Student Conduct & Appeals
What Happens If a Student is Caught Cheating?
Class Handout on Student Academic Misconduct (PDF)
Statistics for 2002-03; 2003-04; 2004-05; 2005-06; 2006-07; 2007-08; 2008-09; 2009-11; 2011-12
When an instructor or invigilator believes a student has cheated, the University of Saskatchewan Regulations on Student Academic Misconduct now list two procedures which can be followed. These Regulations came into effect on January 1, 2010.
"Informal Procedures" are followed when an instructor feels that a student has cheated inadvertently or without intending to do wrong. Many cases of alleged academic misconduct on the part of students result from misunderstanding or carelessness. When an infraction is suspected, the instructor or invigilator may, at his or her own discretion, speak informally with the student(s) to discuss the matter and to consider an appropriate remedy. The remedy could be either a grade reduction in the assignment, a re-submission, or both. A form has been developed to be used for the informal procedure: FORM in pdf FORM in Word
"Formal Allegations of Academic Misconduct" are the procedures followed when the allegation is serious enough to require a hearing, or for those situations in which the allegation has not been resolved at the informal level. The formal procedures can be initiated by a student, instructor, or staff member.
The request for a hearing under the "Formal Allegations of Academic Misconduct" section of the Regulations is made to the Dean of the College which offers the course, and is dealt with by a college hearing. Further appeal to a university appeal board is permitted only on procedural grounds.
See the Regulations on Student Academic Misconduct for a complete description of these procedures.
Penalties for Cheating
At present, these range between grades of zero to expulsion, depending on the college and the seriousness of the offense.
In many colleges, plagiarizing an essay will result in a grade of zero on the assignment, and a further reduction of between 5 to 15 per cent on the overall course grade. Some colleges will give a student a zero on the whole course.
Cheating on a final exam will usually result in a grade of zero for the course. This zero is on your transcript forever.
The effect on your overall average? and on your life?
Ouch! The poor grade you receive in even a single course can seriously affect your chances for admission to professional colleges or to graduate school. It may even affect whether you will qualify to receive your degree.
And though your student record is sealed, don't be surprised that admissions officers and employers nationwide know what a "zero" on a transcript usually means.
