STUDENT ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

RULES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN COUNCIL

Note: Acts of Academic Dishonesty are described under rule #12

1.INFORMAL PROCEDURES

2.FORMAL ALLEGATIONS OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

3.INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGATIONS

4.FINDING OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND DETERMINATION OF CONSEQUENCES

5.APPEAL BOARD

6.APPEAL PROCEDURE

7.DISPOSITION BY THE APPEAL BOARD

8.NO FURTHER APPEAL

9.ENDORSEMENT ON STUDENT RECORD

10.REPORTS

11.DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS

12.ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

1. INFORMAL PROCEDURES

Many cases of alleged academic dishonesty on the part of students result from misunderstanding or carelessness. A case of this kind can be addressed through an informal meeting with the student involved. Generally, an explanation and a warning is all that is required.

Where, however, the event is such that it should be addressed through a more formal approach, and, in any case where a punishment for dishonest conduct is thought appropriate, the following procedures shall be followed.

2. FORMAL ALLEGATIONS OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

(a) A formal allegation of academic dishonesty may be made by a member of the General Academic Assembly, an instructor, a student or an administrative official of the University.

(b) A formal allegation of academic dishonesty shall be in writing and shall be signed by the person making it.

(c) A formal allegation shall be delivered to the dean of the college that is responsible for matters to which the allegation relates. Where the matter falls outside the responsibility of a college, the formal allegation shall be delivered to the Vice-President (Academic).

(d) The dean or the Vice-President (Academic) shall deliver a copy of the allegation:

(i) along with a copy of these rules to the student against whom the allegation is made;

(ii) to the dean of the college in which the student is registered;

(iii) to the head of the department in which the alleged offence was committed;

(iv) to the instructor of the course, when the alleged offence involves the course; and

(v) to the Registrar.

3. INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGATIONS

(a) Upon receipt of an allegation as provided in Rule 1(c), the dean or Vice-President (Academic), shall convene a hearing board composed of a chairperson, named by the dean or Vice-President (Academic), and at least two members of the General Academic Assembly, all of whom, where feasible, shall be faculty members of the department or college responsible for matters to which the allegation relates. Subject to clause (b), the hearing board may be a standing committee of the college appointed for this purpose.

(b) The hearing board shall also include a student who is registered in the college responsible for matters to which the allegation relates unless the student against whom the allegation is made waives the requirement.

(c) The hearing board may proceed informally. However, before reaching a conclusion, the hearing board shall take into consideration all relevant evidence available to it. The hearing board shall meet with the person making the allegation, the student against whom the allegation has been made and any other person who, in the opinion of the board, can provide relevant evidence bearing on the matter. If the hearing board decides on a formal hearing, then items 6(b) and 6(c) would govern the procedures.

4. FINDING OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND DETERMINATION OF CONSEQUENCES

(a) If a majority of members of a hearing board conclude that the allegation of academic dishonesty is supported by the evidence before the board, it shall recommend one or more of the following penalties:

(i) that the student be reprimanded or censured;

(ii) that a mark of zero or other appropriate grade be assigned for the entire course, for an assignment or for an examination, or that a credit or mark for the course be modified or cancelled;

(iii) that an examination be rewritten, an assignment be redone or any other academic performance be repeated;

(iv) that the student be suspended from the University for a specified period of time;

(v) that the student be expelled from the University; or

(vi) that a degree, diploma or certificate be revoked.

(b) When determining the appropriate penalty, the hearing board shall take into account penalties imposed by other hearing boards or appeal boards for similar academic dishonesty as recorded by the Registrar.

(c) Except as provided otherwise in clause (e) of this Rule, the chairperson of the hearing board shall prepare a report of the board's deliberations which shall recite the evidence on which the board based its conclusion that academic dishonesty occurred and state the penalty imposed. The report shall not name persons who are the sources of the evidence considered by the board.

