Academic Integrity

To report a violation of academic integrity complete our online reporting form here.

At Rutgers, standards of due process dictate that: 

• A student accused of violating the Academic Integrity Policy is entitled to a Academic Integrity Review Meeting.
• Students are entitled to see/hear and respond to any evidence or testimony used against them. Upon request, the student may be sent the evidence that exists in their case file.
• The student has the right to remain silent and is not obligated to provide information during the disciplinary process.
• The student is entitled to the assistance of a Campus Advisor and the presence of a support person.

1. An accused student has the right to appeal any finding and/or sanction. The student must submit an appeal form and any supporting documentation to the Campus Appeals Committee (CAC) within ten (10) working days of the decision. The appeal form can be found here. The complainant, the investigator, and the Presiding Officer (if any) have the right to respond to the student’s appeal.

2. A student may appeal based on:

• Unsupported conclusion: The decision made by the conduct officer, faculty member, AIF, or University Hearing Board is not supported by the facts of the case.
• Procedural error: The adjudication process did not conform with prescribed procedure. The error must have substantially impacted the outcome.
• Disproportionate sanction: The sanction imposed on the student is grossly disproportionate to the severity of the violation.
• New information: There is new information previously unavailable or unknown at the time of the initial decision. The new information must be sufficient to alter the outcome.

3. Appeals are considered only on the basis of the written record. The CAC does not meet with any of the parties.

4. The CAC meets to consider the student’s appeal, the case file, and any statements submitted by the other parties.

5. The CAC may:

• Uphold the original finding and sanction.
• Overturn the original finding and sanction, in full or in part.
• Uphold the finding and modify the sanction.
• Remand the case to be re-heard (only in the case of substantial procedural error or significant new information).

6. The student is notified in writing of the committee’s decision.

7. If the original sanction does not include suspension, expulsion, or an XF grade, the Committee’s decision is final.

8. If the sanction affirmed by the CAC includes suspension, expulsion, or an XF grade, the final sanction is determined by the Chief Academic Integrity Officer (CAIO) for academic integrity.

9. The student is notified in writing of the CAIO’s decision (if applicable).

10. The appeal process is concluded, and the student’s final sanction is implemented. Sanctions are not implemented until all appeal options are exhausted. If a final course grade must be issued before the appeal process is complete, the student should receive a “TZ” grade.

If you are a student going through an academic integrity process and wish to have a Campus Advisor, you can contact the Office of Community Standards & Student Development at communitystandards@newark.rutgers.edu to request a Campus Advisor. 

The role of the Campus Advisor is to:

• Help the advisee understand the Academic Integrity process. 
• Provide objective advice.
• Support and guide the advisee.
• Guide the advisee in formulating and supporting their case (without doing the work for the advisee).
• Help the advisee prepare for a disciplinary proceeding, meeting, or an appeal.
• Accompany the advisee to meetings and other disciplinary proceedings.
• The main role of the Campus Advisor is to support students through the disciplinary process. The Campus Advisor may not represent any students, therefore may not speak during any investigative meetings and/or other disciplinary proceedings.

If you are going to have an Academic Integrity meeting or University Hearing, prepare to present your case. Before the meeting, you should:

• Obtain a Campus Advisor.
• Provide the Academic Integrity Facilitator (AIF) with the name(s) of your Campus Advisor and support person, if any.
• If you are the accused student, and would like someone (such as a family member or attorney) to have access to information about the case, submit a release form (available here) to the Office of Community Standards and Student Development.
• Develop a list of evidence that helps to prove your version of events. Provide the list and copies of your evidence to the assigned AIF by the submission deadline.
• Prepare your witnesses and submit your witness list to the AIF by the submission deadline.
• If you plan to make a statement in your defense, prepare a narrative. This is a full, detailed description of the incident in question and your version of events. You will introduce your evidence and witnesses when you present your narrative.
• Anticipate what the opposing party might say and prepare questions for them that will bring out information supporting your case.
• If your case will be heard at a University Hearing, prepare a closing statement (optional). This is a brief summary of the information you have presented and the conclusions you want the board to draw.
• In the event that the accused student is found responsible, the Hearing Board or decision-maker will determine a sanction. Prepare a statement recommending an appropriate sanction. If you are the accused student, you may wish to obtain written statements from character witnesses.* These statements may be introduced during the sanctioning portion of the meeting. If you are the complainant, you may introduce a victim impact statement.

* A character witness provides information about the accused student's background and character.

• Academic Integrity Policy
• Academic Integrity Flowchart
• Levels of Academic Integrity Violations
• Procedures for Adjudicating Academic Integrity Violations
• Information Sheet for Accused Students
• Information Sheet for Complainant

Initial Reporting Form

Final Reporting Form for Faculty (only submitted for cases where a faculty member has previously submitted a report and been approved to investigate)

Sample Academic Integrity letters

Investigation Report template

AIF checklist