It depends on the school in question, on also potentially the circumstances of the case. At some schools, when a student is suspected of academic misconduct, the professor or whoever is required to meet with the student to have a conversation about the concerns, at other schools, a professor, whoever would be involved in the matter is required to immediately forward the case to say the Office of Student Conduct.
It does depend. Schools are unfortunately often in a rush to judgment and what is said or presented early in a case, say at that first meeting with the professor or the conduct office can have a tremendous impact on the viability of the case otherwise, in terms of whether you'll still be able to maintain a viable defense. You cannot depend on the school to be looking out for your interest or rights. Before you have any meetings with the professor or the school, you need to take the proper precautions.
Very much is at stake in an academic misconduct case. You should let your parents know what's going on. An experienced attorney advisor who's handled these cases before can help guide you through the process, can look out for your rights and interest and they can help you present the strongest possible defense. They should be involved as early as possible in the process.
