Any person may file a complaint against a student for violation of the Student Code of Conduct. The complaint should be sent to OSI using the Academic Conduct Referral Form.  An OSI staff member may contact you during the investigation of the case for more information and to keep updated on the status of the process. Alternatively, the instructor of record for the course may hold a Faculty Conference (refer to Faculty Conference page for more information). The complaint should be submitted as soon as possible after the event takes place or when it is reasonably discovered, no later than thirty (30) business days following the discovery of the incident. In extraordinary circumstances, OSI may waive this timeline.

Communication

All communication (requests for meetings, notifications, notice of hearings, etc.) will be provided via official Institute e-mail addresses, as defined by the Office of Information Technology. If the Respondent is not currently enrolled, the notification will be sent via U.S. Postal Service to the last known address on file with the Registrar.

The case will be adjudicated by the Student Conduct Administrator or a Student Conduct Panel. The Respondent may state a preference for a decision to be rendered by the Student Conduct Administrator or by a Student Conduct Panel. The Respondent may also request that the case be adjudicated by a different Student Conduct Administrator than that initially authorized to hear the case in the event of perceived bias of the initially authorized official. The Student’s reasons for his/her preference must be conveyed to the Vice President of Student Engagement and Well-Being and Dean of Students, in writing, before the investigation begins. Ordinarily, the Student’s preference will be honored; however, the Vice President of Student Engagement and Well-Being and Dean of Students will make the final decision in his/her sole discretion. If the Student’s preference is not honored, the rationale for the decision will be provided to the Student in writing. The Vice President of Student Engagement and Well-Being and Dean of Students reserves the right to determine the process to be used based on the relevant facts and circumstances, including, but not limited to:

• imminent graduation of the student;
• end of the semester; or
• extraordinary circumstances.

The Honor Advisory Council (HAC) is made up of undergraduate and graduate students who are versed in the aspects of the Georgia Tech Honor Code and strive to improve honor awareness throughout the campus community. The Honor Advisors are also one-on-one resources for students and faculty with questions about academic conduct. This includes sensitive questions regarding the steps in the process that the Office of Student Integrity uses to investigate cases of questionable academic conduct. Regarding such issues, HAC does not take part in the investigation of any student. It is a confidential resource for any student or faculty member to ask their questions.

Honor Advisors advocate a campus culture of exemplary academic integrity through careful marketing. They give speeches, hold informational sessions, create events, and use other tools to spread the word about academic honor and integrity at Georgia Tech.

The main purpose of HAC is to achieve a more honorable academic environment at Georgia Tech through communication, collaboration, and action with students, faculty, and staff. More information can be found on their webpage.

Prior to your meeting, please familiarize yourself with the Student Code of Conduct, as well as any documentation or information provided by your Conduct Administrator. Prepare to provide a thorough, but concise, description of what happened during the incident from your perspective. Consider providing any relevant documents, as well as identifying any witnesses you believe might be helpful in determining what took place. Decide if you would like to bring an advisor to support you during the meeting. Additional guidance regarding the role of an advisor can be found in the Student Code of Conduct. Determine if you would like to request any accommodations. If you have an accommodation through the Office of Disability Services, contact them. Please contact your Conduct Administrator, or whomever has sent you the official OSI notification, directly with any questions you have prior to the meeting.

• Review of Student Rights
• Review of Information Submitted to OSI
• Case Resolution Preference

In cases where a student is found responsible for academic misconduct, students are given sanctions. Sanctions can affect a student's disciplinary status at Georgia Tech, could require educational activities to help them grow from the situation, and can impact their grade on the assignment and/or in the class where the violation took place.

More information can be found on the Academic Sanction Guidelines and on our Sanctions page.

Faculty will be notified pending the following outcomes:

• In the event the student does not appeal OSI's decision, faculty will be informed of the case resolution within 5 business days of student receipt.
• If a student chooses to appeal OSI's decision, faculty will be informed of the case resolution once all qualifying levels of appeal are complete.