Section VIII: Early Resolution Procedures

A. Early Resolution under the Honor Code. In participating academic units,^[FN41] a faculty member can propose early resolution of suspected Level I and II Honor Code violations (see Appendix I) directly to the student rather than refer the matter to the Honor Council. An instructor considering this option contacts the Director of CVRP (prior or subsequent to an initial conversation with the student under Sec. VII.C above) for guidance on the level of conduct at issue, the student’s eligibility for early resolution (which can be restricted due to previous Honor or serious Conduct violations), and the sanctions available (see Appendix I).

B. Early Resolution Proposals

1. Level I Violations. The instructor proposes a grade consequence and an educational requirement in accordance with Appendix I.

2. Level II Violations. The instructor proposes both a grade consequence and referral to the Honor Council for additional sanctions in accordance with Appendix I.

3. Level III Violations. Level III Violations are eligible for early resolution on a case-by-case basis determined by the Chair and a member of the CVRP staff. If deemed eligible, the incident will be referred to the Honor Council for a panel proceeding omn additional sanctions in accordance with Appendix I. If not, the incident will be referred to the Honor Council for investigation and, if necessary, a proceeding to resolve the matter.

C. Undergraduate Early Resolution Process

An instructor who chooses to offer Early Resolution informs the student of the student’s option to consult with CVRP staff and of the right to consult a student advisor prior to agreeing to the proposal.
An instructor who chooses to offer Early Resolution reports the proposal to CVRP.
CVRP will summarize the suspected violation(s) and proposed sanction in writing, and the student has one working day to decide whether to accept the instructor’s proposed resolution.
If the student agrees to the proposed resolution, CVRP will provide a copy of the agreement to the instructor, the Honor Council, and the student. The matter of the violation will then be resolved through the following steps, and no subsequent appeal is available (although the Respondent can appeal any additional sanction imposed by the Honor Council in Level II violations under Sec. VIII.B.1).

a. The Chair will convene an Early Resolution Panel consisting of the Presiding Chair and two Honor Council members.

b. The Respondent may request a student advisor (CHAP) to attend the meeting with the Early Resolution panel.

c. The Panel will meet with the Respondent and can consider information regarding the violation, but the primary focus of the proceeding is on issues regarding determining appropriate sanctioning and educational measures.
i. The Reporting Party may attend a portion of the panel to provide more information about the violation’s extent and harm created by the violation. If the Reporting Party declines to participate in the proceeding, the Presiding Chair may request additional information and/or documents (e.g., course syllabus or the assignment in question) regarding the violation if more information is necessary for a panel to make a sanction decision.

d. After meeting with the Respondent, the panel will write a sanctions rationale not later than the next working day. Any sanctions will require the support of at least two of the three panel members

e. If the Presiding Chair determines that a case cannot be resolved through this process, the Chair will refer the matter for investigation and resolution via other means available in the Honor Code.

5. If the student contests the suspected violation and/or declines the Early Resolution proposal, the instructor reports the alleged violation to CVRP and informs the student of the duty to report to the Honor Council under Sec. IX.

6. An instructor who chooses not to offer early resolution reports the alleged violation to CVRP and informs the student of the duty to report to the Honor Council under Sec. IX.

7. If the student is not enrolled in the course that was allegedly compromised, the instructor handles the matter under Sec. IX.

^{[FN41] Early Resolution is an option only for undergraduate students and graduate students in then School of Business and only for
defined Levels of Violations. The Council for each graduate/professional school, in consultation with the Honor System Advisory
Committee, decides whether to make early resolution for violations involving Respondents enrolled in that school. Please see the
School of Business Honor Council’s website for details regarding its Early Resolution Process.}