Academic integrity and misconduct

Academic misconduct occurs if you do any of the following:

• Plagiarize (copy), cheat, or fail to properly attribute sources (e.g. failure to identify content generated by artificial intelligence, whether it’s a text, image, sound, graphic, video, software or other);
• Submit work or draft of a work (assignment, essay, test, exam, research report, dissertation, thesis), in any form, of which you are not the author, in whole or in part, with the exception of properly cited quotations and references. This includes hiring someone to do the work on your behalf (contractual cheating);
• Present data, methods or results that are forged, falsified or made up in any way, or failure to keep complete and accurate records of research data, methods and results;
• Conduct research activities that are not consistent with University policies on research integrity and responsible conduct of research (Policy 115);
• Attribute a statement of fact or reference to a made-up source;
• Submit the same work or a large part of the same work or its translation in more than one course, or a thesis or other work that has been presented elsewhere without the prior approval of the appropriate professors;
• Falsify or misrepresent an academic assessment, including through the unapproved or unidentified use of technologies, using a forged or altered supporting document, or facilitating the use of such a document;
• Undertake any other action for the purpose of falsifying an academic assessment or research data;
• Collaborate inappropriately (e.g. copy from another student, allow another student to copy, use data from another person, share course materials externally without authorization, collaborate without authorization, collusion);
• Impersonate another person’s identity or identification to complete an assessment.

For more information on academic misconduct and how you can avoid it, see the Academic Integrity webpage for students.

If you’ve committed or tried to commit academic misconduct, or have assisted someone else to do so, you could be subject to one or more of the following sanctions:

1. a written warning;
2. zero for part of the work in question;
3. zero for the work in question;
4. zero for the work in question, and the loss of additional marks for the course in question;
5. zero for the work in question with the minimum passing grade for the course as your maximum grade;
6. an F or NS grade for the course in question;
7. the addition of another 3 to 30 units to your program requirements or to the requirements of any program at the same level in which you subsequently enroll;
8. suspension of a University of Ottawa or faculty scholarship for a specified period;
9. the loss of any faculty or University scholarship opportunity;
10. withdrawal of the privilege of using University resources pertaining to the subject of responsible violation of research conduct;
11. Withdrawal of responsibilities in a group research project;
12. Any other sanction provided for in the Procedure 29-2: Addressing Allegations of a Breach of Responsible Conduct of Research;
13. suspension from the University for a maximum of two years. No course taken at the University of Ottawa or elsewhere during the suspension period will be recognized by the University and no tuition fees will be refunded. Once the suspension ends, you can re-enroll in your program of study and you are subject to the program requirements in place at that time;
14. inclusion of a permanent statement on the student’s official transcript: Sanction pursuant to contravention of the University regulation on academic integrity.
15. expulsion from the University of Ottawa and permanent statement on your official transcript indicating you were expelled from the University for committing academic misconduct. Three years following the date of expulsion, you are eligible to make a request to the Senate Appeals Committee to have the expulsion set aside, including the possibility, where applicable, of having the mention removed from your transcript. If you reapply to the University of Ottawa, the regular admission process applies;
16. cancellation or revocation of a degree, diploma or certificate conferred prior to the University becoming aware of academic misconduct.

Your faculty is responsible for applying the sanctions mentioned in articles (1) to (12). The Senate Appeals Committee is responsible for applying articles (m) to (p), on the recommendation of your faculty. Decisions take effect immediately, even if you want to appeal them.

There are two approaches to dealing with academic misconduct: the pedagogical approach and the disciplinary approach.

Pedagogical approach

The pedagogical approach applies only to undergraduate studies and is aimed at learning methods and strategies to help you work with integrity and avoid academic misconduct in the future.

If a professor suspects you of minor academic misconduct, they will inform you in writing and will communicate their decision within a maximum of five working days after that. The following sanctions may be imposed:

• written warning;
• participation in a AWHC or other academic integrity workshop (you must submit proof of participation);
• rewrite of the assignment correctly;
• lowered grade up to a maximum of 10% of the final course grade;
• any other measure deemed reasonable in the circumstances.

