(1) Reporting: Each member of the university community is responsible for supporting academic integrity standards. Any person who suspects a violation of these rules is expected to report their suspicion to the course instructor or other appropriate university official. Students are strongly encouraged to report suspected violations to the course instructor, the AVP, or other university official.

Throughout this chapter, the term "instructor" shall refer to the instructor or other university official who reports a suspected violation under this chapter.

A person who knowingly makes a false allegation that a violation of these rules has occurred, will be subject to disciplinary action as appropriate.

(2) Authority: The primary responsibility for bringing a charge of violating academic integrity standards rests with the instructor. Graduate assistants, teaching assistants, research assistants, student workers, exam proctors, online coordinators and any other persons who assist or support an instructor in teaching should report suspected violations of academic integrity standards to the instructor of record.

Instructors may be represented by their academic department chair in cases where the instructor is unavailable or otherwise unable to actively participate in the process.

(3) Contact student: If an instructor suspects that a violation has occurred, the instructor may elect to discuss the matter with the student or contact the student via email or other form of electronic communication prior to taking any other action.

(4) Instructor action: In response to a report or suspicion of violation of academic integrity standards, the instructor has the following options:

(a) Dismiss the matter: If the instructor concludes that there is no violation of these rules, the matter is over.

(b) Resolve internally (internal resolution): If the instructor believes that the student committed a class I violation of academic rules, the instructor may take one or more of the following actions without entering an official violation per subsection (5) of this section:

(i) Instruct the student on academic integrity standards and explain how the student failed to comply with those standards;

(ii) Allow the student to modify or redo the assignment; and/or

(iii) Provide the student with an educational opportunity to reiterate academic integrity (such as an assignment, research, course or tutorial on academic integrity).

If the student does not cooperate with the internal resolution, the instructor should initiate the formal academic integrity process by reporting the violation as described in subsection (5) of this section.

(c) Initiate the academic integrity process: If the instructor believes that the student violated academic integrity standards and internal resolution is not appropriate, the instructor shall initiate the academic integrity process by reporting the violation to the AVP per institutional practice.

(5) Report violation: To initiate an academic integrity action, the instructor provides information regarding the violation to the AVP, including:

(a) A description of the alleged violation;

(b) A summary of any conversations the instructor has had with the student regarding the violation;

(c) The sanction(s) imposed and/or recommended by the instructor; and

(d) The method of resolution desired by the instructor (i.e., summary process, AIB review, or AIB hearing).

When reporting the violation, the instructor may also submit documents (e.g., syllabus, test, essay, etc.) that are pertinent to the violation being reported. Alternatively, the instructor may elect to defer providing such documents unless or until the materials are later requested by the student, AVP, or the AIB.

Instructors should initiate this process within seven calendar days after becoming aware of the suspected violation. If the instructor attempted to contact the student via email or another form of electronic communication and the student is not responsive, the instructor should initiate the process up to seven calendar days after the first electronic communication. In cases where the student has agreed to certain conditions to resolve the matter internally, per subsection (4)(b) of this section, and the student has failed to comply with those conditions, the instructor may initiate the process up to seven calendar days after the student has failed to meet a resolution condition.

(6) AVP review. After a violation has been reported, the AVP will determine whether the summary process, AIB review process, or AIB hearing process will be used.

In cases where the student has any prior violation, the AVP must process the case for AIB review under WAC 172-90-160, or AIB hearing under WAC 172-90-170.