Academic dishonesty is a real and pervasive problem in higher education. When your professor informs you that they believe you cheated, refer to the following steps.
- Meet with your Professor
- The first thing you should do is meet with the professor to discuss the circumstances. Understand that such conversations are difficult for you and your teacher. No faculty member wants to accuse someone of cheating, and no student wants to stand accused. If you did engage in behavior inconsistent with academic integrity, you should acknowledge the mistake and be willing to accept the consequences.
- The violation will be filed with the Provost’s Office
- Regardless of the outcome of your discussion, an Honor Code Violation Report will be filed with the Provost’s Office. This report will not affect you unless you are found to be academically dishonest.
- Applicable Penalties
- Under current Hofstra policy the penalty for academic integrity violations is determined by the instructor. Many faculty calibrate the punishment to their understanding of the severity of the violation. Normally, it will result in some reduction in the grade for the work and/or the course as a whole. Depending on the offense, and on the professor’s policies you should expect to receive some penalty up to and including an F for the course. If this is a first offense the penalty assigned by the instructor is normally the extent of the punishment. Second offenses are treated much more severely and may include additional sanctions assigned by the school’s dean or the Provost's office.
- Appeal (if applicable)
- If you have been penalized and would like to appeal, you have a fixed period of time in which to appeal the violation. To appeal, a written notification must be submitted to the Office of the Provost. Appeals can be sent to provost@hofstra.edu within seven days of receiving the notification.
For more detailed procedures, refer to the Policies and Procedures webpage.