The procedure involves five steps:

1. Confirmation from the vice-dean to the professor that this is your first academic misconduct.
2. Discussion between you and the professor about the reasons for your academic misconduct and appropriate sanctions.
3. Decision from the professor is provided to you regarding the sanction and your right to appeal (the information will be kept in your file and shared with your Faculty).
4. Acceptance or contestation of the sanction on your part; a contestation implies recourse to the disciplinary approach.
5. If you contest the sanction, confirmation in writing from you five working days after receiving the professor's decision to the vice-dean of the Faculty where the course in question is offered .

If the professor deems that, given its nature, the case should be forwarded to the Dean or delegate, the disciplinary approach will be chosen.

Disciplinary approach

All academic misconduct allegations must be submitted in writing, with supporting documentation, to the Dean of the Faculty offerin the course in question or supervising the research activities.  If the allegation involves several students from different Faculties, the case is submitted to the Faculty where the course is offered. If the allegation involves several students enrolled in a course offered simultaneously by more than one Faculty (e.g. a course offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels), the case is submitted to the Deans (or their representatives) of the Faculty responsible for the courses in question.

After the allegation has been filed, the Dean or their representative has ten working days to judge whether the allegation seems justified and to initiate the process:

1. The Dean writes to you to inform you of the allegations, and includes supporting documentation.  If the allegation involves an exam, it is possible to consult the exam in question at the Faculty, in a diligent manner.
2. They attache a copy of the Regulation A-4.
3. They inform you of your eligibility to the accelerated process or regular process.
4. You have five working days to reply. Failure to reply within this time is considered as acceptance of the regular process, which automatically starts on the sixth day.

Accelerated process

A student alleged to have committed academic misconduct is eligible for the accelerated process except in allegations involving:

1. a repeat offence ;
2. an allegation that could result in sanctions by the Senate Appeals Committee;
3. more than one student, except in some cases, at the discretion of the Dean or their representative;
4. comprehensive exams, thesis proposals, major research papers or theses, or a violation of responsible research conduct.

By agreeing to the accelerated process, you acknowledge having contravened the academic regulations and accept that one or more sanctions will be imposed. Within five working days, you will be required to meet with the person in charge of handling the accelerated process to discuss the situation, determine the sanction(s) and sign an agreement. You may be accompanied by a person of your choice at this meeting, and so may the person responsible for the accelerated process, as long as the names are communicated at least 24 hours before the meeting.

You have five working days after this meeting to submit the signed agreement. The person responsible for the accelerated process has five working days to forward the results, including the sanction(s), to the professor of the course in which the allegation took place and the Faculty.

The accelerated process normally takes place within twenty working days of you being informed of the allegation. However, you may terminate the accelerated process at any time prior to the signing of the agreement by informing the person responsible for this process in writing. At that point, the regular process begins.

The person in charge of the accelerated process can also end the process if it is unlikely an agreement can be reached, such as if you:

• Do not reply to emails or return phone calls or try to unduly prolong the process.
• Refuse to acknowledge having committed academic misconduct.
• Refuse to accept the sanction.
• Do not attend the meeting.

The person in charge of the accelerated process will notify the student in writing. This notification will immediately launch the start of the regular process.

If the regular process is initiated, all information you disclosed during the accelerated process is considered confidential as is your choice of using or not the accelerated process. No person involved in the accelerated process can be a member of your inquiry committee established under the regular process, unless you give your consent.

Regular process

The Dean (or delegate) will submit the file to an inquiry committee of at least three people (not including the Dean), within five working days of your response, on the sixth day after you have been informed of the allegation, or on the same day that the accelerated process is stopped.

Other representatives of the Faculty(ies) may be invited to join the committee if you are part of a program offered by more than one Faculty (e.g., joint, integrated, bi-disciplinary) or if the case involves a student from another Faculty. If several students are enrolled in a course offered simultaneously by more than one Faculty, the inquiry committee will be joint by the Dean(s) of the Faculties involved .

Once selected, the inquiry committee:

1. invites  you to submit in writing, within ten working days, all information or documentation relevant to the allegation.
2. requests any other information it considers relevant.
3. invites you to appear before the committee to present your case. At this meeting, you can be accompanied by a person of your choice (if it’s a case involving other students, the accompanying person cannot be one of these students). The person accompanying you is there to provide support and can, therefore, assist you during the meeting, keeping in mind that the exchange is, first and foremost, between the Faculty and you.

