Faculty Resources

When you believe that academic dishonesty has occurred, gather the relevant information that informs your decision, including the student’s exam or assignment material, verbal and written instructions for the exam/assignment, syllabus and class information provided Then, invite the student to meet with you. Present the information and your concerns, so that the student has the opportunity to understand and respond. Listen to the student’s response and consider the student’s explanation in relation to the information you have compiled. Some students may not respond to your requests to discuss the matter. That is okay, you have met your obligation by providing them the opportunity to discuss the issue. You can move forward with your decided action and referral to the HCO.

Although most students will take responsibility for their academic dishonesty, some may not. In making determinations of academic dishonesty, universities use a standard of a “preponderance of the information." This means that the behavior is more likely than not to have occurred. Some professors are hesitant to hold a student responsible for a behavior the student does not openly admit to or because the student provides an explanation that is “possible.” For example, two students live together, take an online 40-question exam at the same time, and answer the same questions correctly and incorrectly. No other students in the class have identical tests. You present this information and the students respond that they didn’t collaborate. They report that since they studied together, they chose the same answers. While this is ‘possible’, the statistical probability of this happening is so small that you should feel comfortable determining that these students violated the Academic Honesty Policy by working together on the exam.

Things to consider when making the decision on the appropriate grade impact

1. The consequences that have already been communicated through the syllabus or classroom instruction regarding acts of academic dishonesty. Be sure to follow through on whatever you have published or said, so that actions and consequences are reinforced. 

2. The type of assignment – Did the cheating take place on a weekly assignment, or did it take place on a semester project or exam? 
   
3. Fairness to the others in class. Some students comprehended the content and earned an A. Others struggled and earned a D. The student who violated the Academic Honesty Policy would have received a D, but instead earned a B. Would the academic penalty and any opportunity to retake/resubmit the assignment feel like a fair decision to other students that didn’t cheat and earned a D? 
   
4. The maturity of the student. Is this a first-year student taking a 100-level GE course, so their understanding of academic dishonesty and disciplinary standards and expectations is limited, or is this a senior capstone class that is meant to demonstrate a student’s full learning and culmination of all of their coursework? 

Communicate your decision to the student. Be direct and compassionate. Although you may feel disappointed or angry, strive to avoid interpreting the student’s behavior as a personal affront. We want students to feel supported as they experience the natural consequences of their actions.

The purpose of the Honor Code process is primarily educational. The focus of the process is working with students to understand, reflect, and recommit to the standards of the university that helps them succeed and thrive.


Per BYU’s Academic Honesty Policy, “In a case where academic dishonesty is determined to have occurred, the instructor must notify the Honor Code Office of the incident as a means of encouraging behavior change and discouraging repeat violations." The HCO is tasked with maintaining a record of all academic honesty violations. If a student has engaged in academic dishonesty in your class, it is possible that they are exhibiting similar behavior in other classes. The Honor Code Office is able to track academic violations across classes and semesters and work with students to address and correct their behavior.



To make a report online, go to honorcode.byu.edu and click “Make a Report.” You will be asked to provide the student’s name, a description of the incident or behavior, your decided academic action, and any supporting documentation. Please reach out to the Honor Code Office if you have any questions at 801-422-2847 or visit the office in person in WSC 4450.



When the HCO receives a report of academic dishonesty, the case will be assigned to an Honor Code Administrator. If you haven’t already spoken to an Honor Code Administrator regarding the matter, they will contact you by phone or email to make sure they understand the situation. Honor Code Administrators do not investigate the reported dishonesty or make judgements about whether academic dishonesty has occurred. They do not second-guess your determination or seek to influence the academic action you take.

The administrator will meet with the reported student. The purpose of that meeting is to:

1. Review the reported behavior, discuss the context, and implement an action plan, if needed, to assist the student in avoiding dishonesty in the future. 
   
2. Explain and clarify university policies, including the Academic Honesty Policy. If the student feels they were not made aware of the allegation of academic dishonesty and provided an opportunity to respond, or if the student disagrees with the faculty’s decision and wants to appeal, the student is referred back to the faculty member or department chair per the Student Academic Grievance policy.
   
3.  Depending upon the circumstances surrounding the acts of academic dishonesty, some students may be assigned an educational action plan. Although the action plan is catered to the specific needs of each student, it will often include the student completing an Academic Honesty module on Learning Suite. The module reviews types of academic dishonesty and provides tips and resources to assist students in avoiding academic dishonesty in the future. Further action may be taken if the student’s behavior is patterned or egregious. Examples of singular egregious behavior includes, but is not limited to paying someone else to complete coursework, uploading exams and projects to the internet which then facilitates the cheating of others, hacking into classroom management systems, and other complex pre-meditated plans to deceive. 

Students should complete their own coursework and be evaluated upon that work. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is a powerful tool that could be used to further the aims of a BYU education and augment learning. The sudden prominence of GenAI has led to many questions about when it is appropriate to use a GenAI service, including for academic purposes.

Professors should provide guidance on when GenAI should or should not be used. Students must ask their professor for permission if the professor has not already explicitly stated what is permitted. If the professor has not said anything about GenAI use for either the assignment or in the syllabus, assume that using GenAI is not permitted.

Please visit BYU’s GenAI website for more information on this tool.

The legal system generally recognizes faculty expertise and autonomy. It is important, however, that you are fair and consistent in how you grade work and interact with students. There may be concern if your responses to academic dishonesty show a discriminatory and/or inconsistent pattern. Familiarize yourself with the university’s policies and be sure to follow them. Note that students have the right to be given notice of allegations of academic dishonesty and to have the opportunity to respond to those allegations, and the HCO is tasked with maintaining a record of all reports of academic misconduct.

Yes. You can enter a W-E grade on the withdrawal form, which means the student was failing at the time of the withdrawal. Please contact the Registrar to make this designation. The HCO will also maintain a record of the academic misconduct and will address the behavior.

As a campus community we are instructed to “encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code.” We recommend that you let your students know at the beginning of the semester and in your syllabus your expectations for them to follow all aspects of the Honor Code, including Dress and Grooming Standards while in your class. It may be appropriate to remind them of that commitment throughout the semester.

While you are expected to report violations of the Academic Honesty Policy to the Honor Code Office, you do not have the same reporting obligation to report other Honor Code violations. Please discuss with your colleagues how you intend to address Dress and Grooming Standards in your class, so that students experience consistency across the department and/or college. The Honor Code Office staff regularly facilitates conversations with faculty, departments and colleges, and is happy to provide insights into strategies you may find useful.

Additionally, as you communicate expectations around Dress and Grooming standards or other Honor Code principles, and you find that a student is not changing their behavior, you are welcome to make a report to the Honor Code Office.

To make a report online, go to honorcode.byu.edu and click “Make a Report.” There you will provide the student’s name, a description of the incident or behavior, and any supporting documentation. As with any aspect of the Honor Code, we recommend you strive for consistency and keep in mind the ways that gender, race, and other variables may shape your responses and/or evaluation of dress and grooming standard violations. You can also call the Honor Code Office at 801-422-2847 to speak to an administrator or visit the office in person in WSC 4450.