How to Report a Case

Anyone with suspicions that a member of the Georgetown University student community (all undergraduates and all master’s degree students except MBA students) has participated in some incident that violated the academic Honor System should report their suspicions to the Honor Council at honor@georgetown.edu.

Professors and teaching assistants are required to report any suspicion of a violation. Students and other members of the community are strongly encouraged, but not required, to report any suspicion of a violation. If you would like to talk to someone about a possible Honor System Violation, contact honor@georgetown.edu or James Mattingly, Faculty Chair of the Honor Council, and Associate Professor, Philosophy Department at jmm67@georgetown.edu.

To report a case, please use the 2022-2023 Honor Council Report for Alleged Academic Dishonesty / Violation of the Honor System

Alternatively, you may send an email with these typical documents to “make a case.”

• A brief statement describing what you suspect, how you discovered this information, etc.
• The student’s (or students’) essay, exam, quiz, etc.
• A copy of any sources student may have inappropriately used and/or cheated from (with corresponding passages marked in ink or highlighted, if possible)
• A copy of the course syllabus as well as a written copy of the assignment (if applicable)
• Any relevant (e-mail or paper) correspondence with the student

After these items are received, we first will inform the student that an allegation has been made. We will assign one of the Honor Council’s faculty (an investigating officer or “IO”) to investigate the situation. That person should contact you to get necessary clarifications about what’s alleged, and then meet with the student to get the student’s perspective and a written statement. The IO will write up a report and decide whether sufficient evidence exists to forward the case for adjudication. If the student has been readily forthright and accepted responsibility, the IO may recommend the case for an expedited sanction process (no hearing). If there is a hearing, you would be asked to attend if at all possible.

Please be reminded that the faculty involved may fail or reduce the grade of a student for the assignment or for the course at his or her discretion, if and after the student is found in violation of the Honor System. If, however, the student is found not in violation, the faculty member may not penalize the student on grounds of academic dishonesty. While cases are pending, and grades become due, faculty should submit an “NR” on the grade sheet with a note to the Registrar. Cases pending before the Honor Council usually do not warrant an Incomplete grade (“N”).