Accused. Now what?

Stanford’s high expectations for academic and personal conduct are guided by the university’s Honor Code and Fundamental Standard, respectively. Violations – such as cheating or plagiarism – are adjudicated through a process overseen by the Office of Community Standards. In this Q&A, Associate Director of OCS Tiffany Gabrielson explains what happens when a possible violation is reported to her office.

Stanford students can be reported to the Office of Community Standards for violations such as cheating. (Image credit: Getty Images)

What happens when a student is reported to the Office of Community Standards (OCS)?

A student can be reported to OCS for violating the Honor Code (academic integrity) or the Fundamental Standard (personal integrity). Once a student is reported to OCS, a staff member will notify the student and then a judicial advisor (JA) will meet with the student to begin the adjudication process. The student will then have the option to meet with a judicial officer (JO), who conducts an investigation and decides whether to issue a formal charge. The role of the JA is to advise all parties (the reporting party, responding students, witnesses, panelists, etc.) on the judicial process, while the role of the JO is to be a neutral investigator who collects all evidence related to the concern. These individuals will continue with the case through completion, and an important goal of both of these roles is to make the judicial process as fair, transparent and effective as possible.

Who determines if a student is responsible for a violation? And how?

While the JO investigates a specific concern, it’s important to note that the JO is not a “prosecutor.” When determining whether to issue a formal charge, the JO looks at all the evidence and files a charge if the JO determines a fair-minded panelist could find the allegations to be true beyond a reasonable doubt. If a charge is brought forth, the student can either accept responsibility through a shortened process that results in a probationary-type sanction, or they can contest it.

Do students get representation?

Every responding student and reporting party has the option of being connected with a judicial counselor. Judicial counselors are trained, current or former panel members who provide confidential advice and guidance. Furthermore, both the responding student and the reporting party have the right to have a person of their choice accompany them throughout the investigative process. However, the expectation is that this person offers support and advice to the person they are with, but does not speak on their behalf. This support person could be a friend, family member or any individual they trust. I’ve seen students bring staff members they know from other experiences at Stanford as their support person, such as residence deans or academic advisors.

If a student is found responsible, who determines the sanction?

All cases resolved through the early resolution option, or ERO, include a one-quarter suspension held at abeyance through the end of the student’s terminal degree. That means the student is given a quarter of suspension that does not take effect unless the student has another violation. Furthermore, the JO will add additional sanctions that appropriately address the violation, such as community service or a seminar about academic integrity. If the student has no subsequent violations during his or her time at Stanford, then the “suspended” suspension from the first violation is never served. If there is another violation, then that quarter suspension is added on top of whatever sanction is appropriate in the next case.

Sanctions determined by a judicial panel are decided in accordance with what has been done in the past (i.e. precedent) and the Student Conduct Penalty Code. The standard sanctions for a first-time violation of the Honor Code is a one-quarter suspension and 40 hours of community service. There is no ordinary sanction for many Fundamental Standard violations because of the range of behaviors covered by this university policy. However, during the sanctioning phase of a hearing, the JA provides panelists with precedent for the panel to take into account when making a determination.

If a student is reported and/or penalized, are his or her parents notified?

No. A responding student has the right to have his or her identity and the circumstances of the allegations kept confidential (except in specific circumstances identified in the Bylaws.) All parties, including panelists, are expected to respect the confidential nature of the OCS process.

If a student is found responsible, are awards, scholarships or financial aid affected?

Each student’s circumstances are different, but generally, awards, scholarships and financial aid are not directly impacted. If students are suspended then their awards and scholarships might be impacted, and this is particularly true in the case of athletes or international students. Other situations where a student’s benefits might be impacted include when the scholarship, aid or award is tied to maintaining certain targets, such as a particular GPA. All students are encouraged to consult early on with their advisors if they have concerns regarding how potential sanctions could affect them. When determining appropriate sanctions, panelists can also take into account any impact that a sanction would have on the individual student, and students are encouraged to provide the panel with supporting evidence detailing the potential impact.