Carnegie Mellon University

The Word

Student Handbook

Second Level Review, Decision, and Action

Second-level review is required in the following circumstances:

Multiple Violation Reports

Second-level review is required in all cases in which a student has committed more than one violation of the University Policy on Academic Integrity that has been reported to the Office of Community Standards and Integrity.

When more than one violation has been reported about a student, the Office of Community Standards and Integrity should notify the head of the student’s home department. The student’s department head or designee may recommend appropriate outcomes given multiple violations of the University Policy on Academic Integrity and document that recommendation in writing via email to the student and the Office of Community Standards and Integrity. The departmental recommendation will then be reviewed by an Academic Review Board in a hearing. 

If the student’s department head or designee declines to recommend an outcome, members of the Academic Review Board will recommend an outcome as part of their review in a hearing. If the student’s department head or designee declines to recommend an outcome, the student’s department head or designee should document that decision in writing via email to the student.

The Academic Review Board will review the departmental recommendation (if advanced) in a hearing in which the involved student will be given the opportunity to participate. The student’s department head or designee and course instructors will also be given the opportunity to participate in the full review. If they opt not to attend the full hearing, they should be available to participate in the hearing as witnesses. The purpose of the hearing will be to determine whether additional university action beyond the course-level outcomes is warranted given multiple violations of the University Policy on Academic Integrity.

In order for the Academic Review Board to determine an appropriate outcome, the student’s department head or designee and course instructors will be asked to provide all documentation related to the case if not already submitted, including the email to the student documenting the course-level actions and supporting evidence related to the violations, to be considered by the Academic Review Board. Appropriate redaction will be made by the Office of Community Standards and Integrity prior to board member review.

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Requests for Additional Outcomes

Second-level review is required in all cases in which a course instructor or a student’s home department requests additional action beyond course failure.

In these circumstances, the course instructor/student’s department head or designee should notify the student in writing via email that additional outcomes are being requested given the severity of the policy violation. This notification may occur in the initial course-level action notification or in a subsequent communication.

The Academic Review Board will adjudicate the request for additional outcomes in a hearing in which both the party who is requesting the action and the involved student will be given the opportunity to participate. The purpose of the hearing will be to determine whether additional university action beyond course failure is warranted given the nature of the policy violation.

In order for the Academic Review Board to determine an appropriate outcome, the course instructor will be asked to provide all documentation related to the case if not already submitted, including the email to the student documenting the course-level action and supporting evidence related to the violation, to be considered by the Academic Review Board. Appropriate redaction will be made by the Office of Community Standards and Integrity prior to board member review.

Back to Academic Disciplinary Actions