the accused student's name and student ID#, your name and contact information, and a brief description of the suspected misconduct.
If you or your TAs saw suspicious conduct, have each witness write up a statement of what they observed and add that to the report.
If you have collected unauthorized materials, retain and review the notes/books/devices to see if they contain information relevant to the subject of the exam. Talk to OSSJA about whether any books or electronic devices must be returned to the student before the student meets with OSSJA.
Review suspect exams for evidence of cheating (for example: a correct answer with insufficient or no supporting work; a pattern of identical, wrong answers with the student sitting next to them; the correct answers for the other version of the exam; etc.)
Where plagiarism is the issue, please submit the student's paper and, if known, the source/s from which the student plagiarized. You can save us a significant amount of time if you correlate the plagiarism in the paper with the location in the source using a simple system of some kind (For example: A on paper = A marked on article. Or note in margin: "see [give link], page 587, paragraph 4.)
Please retain a copy of all documents submitted to OSSJA.

Submitting a Report

Reports of academic (or social) misconduct may be submitted to OSSJA by any of the following means:

1. Online Reporting

Online reporting is encouraged. Once you have submitted a report, you will see a confirmation screen indicating that your report was successfully submitted to OSSJA. You will then receive an email with an assigned case number unique to your case.

2. Emailed, Mailed or Delivered to OSSJA

Alternatively, reporting parties may:

Email us: ossja@ucdavis.edu
Mail it: OSSJA / 3200 Dutton Hall / UC Davis / One Shields Avenue / Davis, CA / 95616
Deliver it: OSSJA / 3200 Dutton Hall

Edited on 2/7/2019 by slh