Some students underestimate the risks of academic dishonesty.
If a professor suspects dishonesty, he or she refers the matter to the academic dean for review. If, after considering the evidence and talking with the student, the dean decides a violation has occurred, the professor may lower the student's grade. Additional sanctions, ranging from a letter of reprimand to exclusion from the University, are imposed by the school in which the student is enrolled. Though procedures vary in detail among Northwestern's six undergraduate schools, they all contain adequate safeguards and channels of review and appeal. Each case is considered on its individual merits, and penalties may vary accordingly.