(d) Not later than 15 days after the hearing board has completed its deliberations, the chairperson shall deliver a copy of the report to the following persons:

(i) the student against whom the allegation was made;

(ii) the person who made the allegation;

(iii) the dean of the college in which the student is registered;

(iv) the head of the department that is responsible for matters to which the allegation relates;

(v) to the instructor of the course, when the alleged offence involves the course; and

(vi) the Registrar.

(e) When a hearing board concludes that an allegation is not supported by the evidence, the report referred to in (c ) shall so state.

(f) A recommendation of a hearing board is deemed to have been adopted by Council unless it is appealed as provided by the following rules.

5. APPEAL BOARD

(a) A student against whom a penalty referred to in Rule 4 has been recommended or the person who made the allegation of student dishonesty may appeal the decision of the hearing board or the penalty imposed by delivering to the Registrar a notice of appeal before the expiry of 30 days from the date a copy of the hearing board report was delivered to the Registrar.

(b) Upon receipt of a notice of appeal, the Registrar shall send a request to the chairperson of the By-Laws Committee to establish an appeal board to hear the appeal. Upon receipt of such request, the By-Laws Committee shall constitute an appeal board to be composed of three members of Council, one of whom is a student. One faculty member of the appeal board shall be named chairperson. The members of the board shall be chosen from a roster nominated by the Nominations Committee.

6. APPEAL PROCEDURE

(a) The appeal board shall convene to hear the appeal as soon as is practicable, but not later than 20 days after it is constituted.

(b) The appeal board shall determine its procedures subject to the following:

(i) all parties involved shall be given adequate notice and full opportunity to participate in the proceedings other than the deliberations of the appeal board;

(ii) the allegation and the evidence allegedly supporting it shall be presented by the person who made the allegation or a person appointed by such person, including legal counsel;

(iii) a student shall be entitled to be represented by one other person, including legal council;

(iv) the student and the person who presented the allegation may present evidence to the board, including evidence given by witnesses;

(v) the student or the student's representative may question the person presenting the allegation and any person giving evidence allegedly supporting it;

(vi) the person presenting the allegation may question the student and any witness for the student;

(vii) the student, the person who presented the allegation and any witness may be questioned by the board.

(c) The hearing shall be in camera unless the student requests that it be open in which case the chairperson may limit the number of observers to not less than five persons.

(d) The Registrar or a designate of the Registrar shall record the proceedings. Where the allegation has been made by the Registrar, the University Secretary or a designate of the University Secretary shall record the proceedings.

7. DISPOSITION BY THE APPEAL BOARD

The appeal board may, by majority:

(a) conclude that the allegation was unfounded and exonerate the student; or

(b) conclude that the allegation is supported by the evidence before the board and affirm the penalty recommended by the hearing board or impose one or more of the following penalties;

(i) reprimand or censure the student;

(ii) assign a mark of zero or other appropriate grade for the entire course, for an assignment or for an examination, or modify or cancel a credit or mark for the course;

(iii) require that an examination be rewritten, an assignment be redone or any other academic performance be repeated;

(iv) suspend the student from the University for a specified period of time;

(v) expel the student from the University; or

(vi) revoke a degree, diploma or certificate.

(c) When determining the appropriate penalty, the hearing board shall take into account penalties imposed by other hearing boards or appeal boards for similar academic dishonesty as recorded by the Registrar.

(d) Except as provided otherwise in clause (f) of this Rule, the chairperson of the appeal board shall prepare a report of the board's deliberations which shall recite the evidence on which the board based its conclusions that academic dishonesty occurred and state the penalty imposed. The report shall not name persons who are the sources of the evidence considered by the board.

(e) Not later than 15 days after the appeal board has completed its deliberations, the chairperson shall deliver a copy of the report to the persons mentioned in Rule 4(d).

(f) When an appeal board concludes that an allegation is not supported by the evidence, the report referred to in clause (d) of this Rule shall so state.

8. NO FURTHER APPEAL

The findings and ruling of the appeal board shall be final with no further appeal and shall be deemed to be a finding and ruling of Council.

