Mediated Discussion

If the student disputes the charges, if the student decides to rescind the signed acknowledgement form, or if the instructor refers the alleged violation directly to the vice president for student affairs, the vice president will assign a mediator to schedule and conduct a facilitated discussion. The student will receive written notification of the date and time of the facilitated discussion by certified mail, while the instructor will receive written notification via email and interoffice mail. The facilitated discussion will be held no less than five nor more than fifteen days after the student reasonably should have received written notification by certified mail. The vice president has the discretion to extend maximum time limits for the scheduling of the mediated discussion.

The faculty member, student who was believed to have violated the policy, and the mediator are the only participants in the facilitated discussion session. Other participants, including legal counsel, are excluded from attending mediated discussion sessions. Furthermore, these sessions may not be recorded. The faculty member and student may reach an agreement about the appropriate consequence(s) for a dishonesty violation keeping in mind that the process should be educational for the student who violated the policy yet fair to other students who have honestly completed the academic work. At the conclusion of the mediated discussion, the instructor, student, and mediator will sign a completed copy of the Mediated Discussion agreement form.

The mediator is responsible for:

• Providing the student and instructor with all documents pertaining to the alleged violation.
• Presenting and explaining the evidence of the academic honesty violation to the student.
• Completing a mediated discussion agreement form.
• Informing the student of his or her right to rescind the signed agreement form by submitting a written statement to this effect to the vice president for student affairs within five business days of the mediated discussion session.
• Sending a copy of the completed and signed agreement form to the vice president for student affairs within three business days of the meeting with the student.

The student has the right to rescind a facilitated discussion agreement by notifying the vice president for student affairs within five days from the date the agreement form is signed. If the agreement is rescinded, a student judiciary committee will be convened to determine if the academic dishonesty occurred and if so, to assign the appropriate sanction(s) for the violation.