End of Semester Academic Integrity Reminders

Dear Colleagues, 

As we approach the final weeks of the spring term, we are writing to remind everyone of the importance of promptly addressing and submitting reports of violations of UNH’s Academic Integrity policy when a grade penalty was issued. Timely reporting of formal resolutions (as defined by the policy) is critical to ensuring that all cases are managed effectively and fairly, while also upholding the standards of integrity that guide our academic community. 

While the policy does not specify a deadline for faculty to meet with students and report formal resolutions, addressing alleged violations promptly allows cases to be processed in a timely manner. Submitting formal violations promptly also benefits students by ensuring they can address the issue while the details of the incident are still fresh in their minds. Ideally, reports would be submitted no more than ten (10) days after faculty make a decision to assign a formal grade penalty. When too much time has passed, students may struggle to recall specifics or fully engage in the process, which can hinder their ability to reflect and learn from the experience. If violations occur on final projects or exams, if at all possible , it is ideal to submit the report prior to posting final grades for the course.  

As a reminder, if you observe a violation, you should offer to schedule a meeting with the student to inform the student of the alleged violation, share the evidence for the alleged violation, give them the opportunity to respond, and decide the appropriate course of action. All formal resolutions (any matters where a student is given a grade penalty) should be reported to the Office of Community Standards. The Office of Community Standards is also available for consultation on alleged violations at any point in the process. Informal resolutions (e.g. redoing the assignment, re-writing a portion of the assignment) are also an option available to faculty as deemed appropriate when the factors surrounding the violation are mitigating.  

For those concerned about student’s use of AI on course activities that conflict to policies outlined in syllabus/assignment, please use caution using AI detection software (including Turnitin) due to its frequent inaccuracies (for more info see the detection section of AI Basics). 
 
Thank you for your continued dedication to fostering a culture of academic integrity at UNH. 

Best regards, 

Matt MacManes
Interim Vice Provost Academic Affairs

Mike Blackman
Dean of Students