FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Most students assume an academic integrity case turns on whether they meant to cheat. It usually does not.
Universities focus on whether the student followed the rules that applied to the assignment. A student who misunderstood the rules faces the same process as a student who deliberately violated them. AI has made this harder, not easier.
Before You Submit is a practical guide for college students and their families about how academic integrity cases actually work and how AI use is identified in practice. It explains assignment rules, what universities look at when AI use is suspected, the most common student mistakes, and how to document your work so you can defend it if questions come up later.
Two ways to get the guide
The Guide
$39
Full designed PDF guide
Eleven numbered sections, including the Before You Submit checklist and the Four Habits That Protect You
Approximately 25 to 35 pages
Instant download
The Bundle
$89
Everything in the standalone guide
Plus the recorded webinar
Plus the designed parent workbook
Instant download
Recommended for students currently working on coursework where AI rules vary by class, and for families navigating an active academic integrity matter.
Who this guide is for
This guide is for college students who use AI tools, or whose courses use AI tools, and who want to understand the line between authorized and unauthorized assistance before submitting work. It is also for parents of students who have just been contacted by an instructor or an academic integrity office and need to understand what the process looks like.
It is written for both anticipatory readers (a student starting a new semester) and active-matter readers (a student or family who has just received a notice).
What this guide covers
The guide is organized around how academic integrity cases actually unfold inside a university.
-
How universities evaluate academic integrity concerns
Universities apply a written policy and a written procedure. The first sections of the guide explain what that means: the policy that governs the assignment, the role of the instructor and the academic integrity office, and what is being evaluated when a case opens.
-
Why rule compliance matters more than intent
Most academic integrity processes do not require the university to prove the student intended to cheat. Understanding this changes how a student should think about both prevention and response.
-
AI and assignment rules
AI rules vary by course, by instructor, and sometimes by assignment. The guide explains how to read a syllabus for AI rules, what to do when the rule is unclear, and how to document the question if the answer matters.
-
How AI use actually gets noticed
AI detection tools exist, but most cases do not turn on a single detector score. The guide explains the patterns instructors look at, the metadata that travels with a paste, and the kinds of evidence that academic integrity offices typically rely on.
-
Common student mistakes, the Before You Submit checklist, and what to do if a professor raises concerns
The closing sections name the patterns that produce most cases, the work-process habits that prevent them, and the practical steps that follow a notice from a professor or an office.
What this guide is not
This guide is not legal advice. It does not address the facts of any specific student's situation, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Potter Law or Nancy Potter.
It is also not a guide to outsmarting AI detection. The point of the guide is the opposite: understanding how universities actually evaluate these cases so that students can produce work that holds up to inquiry, and so that families can respond clearly when an inquiry occurs.
About Nancy Potter
Nancy Potter is an education attorney whose practice focuses on student conduct, Title IX, disability accommodations, academic integrity, and related student rights issues in higher education.
Before private practice, she served as a Supervisory Attorney and Team Leader at the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, where approximately half of her work involved disability discrimination and civil rights issues in educational settings.
She works with students and families navigating university disciplinary processes, Title IX matters, academic integrity cases, and accommodation issues. She is also available to schools and universities as an independent hearing officer and appointed advisor.
Nancy Potter is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania.
Common Questions
-
Read the notice carefully and identify the deadline. The guide will help you understand the kind of process the notice begins and what an instructor or office is typically evaluating. If you have questions about how the process applies to a specific situation, more information about consultations is available at nancypotterlaw.com.
-
No. Whether a particular use violated a particular rule depends on the specific assignment and the specific written policy of the course or institution. The guide is designed to help students and families read those policies with comprehension and to think clearly about what evidence the university will be looking at.
-
Detection scores are typically used as a starting point for further inquiry, not as proof on their own. The guide explains what investigators and instructors usually look at alongside a detection score, and why a low detection score does not by itself end the matter.
-
No. The webinar is pre-recorded. Buyers of the bundle receive access immediately and can watch at any time.
-
Because the guide and bundle are delivered immediately as a digital download, refunds are not generally available. Questions about a specific download issue can be sent through the contact page on nancypotterlaw.com.
You may also find useful
If your student is also navigating a Title IX matter, the Title IX Investigation Interview Prep guide is available at nancypotterlaw.com.
If consent is at issue in a Title IX case, How Universities Evaluate Consent in Title IX Cases is available at nancypotterlaw.com.
This page describes an educational resource that provides general information about how college conduct academic integrity typically work. The guide is not legal advice, does not address the facts of any specific situation, and does not create an attorney-client relationship between any reader and Potter Law or Nancy Potter.
If you have a specific legal matter, please consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Published by Potter Law. Nancy Potter, Attorney at Law. Licensed in Pennsylvania.
nancypotterlaw.com