A violation of the Academic Honesty Policy is a serious offense. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to: a lowered grade, failure on the examination or assignment in question, failure in the course, probation, suspension, or expulsion from the University of Houston, or a combination of these. A sanction of probation or suspension are noted on the student’s transcript. Notations of expulsion because of academic honesty are a permanent part of a student’s transcript.  Students are not permitted enrollment under sanctions of suspension and expulsion.

An academic honesty violation can result in denial of security clearances and may prevent admission into law, medical, and professional schools.

Students may not receive a 'W' for courses in which they have been found guilty of a violation of the Academic Honesty Policy.

If you have no previous Academic Honesty violations and if the recommended sanction is less severe than probation, you may be eligible for a waiver (also called Waiver of Departmental Hearing). This is not to be confused with a Waiver of Automatic College Hearing. A departmental hearing waiver is a document that you, the faculty member, and the departmental hearing officer must sign. By signing the departmental hearing waiver, you acknowledge the Academic Honesty Violation, and all parties agree to accept the recommended sanction.

A Waiver of Automatic College Hearing exists for students who wish to accept a departmentally recommended sanction of suspension or expulsion and thereby waive the automatic college hearing. The sanction is then considered a college level decision. This specific waiver form is issued from the Dean of Students Office.

When agreeing to the waiver of departmental hearing , the departmental sanction you agreed to accept will be assessed against you. Sanctions may include reduced or zero credit for a test, a grade of 'F' in the course, etc. Your name will be placed on academic honesty case lists maintained by the department, college, and provost. An agreement to settle an academic honesty infraction via a waiver of the formal departmental hearing will not result in any record being kept that is reflected on the student’s transcript. Following graduation, you may request that your name be removed from the academic honesty case lists by submitting a request HERE .

When a case is resolved by departmental hearing the outcome may be appealed by either the student or instructor. The hearing officer may consider a broader range of sanctions including those that result in notation on transcript (probation, suspension, expulsion) and the student name remains on the case list and may not be removed after graduation.

An Academic Honesty Hearing is a hearing concerning an allegation of academic dishonesty. During a hearing the student and faculty member have the opportunity to present and discuss information in support of or against the allegation that the student has violated the academic honesty policy. 

Departmental hearings typically include the student, instructor and department hearing officer. College hearings include the student, instructor, hearing panel made up of faculty and students, and the college hearing officer.

If you are not eligible for a waiver (because you have a previous violation; because the suggested sanction is probation or greater; or because you, the departmental hearing officer, and the instructor cannot agree on the waiver), a departmental hearing will occur. You will have the opportunity to present documents and witnesses to the departmental hearing officer in support of your case. The departmental hearing officer will render a decision based on information presented at the hearing.

Yes. You may bring an individual for support. This person is not allowed to participate in the hearing. Additionally, you (or the faculty member) may bring individuals who have knowledge of the circumstances and who are prepared to testify. If you intend to bring someone to testify, you must inform the departmental hearing officer three class days prior to the hearing. You may also bring legal counsel. This legal counsel will be allowed to advise you but is not allowed to address the departmental hearing officer, the faculty member or any witness presented by you or the faculty member. If you wish to bring legal counsel, you must inform the departmental hearing officer three class days prior to the hearing so that a representative of the University of Houston legal counsel is also present.

Yes, at the hearing.

You may present this argument and relevant information at the departmental hearing.

Yes, at a departmental hearing you may ask questions relevant to your case.

Most hearings last 20-30 minutes. Few last longer than an hour.

In many cases, you will be informed at the conclusion of the hearing. In all cases, you will be informed in writing within three class days after the hearing.

All required written notices shall be addressed to the student via their UH email. It is the responsibility of the student to keep his/her destination email address up to date on his/her student record (https://accessuh.uh.edu). A notice properly addressed and so sent shall be presumed to have been received by the student.

A departmental hearing may result in a few different outcomes. The departmental hearing officer may decide that the violation did not occur and/or that no penalty should be assessed. On the other hand, the departmental hearing officer may decide that a violation did occur and impose a penalty ranging from reduced grade, zero on the assignment, F in the course, probation, suspension, expulsion, etc. The student name remains on the case list and may not be removed after graduation. Sanctions of probation, suspension and expulsion result in a notation on the student’s transcript.

When a case is resolved by departmental hearing the outcome may be appealed by either the student or instructor. Sanctions of suspension or expulsion are reviewed automatically in a college hearing unless such a hearing is waived.

Yes, both you and the instructor have equal right of appeal to a college-level Academic Honesty hearing panel made up of faculty and students. If you are found in violation of the academic honesty policy at a departmental hearing and the recommended sanctions are suspension or greater, a college level hearing is required. You may waive the college level hearing if you elect to accept the decision of the department.

If you fail to attend the departmental hearing, the case against you may be decided in your absence. You would still have the option to appeal the departmental decision/sanction to a college level hearing.

Students who admit to violating the academic honesty policy will want to carefully weigh a decision to appeal a departmental decision to the college-level Academic Honesty panel. If a departmental decision is appealed to the college level, a college hearing is scheduled. The case is heard before a panel of faculty and students and is a de novo hearing, a rehearing of the case, and may result in outcomes for the student that are different from the departmental level. The outcomes may or may not be to the advantage of the student. Depending on the case and hearing, the resulting sanctions may be the same, or less/more severe.

The hearing panel may consider the sanctions ranging from reduced grade, zero on the assignment, F in the course, probation, suspension, expulsion, etc. The student name remains on the case list and may not be removed after graduation. Sanctions of probation, suspension and expulsion result in a notation on the student’s transcript. The outcome of a college hearing may be appealed to the provost by either the student or instructor within five class days of the panel’s decision.

The Dean of Students Office is available to help students understand the process to make an informed decision.

You may appeal the penalty to the college level. A college-level hearing is a de novo hearing, a rehearing of the case, and may result in different outcomes for the student than what was decided at the departmental level. The range of sanctions include those that may result on a student’s transcript.

For more information on the college hearing please read Article 6 of the academic honesty policy.