The Committee on Academic Misconduct (COAM) “is charged with maintaining the academic integrity of The Ohio State University by establishing procedures for and investigating all reported cases of alleged academic misconduct by students” (http://oaa.osu.edu/coam.html).
When a professor suspects that a student has violated the Code of Student Conduct—for example by plagiarizing a source in a paper, or copying from another student’s exam—he/she is required to report the suspected misconduct to COAM. COAM then sends the student a formal e-mail outlining the charges, and explaining how the case will be investigated.
When a charged student is contacted by COAM, he/she must meet with the COAM director to discuss what happened, and at that meeting can either take responsibility for the charges (admit to having cheated, plagiarized, etc.), or contest them. This initial meeting with COAM is designed to be a learning experience for the student. Especially if the student admits to having made a mistake, COAM wants to help him or her know how to avoid a similar situation in the future. That is to say, while part of COAM’s role is to punish students for violations of the Code of Student Conduct, a large part of their role is also to educate students about how to uphold integrity.
If a student does not agree with the charge(s) against him or her, there must be a “panel hearing” of the case. At a hearing, the COAM panel, made up of faculty and students, decides whether the student is in violation, and if so, what sanctions should be imposed. If a student does take responsibility for the charge, typically the case does not require a hearing, but can be resolved by “administrative decision.”
Most students found in violation are given both a grade sanction (a lower or failing grade on the assignment or in the whole course), and a disciplinary sanction. Disciplinary sanctions include, in ascending order of severity: a formal letter of reprimand, disciplinary probation for a certain number of semesters or until graduation, suspension for a certain number of semesters, or in the worst case scenario, dismissal from the university.
Unfortunately, international students are over-represented in COAM cases. This is very often because new international students either do not understand Ohio State’s rules about academic integrity, or because they do not realize how seriously academic integrity is taken here. Be sure to educate yourself on these issues, and never hesitate to ask your professors and instructors for help or clarification, if you’re not sure what the expectations are for an assignment.
You can learn more on the “Frequently Asked Questions” page of the COAM website: http://oaa.osu.edu/coamfaqs.html.