PROFITS Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is meant by academic misconduct?

A: Academic misconduct is any violation in the classroom or clinical setting that is dishonest. Academic misconduct by a students includes actions such as, cheating on exams, letting others cheat from your exam, turning in papers that you did not write yourself, handing in the same assignment for two different courses, taking credit for someone else's work on assignments, falsifying clinical logs, documenting patient cares not actually performed, fabricating patient data, failing to report errors that you made when providing patient cares, breaking patient confidentiality.

Q: How do I make a report when I see a violation of PROFITS?

A: Report the incident to any member of the PROFITS Committee, either orally or in writing. (The PROFITS Committee is made up of faculty and students and the current committee list is on this website.) Then that committee member will inform the PROFITS Committee chair of the report within one academic day.

Q: What happens after the report is taken to the PROFITS Committee chair?

A: The PROFITS Committee chair has the option of requesting a written statement of the occurrence from the person who reported the incident. Then the PROFITS Committee chair will appoint a faculty member from the Committee within one academic day to investigate the matter. The investigator is charged to speak with the person reporting the occurrence, the student or students in question, and other individuals who may be directly involved. After the data is gathered, the investigator will meet with the PROFITS Committee chair to determine if there is sufficient evidence to hold a hearing.

Q: Who will know it was me who reported the incident?

A: Initially, only the PROFITS committee member who received the report and the PROFITS Committee chair will know the name of the person who reported the incident. During the investigation process, the name of the person who reported the incident is not disclosed. However, if the investigation determines that a hearing is needed, then it will be necessary, according to legal council, to disclose the name of the person who reported the incident to the student or students in question of academic misconduct.

Q: If a hearing is to be held, then what?

A: If a hearing is to be held, the student or students in question will be notified, informed of the allegations, told the name of the person who reported the incident and given a copy of the investigator's report. The student or students in question will be informed of the right to select an Advisor(s), call witnesses and/or submit documentation. The person who reported the incident also will be informed that a hearing will be held, given a copy of the investigator's report, and informed of the right to select an Advisor. Also at this time, PROFITS committee members will receive notice that a hearing will be held.

Q: What about confidentiality? Will people other than the PROFITS Committee, the person who reported the incident, and the student or students in question know about the hearing?

A: Nobody, other than those involved in the hearing, will know anything about the hearing or what occurs during the hearing. Confidentiality will be maintained in all cases. All data from the investigation and hearings are confidential. Members of the PROFITS Committee will not discuss cases with anyone not connected with the PROFITS Committee. During the investigation, the investigator will maintain confidentiality during all contact to collect data. Breaches of confidentiality will result in immediate dismissal from the PROFITS Committee. Witnesses and PROFITS Advisors also will be bound by confidentiality. All records and evidence from the hearing, including notes taken by individual Hearing Panel members, will be collected by the PROFITS committee chairperson before the Hearing Panel disbands. These materials will be secured in the Office of Student Affairs for 5 years.

Q: As the person who reported the incident, will I find out the Committee's decision after the hearing?

A: You will not have privilege to the decision made by the Committee, however the PROFITS Committee Chair will notify the person who reported the incident only that appropriate actions has been taken following the decision.

Q: How, as a student, can I become a member of the PROFITS Committee?

A: Student representatives must be enrolled currently in the School of Nursing (full or part time) and be in good academic standing. The junior undergraduate representative will be elected at the time of the election of class representatives in the fall semester of each year. The entire incoming junior class will have the opportunity to vote for those nominated. The undergraduate student with the greatest number of votes will be the committee member. The undergraduate student with the second most votes will be designated as an alternate. Nominations will be solicited and a ballot prepared with information on all nominees. Undergraduate students will serve for the length of their tenure in the nursing major, but no more than three years, as long as they maintain good academic standing. The call for nominations for graduate positions that are open (Masters and PhD) will go out in the graduate newsletter during April of each new academic year. Elections will be conducted by mail ballot. Information about all nominees will be included with the mail ballot. The master's and doctoral students with the greatest number of votes will be the elected committee members. The master's and doctoral student with the second most votes will be designated as alternates.

For further information, please refer to the PROFITS Blueprint in the Student Handbook.