Student Government (SG) received a presentation regarding changes to the student academic integrity policy and the student appeals process, appointed a new VP and discussed upcoming SG-planned events on campus. At the end of their meeting, the group selected their SGers of the Month.
D08.0 and D18.2 Academics Appeals Process Changes
Bruce Herring, the chair of the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) and senior lecturer at Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, presented a lecture discussing the revisions to the revised D08.0 student academic integrity policy and the D18.2 student appeals process. Herring had attended an SG meeting last semester on Nov. 21 and reviewed the changes in greater detail, which can be found in a past Reporter article. In the Feb. 6 SG meeting, Herring instead covered the changes made since their previous meeting.
D08.0.III will now explicitly state the disciplinary actions resulting from an academic violation. The section states, “When an academic integrity violation is suspected, the instructor who discovers the alleged violation will recommend a disciplinary action which can include: a warning, reduced credit on the offending activity, a grade of 0 on the offending activity or an F grade in the course.”
Small changes were made to D08.0.IV.B. The instructor will submit the allegation to the RIT Academic Integrity Online Reporting system, but it must be within 15 business days of the alleged violation’s discovery. The Dean’s Delegate will be notified of the instructor’s submission and will create an online case file. The system will email the student, the instructor’s unit head, the instructor’s Dean’s Designee and the Dean’s Designee for the student’s home college with the allegation and proposed disciplinary action. The Dean’s Designee for the student’s college receiving the email is an addition to the policy. According to RIT’s D08.0 Student Academic Integrity Policy’s website, the job of a Dean’s Designee is “to facilitate and manage the hearing process and attend hearings as a non-voting advisor to the Academic Integrity Committee.” Each college and academic unit will have its own Dean’s Designee. The email sent to the student will invite them to a meeting, which can either be in-person or remote, and can include the instructor, the instructor’s unit head, the instructor’s college Dean’s Designee and/or an advisor. That notification will include a link to the online version of the policy, which also represents a new change.
As included in D08.0.IV.D and D08.0.V.Q, if the student doesn’t acknowledge in writing the initial email notification regarding the allegation, or meet with the instructor to discuss the allegation within 10 business days of receipt of the allegation, the case will be closed as a violation, and the online system will forward the initial email to both the instructor’s Dean’s Designee and academic unit head. While this was always the case regarding the policy, the change now explicitly states that the case will be closed as a violation, instead of stating that the case will be closed. At the end of the academic integrity hearing, the committee will determine by a majority vote if a violation of academic integrity did or didn’t occur and determine the appropriate disciplinary action.
Vice President Appointment
SG voted on their new Vice President after their previous VP, Ana Paolini Carrano, stepped down. College of Liberal Arts (COLA) Senator Alice Cauchi, a fifth year Museum Studies and Computer Science double major, was nominated as Carrano’s replacement. She delivered a brief speech to the group and discussed her experience and previous work at RIT. Cauchi currently works as a supplemental instruction (SI) leader and is a member of RIT’s Women in Computing and the Financial Co-Coordinator for the Computer Science Community. She explained her excitement to “create an efficient and collaborative space in Senate that ensures people feel like they can share and discuss ideas…” In a pre-written statement from Carrano, she explained that “Alice will make a wonderful VP and I’m confident she’s ready to step into the position.” After deliberation, SG voted to appoint Cauchi as their new VP.
Upcoming Events
On Feb. 13, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., the Accessibility Committee will be hosting a book nook event, where students can create their own book nooks in teams of hearing and deaf students. The event will be hosted in Room 2650 of the Campus Center, and interpreters have been confirmed. Students who attend will have a chance to win $50 each.
The School of Individualized Studies (SOIS) will also be hosting its coffee hour event on the first Friday of every month from 12 to 1 p.m. in the SOIS Commons in Eastman Hall, Suite 2210. SOIS students can relax and enjoy free food and drinks and connect with other SOIS peers. Students who require interpreting services must request them on the RIT myAccess website.
SGers of the Month
SG handed out their January SGers of the Month awards. National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) Senator Emma Vollmar and Kate Gleason College of Engineering (KGCOE) Senator Joshua Anderson were both awarded Senator of the Month. Well-being Committee Chair Jackie Barrow was awarded Committee Chair of the Month, and NTID Student Congress (NSC) President Suyun Hu was awarded RSO of the Month. While not technically serving as a cabinet member, because of their work in helping the cabinet and taking on the Senate Liaison role, SOIS Senator Peyton Jesse was awarded Cabinet Member of the Month.