Students charged with cheating might lose the chance to have their cases heard in front of the Student Honor Court.
A report from a committee of UF's Faculty Senate at its Thursday meeting would eliminate the handling of academic dishonesty cases by the court, citing the lack of faculty involvement as "problematic" and "of significant concern."
Neil Patel, Student Honor Court chancellor, said he met with Student Body President Ryan Moseley on Monday and said they were still working on a response to the possible change.
Patel said removing the court would take away an important avenue of student involvement in academic conduct cases.
Kim Tanzer, a UF architecture professor who co-chairs the committee, said the Senate is not looking to dismantle the court.
Mainly, the committee's research showed that faculty members want additional input in cases involving academic conduct, Tanzer said.
Because of this, some professors were taking matters into their own hands when it came to discipline, the report states.
Generally, students charged with academic dishonesty can choose to have their cases heard by the Student Conduct Committee, which is composed of students and faculty, or by the Student Honor Court.
Other venues for hearing cases include an administrative hearing, the Greek Judicial Board, or the Health Science Center's and the Levin College of Law's student conduct committees.
In the Student Honor Court, law students act as the defense and prosecution, each presenting a case to a panel of students.
The panel determines whether the accused student is responsible for the charge and recommends an appropriate punishment to the Dean of Student's Office, which makes a final decision.
Tanzer said faculty could only participate in the process as witnesses.
She said the purpose of her committee was not to specifically target the Student Honor Court but to streamline the different methods of handling academic conduct cases.
The committee recommended limiting the investigation of academic conduct cases to faculty hearings, the Student Conduct Committee and the Health Science Center and law school committees.
Tanzer said the Faculty Senate will vote to endorse or reject the committee's findings at its Nov. 15 meeting.
If the Senate endorses the recommendations, Vice President for Student Affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin could make the changes.
