Students under investigation or determined to have committed an academic offense may not withdraw from the course. If a student withdraws, the Registrar will reinstate the student in the course.
Students are welcome to contact the Academic Ombud with any questions. We can be reached via email at ombud@uky.edu, phone at (859) 257-3737, and are available for drop-in visits in room 109, Bradley Hall.
In the event an instructor suspects a student may have plagiarized or cheated, the instructor will invite the student to meet with the course instructor and the department chair (or designee) to ask the student how they completed the work in question. Students have seven (7) days to respond to the invitation to schedule a meeting with the instructor and chair.
After the meeting, or if a student does not respond within seven (7) business days, the instructor may determine whether the evidence supports an academic offense.
If the evidence does not support an academic offense occurred:
The instructor will inform the student no offense was found.
If instructions or a syllabus policy were not followed, the instructor may let the student know their grade on the assignment will be reduced.
If the evidence supports that the action is an offense:
The chair will contact the Registrar to ask if the student has a prior penalty so that the appropriate penalty can be imposed. The regulations require harsher penalties for subsequent offenses. Here is the list of possible penalties.
The instructor will inform the student via email and mail of the penalty (zero on assignment or failure in course) as soon as possible after the meeting.
However, if the penalty to be imposed is harsher than failure in the course, the instructor will forward the case to a Hearing Panel for a Academic Offense Hearing. The Hearing Panel will determine the proper penalty.