9. ENDORSEMENT ON STUDENT RECORD

Upon receipt of a report of a hearing board that has not been appealed as provided in these rules and upon receipt of a report of an appeal board, the Registrar shall:

(i) in the case of a report recommending or ordering expulsion of a student, endorse on the record of the student and on any transcript of the record the following: "Expelled for academic dishonesty on the _______ day of _______, 19__" (or 20__).

(ii) in the case of a report recommending or ordering suspension of a student, endorse on the record of the student and on any transcript of that record the following: "Suspended for academic dishonesty for ___________" (period of suspension).

10. REPORTS

Reports referred to in rules 4(c ) and 7(d) that record findings of academic dishonesty shall be kept as confidential records by the Registrar but shall be made available as provided in these Rules to hearing boards and appeal boards by the Registrar and to University personnel for use in admission decisions.

11. DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS

Delivery of any document referred to in these rules to a student may be made in person or by registered mail addressed to the address of the student as set out in the records of the Registrar. Delivery is presumed to have been made when it is received by the student or 5 days after the date of registration. Delivery of any document referred to in these rules to anyone else may be made in person or by Campus mail services.

12. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

The following constitute academic dishonesty which may be the subject-matter of an allegation under Rule 2:

(a) Providing false or misleading information or documentation to gain admission to the University or any University program;

(b) Theft of lecture notes, research work, computer files, or academic materials prepared by another student or an instructor;

(c) Using work done in one course in fulfilment of the requirements of another course unless approval is obtained from the instructor involved;

(d) Passing off the work of someone else as one's own;

(e) The supply of materials prepared by the student to another student for use by that student as the work or materials of that student;

(f) Alteration or falsification of records, computer files, or any document relating to a student's academic performance;

(g) Failure to observe any stated rule with regard to the procedure used in an examination or any other form of exercise undertaken for academic credit which could result in the student gaining relatively greater credit;

(h) Altering answers on a returned examination;

(i) When prohibited, removing an examination from the examination room;

(j) Seeking to acquire or acquiring prior knowledge of the contents of any examination question or paper with the intention of gaining an unfair advantage;

(k) Using notes or other sources of information or devices in an examination not permitted by the course instructor;

(l) Consulting or seeking the assistance of others when writing a "take home" examination unless permitted by the course instructor;

(m) Providing false or misleading information with the intent to avoid or delay writing an examination or fulfilling any other academic requirement;

(n) Failing to observe the terms of any undertaking of non-disclosure given in connection with an examination;

(o) Misrepresenting or conspiring with another person to misrepresent the identity of a student writing an examination or engaging in any other form of assessment;

(p) Knowingly doing anything designed to interfere with the opportunities of another person to have his or her contribution fully recognized or to participate in the academic program;

(q) Preventing others from fair and equal access to University facilities;

(r) Using or attempting to use personal relationships, bribes, threats or other illegal conduct to gain unearned grades or academic advantages;

(s) Knowingly assisting another person engaged in actions that amount to academic dishonesty;

(t) Plagiarism: the presentation of the work or idea of another in such a way as to give others the impression that it is the work or idea of the presenter.

There is an onus on every student to become informed as to what does or does not constitute plagiarism. Ignorance of applicable standards of ethical writing is not an acceptable excuse. The critical consideration is the impression created in the mind of the others, not the subjective intent of the student. This determination involves an objective evaluation of the manuscript. No intent to deceive is required to establish plagiarism.

Adequate attribution is required. What is essential is that another person have no doubt which words or research results are the student's and which are drawn from other sources. Full explicit acknowledgement of the source of the material is required.

Examples of plagiarism are:

(i) The use of material received or purchased from another person or prepared by any person other than the individual claiming to be the author. [It is not plagiarism to use work developed in the context of a group exercise (and described as such in the text) if the mode and extent of the use does not deviate from that which is specifically authorized].

(ii) The verbatim use of oral or written material without adequate attribution.

(iii) The paraphrasing of oral or written material of other persons without adequate attribution.

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