The University recognizes that while members of the community are committed to promoting academic integrity, offences will occur and procedures are needed to deal fairly with these offences. Academic offences are violations of academic integrity. These include but are not limited to plagiarism, cheating and misrepresentation related to academic work.
In addition to this section of the Calendar and statements in course outlines, students will consult with their instructors if in doubt about what constitutes academic offences in individual courses and situations.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s words or ideas obtained from any source, including the Internet, as though they were one’s own. Specific offences include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Using copied material without enclosing that material in quotation marks and/or without appropriately acknowledging its source;
- Paraphrasing or summarizing the original wording too closely;
- Omitting acknowledgment of the source of paraphrases and summaries;
- Submitting work that has been written in full or in part by someone else.
If students have questions about the correct citation format for any aspect of their academic assessments (written or oral), they should consult their faculty and the library’s resource collection on academic integrity.
Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Receiving or giving academic information or assistance during a test or an examination;
- Using unauthorized material during a test or examination. This may include, but is not limited to, notes, books, calculators, and communication devices;
- Submitting for a take-home examination or test work that has been written in full or in part by someone else or has had the benefit of assistance from some other person;
- Submitting false information of any kind in written or oral format. This includes, but is not limited to, data and observational anecdotes;
- Obtaining examination questions, tests, or assignments by any unauthorized means;
- Impersonating another student or having someone impersonate oneself in class, at an examination or test, or in any other situation in which one is evaluated;
- Submitting work for which one has already received academic credit, unless authorized to do so by the instructor;
- Permitting an assignment of one’s own to be used by another for academic credit.
Other
Includes, but is not limited to, selling, purchasing, borrowing or lending academic work for submission for academic credit.
Procedures for Dealing with Plagiarism, Cheating and Other Academic Offences
When an academic offence is suspected, the faculty member will make every reasonable effort to meet as soon as possible with the student(s) and provide an opportunity for explanation or defence against the allegation. The faculty member may consider having another faculty member with her/him when meeting with the student, in which case, the faculty member will provide an opportunity for the student to bring another student to the meeting. Where students are unavailable for a face-to-face meeting (as may be the case for some distance education students), the discussion can take place by e-mail or telephone. If the student fails to respond to a request for a meeting or does not attend a pre-arranged meeting or does not provide a satisfactory explanation for the suspected academic offence, then the faculty member may decide to proceed with a formal charge. Before recommending a penalty and filing a report, the faculty member will consult with the Chair of the Department. If the faculty member is the Chair of the Department, another member of the department will be consulted.
- If a formal charge is to be made, the faculty member will send a written report of the offence (including relevant documentation and recommended penalty based on the University guidelines) to the Dean copied to the Registrar and Department Chair within five working days following the meeting with the student(s). Penalties may range from a grade of zero in an assignment in a course to expulsion from the University.
- The Dean will review the recommended penalty to ensure that it is consistent with penalties for simil ar offences. The Registrar’s Office will review the file(s) of the student(s) charged to determine whether the student(s) has been guilty of previous offence(s) and provide relevant information to the Dean. Should questions of consistency arise or previous offences be on file, the Dean may revise the recommended penalty. The final decision as to the penalty to be assessed rests with the Dean. Within five working days of receiving a report from the faculty member, the Dean will confirm or revise the penalty and report to the Registrar with a copy to the faculty member and Department Chair.
- The Registrar’s Office will send notification of the penalty assessed, by registered mail, together with a summary report of the charge presented, to the student (s) involved within ten working days of receiving the Dean’s report.
- If the recommended penalty is expulsion, the Dean will make a recommendation, in writing, to the President with a copy to the Registrar. The President will then confirm or revise the penalty. The University President will send the notification to the student(s) with copies to the Registrar, faculty member, Chair of the Department and the Dean.
- Subject to any appeal decisions, all documents related to the charge will be a permanent record in the student’s file. This information will be available to the Dean and those involved in any appeal process regarding subsequent charges of academic offences.
- The student(s) will have the right to respond in writing to this notification within 15 working days of its having been sent to her/him (them). The response will be placed on file with copies to the faculty member, Chair of the Department and the Dean (and President, in the case of expulsion). The student(s) will have the right to appeal the decision and/or the related penalty to the Academic Appeals Committee (see Appeals).
- Two years following an assessment of a penalty transcript notation, if there is only a single "F" with a notation on the student’s transcript, the student may appeal to have the notation removed from the transcript. This appeal must be made within ten years from the time the offence was noted on the transcript. The Appeals Committee will consider the student’s entire file in assessing the appeal to remove the notation.
Misrepresentation
Misrepresentation includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Misrepresenting or involving others in misrepresenting one’s personal circumstances in order to obtain special consideration in one’s academic work:
- Submitting fraudulent medical documents;
- Submitting fraudulent documents or materials (e.g., in support of an application for admission to the University);
- Failing to disclose and/or falsifying previous post secondary study when applying to the University.
Procedures for Dealing with Misrepresentation
In specific cases involving misrepresentation, whoever becomes aware of an incident should report it, in writing, to the Registrar and/or Dean, depending on the situation. When the Registrar identifies a potential offence in this category, it will be dealt with as follows:
- When the Registrar and/or Dean has reason to suspect that an academic offence has occurred, the Registrar and/or Dean will provide an opportunity for the student to discuss the incident for clarification purposes.
- Following this discussion, the Registrar and/or Dean will determine whether or not an academic offence has occurred. If it is determined that an offence has occurred, a written report (including relevant documentation and recommended penalty based on the University guidelines) will be sent to an alternate Dean who will assess the penalty (which may range from zero in an assignment to expulsion from or denial of admission to the University).
- Within seven working days of determining the penalty, the Registrar will send notification to the student with copies to the Department Chair, and where appropriate to the faculty member and/or Dean.
- If the recommended penalty is expulsion, the Dean will make a recommendation, in writing, to the President with a copy to the Registrar and where appropriate, to the faculty member. The President will then confirm or revise the penalty. The University President will send the notification to the student with copies to the Registrar, faculty member, Chair of the Department and the Dean.
- Subject to any appeal decisions, all documents related to the charge will be a permanent record in the student’s file.
- The student has the right to respond in writing to this notification and the supporting documentation to the Registrar within 15 working days of receipt of the notification. The response will be placed on file with copies, where appropriate, to the faculty member, Chair of the Department and the Dean (and President, in the case of expulsion). The student will have the right to appeal the decision and/or the related penalty to the Academic Appeals Committee.
- Two years following an assessment of a penalty transcript notation, if there is only a single "F" with a notation on the student’s transcript, the student may appeal to have the notation removed from the transcript. This appeal must be made within ten years from the time the offence was noted on the transcript. The Appeals Committee will consider the student’s entire file in assessing the appeal to remove the notation.