11.9. Reporting Suspected Violations of the Honor Code

Honor code cases are initiated by filing a “Report of Suspected Honor Code Violation” (or simply “Report”). Any member of the University community can file a report against any student, either full-time or part-time, in any academic program.

The report form is available online (at O:\Public\Forms as well as https://conduct.oglethorpe.edu/honor-code/student/ (student reporting form) and https://conduct.oglethorpe.edu/honor-code/faculty/ (faculty reporting form). A copy of the report will also be sent to any person via e-mail by sending a request to [email protected]. The report contains all instructions necessary for successful filing.

Reports can be filed with the provost, the associate provost, the honor council secretary, any division chair, the registrar, the vice president for campus life, the dean of students, any member of the office of campus life, or the dean of student success. Additionally, students may file reports with their academic advisor and, if applicable, with the professor in whose class the alleged infraction occurred.

By a simple majority vote, an investigatory or judicial panel can recommend filing a report of suspected honor code violation against persons for various reasons, including but not limited to: Persons who allegedly testify untruthfully before the panel; Persons who fail to testify before the panel after having been duly summoned (and in lieu of some last-minute emergency or other compelling reason); Individuals who develop as potential additional accused persons as pre-existing cases are investigated. Generally it will be the secretary who files reports on behalf of the investigatory or judicial panel. Whenever that happens, the secretary must recuse him/herself from the subsequent adjudication process deriving from any new accusations. The secretary will appoint an experienced faculty member of the honor council to serve as secretary in his/her stead during any subsequent adjudication procedures. Further, control will pass to the full honor council not involved in any of the original casework.

In instances where individuals develop as potential additional accused persons during the investigation or adjudication of a case, it may be more appropriate for the secretary to simply pass the new evidence back to the original reporting party for further action on his/her part rather than to file a report of suspected honor code violation on the part of the honor council. The secretary is authorized to confer with the original reporting party (or other parties, as appropriate) in order to make them aware of any new evidence or suspicions.

Persons receiving reports of suspected honor code violation should act immediately to preserve all relevant artifacts and to interview the person filing the report, making a written summary of that conversation immediately afterward. All reports, evidence and records of interviews are to be forwarded to the honor council secretary as soon as practicable.

Receipt of a signed report of suspected honor code violation by the secretary will automatically trigger the beginning of the adjudication process, as described in the next sections.