Texas A&M University Aggie Honor System Office
When a faculty member believes that a student has violated the Honor System rules, they have three options:

  • Handle it through the Informal Process by meeting with the student and then reporting the violation and recommended sanction to the Aggie Honor System Office.
  • Refer the case for adjudication through an Administrative Conference in the
    AHSO.
  • Refer the case for adjudication by the Honor Council.
If a student has a prior finding of responsibility for an academic misconduct violation, it is automatically referred through the Honor Council when the faculty member submits the report in the online system.

Informal Resolution

If a faculty member chooses to file a case through the Informal Process, they shall make an effort to allow the students an opportunity to respond to the allegations. The allegations may be communicated in person or through email. After the instructor attempts to make contact with the student, even if they do not receive a response from the student, the instructor will then file a report with the Aggie Honor System Office. An Aggie Honor System Office staff member will contact the student to discuss their options to respond to the allegations.

Administrative Conference

When the AHSO is notified of an alleged violation, or when you choose to shift your case to this process, you and your instructor will meet with an Academic Integrity Administrator. This Administrator will use the preponderance of information standard to decide whether or not academic misconduct occured.

Honor Council Proceedings

If the allegation has been referred to the Honor Council, the accused student will be contacted by an Academic Integrity Administrator from the Aggie Honor System Office to set up a meeting to explain the details of the process. This will be followed by an Honor Council hearing.

Q-Drops and Withdrawals

Accused students may not Q-drop or withdraw from a course with a pending allegation or finding of academic misconduct. If the Q-drop or withdrawal has already gone through for a class before an academic misconduct violation is reported, the course will be reinstated on the student’s transcript and designated grade sanctions applied.

Notification from the AHSO Academic Integrity Administrator

The Academic Integrity Administrator will initiate contact with the accused student through e-mail and inform them of their rights and responsibilities in the process as well as next steps. This e-mail will be sent to the student’s Texas A&M University e-mail account only, and the AHSO will not communicate with any non-University e-mail. Students are able to meet with their AIA if they need additional information.

When to Contact Us

Some instructors, especially those with experience at other institutions, may be unfamiliar with Texas A&M University’s procedures for addressing academic misconduct. Instructors are required to report all violations of the Aggie Code of Honor to the Aggie Honor System Office to ensure that the process is properly followed. This requirement is intended to protect the rights of the student and the faculty member. If your instructor has discussed academic misconduct allegations with you and you have not been contacted by the Aggie Honor System Office, please contact us directly for next steps.