{"id":171,"date":"2025-06-25T13:04:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T13:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academic-affairs\/?page_id=171"},"modified":"2026-03-27T19:34:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T19:34:22","slug":"faculty-asked-questions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/academic-affairs\/faculty-asked-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Faculty Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Guidelines and policies shared on this page align with the most current version of the SMCM Faculty Handbook. If there are differences between this page and the faculty handbook, please reach out to the Office of the Associate VP for Academic Affairs.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/strong>Academic<\/strong> <\/strong>Misconduct<\/strong><\/h2><\/div><\/div>
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\u201cAll students are expected to uphold the highest ideals of academic integrity throughout their career at St. Mary\u2019s\u201d (Article III, Judicial Procedures for Academic Misconduct, \u201cThe Student Code and Student Rights and Responsibilities,\u201d To the Point<\/em>).<\/p>\n

The Office of the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs (AVPAA) is responsible for upholding the Judicial Procedures for Academic Misconduct<\/a>, which is included in the Student Handbook, To the Point<\/em><\/a>. The AVPAA collaborates with the Academic Judicial Board (AJB) if a hearing is required for a particular situation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>

When do I need to report academic misconduct?<\/h3><\/i><\/div>

The Judicial Procedures for Academic Misconduct outline the four principle types of misconduct, though other types of misconduct may be reported. Incidents should be reported when documentation offers \"a preponderance of evidence;\" a \u2018hunch\u2019 or \u2018strong suspicion\u2019 is likely insufficient for officially reporting the incident to the Office of the APVAA.When in doubt, instructors should consult with the AVPAA.<\/p>\n

While faculty are obliged to report any cases of misconduct, there is considerable leeway in addressing the incident. An in-course penalty may range from a verbal warning to failing the course.<\/strong> For more complex matters (multiple students involved in cheating, a strongly-contested incident for which the instructor feels certain the student is responsible), the instructor may opt to request a hearing by the Academic Judicial Board (AJB). The decision to call the hearing is at the discretion of the AVPAA.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

How Do Faculty Report Misconduct?<\/h3><\/i><\/div>

As of Fall 2025, reports are<\/strong> submitted directly to the Maxient portal<\/a>. The questions at the Maxient portal directly mirror what has previously been used on the paper form.<\/p>\n

Attachments up to 5GB can be included in the submission, though it may take a while to fully upload. Important:<\/strong> At the bottom of the form, before you click submit<\/em><\/strong>, verify that the small box \"Email me a copy of this form\" is already selected. (check the box if not). You will then receive copy of your answers to then share with the student (this becomes the \"copy\" of the original submission form instructors gave in the manual method). Any materials used to document the misconduct can also be given to the student electronically.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

What is the Instructor\u2019s Purview?<\/h3><\/i><\/div>

It\u2019s the instructor's prerogative to initially decide the following, to be noted on the incident report:<\/p>\n