Once the inquiry committee has received this information and has given you a chance to make your case in writing or in person, it may do one of the following:

1. decide that the allegation is not well-founded and that it will take no further action (your professor and yourself will be advised within five working days); or
2. decide that the allegation is well-founded and provide a report to the Dean, recommending the appropriate sanctions in a delay of five working days.
3. The Dean sends you a copy of the inquiry committee’s report within five working days of its reception. The Dean also informs you that you have the right to submit your comments concerning this report, particularly with respect to any sanctions being imposed, as long as you do so in writing within ten working days following the report’s transmission. Any new evidence you provide should be submitted to the inquiry committee, who will revise and resubmit its report, if necessary, within five working days of its reception.

The inquiry committee’s report and, if applicable, your written comments are submitted to your Faculty’s executive committee (or its equivalent), which makes a decision or recommendation, depending on whether the Faculty or the Senate Appeals Committee is responsible for applying the recommended sanction.

If your Faculty is responsible for applying the sanction, the decision made by the Faculty executive committee (or its equivalent) takes effect immediately, even if you decide to appeal it.

The Dean informs you in writing of the decision or recommendation of the executive committee (or its equivalent) and the procedures you must follow to appeal it within five working days following the decision. The Dean also informs your professor.

Academic misconduct allegations involving doctoral theses

In the case of academic misconduct allegations involving doctoral theses, the inquiry committee is formed and chaired by the Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (or delegates)[ÉD4] . The committee consists of four members, including the Vice-Dean, Graduate Studies of the Faculty where you are enrolled. In cases of potential research misconduct, the director of the Office of Research Ethics and Integrity will be notified.

Accelerated process

If you wish to file an appeal after having signed the agreement, you must submit it to the Senate Appeals Committee within ten working days of having signed the agreement. Under the accelerated process, an appeal can be launched only in cases of procedural error.

Regular process

If you decide to appeal a decision of the Faculty’s executive committee (or its equivalent) or its recommendation to the Senate Appeals Committee, you must inform the Office of the Secretary-General and provide the reasons for the appeal in writing, within ten working days of being notified of the executive committee’s decision or recommendation.

The procedure for submitting an appeal to the Senate Appeals Committee is available online.

Briefly, you will be able to:

• submit an appeal of the Faculty’s decision within ten working days of receipt of the Faculty’s decision by completing the submission form;
• receive copies of any or all documentation you need to support your appeal (e.g. medical certificate);
• write a cover letter that briefly summarizes the situation, grounds for the appeal, and solution seeked;
• provide a written response to the faculty’s comments
• appear before the Senate Appeals Committee to make further oral submissions and answer questions, if you wish. A person of your choice can accompany you.

Please note that the decision of the Senate Appeals Committee is final and cannot be appealed.

If the allegation involves students from different Faculties, the disciplinary approach will be chosen. Faculties’ representatives may be invited to join the inquiry committee.

When the allegation involves more than one student enrolled in a course offered by more than one Faculty (e.g. courses offered at both undergraduate and graduate levels), it will be a joint inquiry committee.

No course taken at the University of Ottawa or elsewhere during the suspension period will be recognized by the University and no tuition fees will be refunded. When your suspension is finished, you can continue your program by re-enrolling, according to the program requirements in place at that time.

Every student who is alleged to have committed academic misconduct is eligible for the accelerated process, except in the following cases:

1. this is not your first offence
2. your offence is serious enough that it could lead to sanctions imposed by the Senate Appeals Committee
3. it involves more than one student
4. it involves a comprehensive exams, thesis proposals, major research papers or theses, or a violation of responsible research conduct.

If the allegation against you is well-founded and you’re eligible for the accelerated process, your dean (or its representative) will inform you by writing, and you will have to choose between the regular and the accelerated processes. You have five working days to respond otherwise the regular process will be started.

By accepting the accelerated process, you acknowledge that you have contravened the academic regulations, whether intentionally or not, and that there will be one or more sanctions.

If you choose the accelerated process, a meeting is organized between the person responsible for the accelerated process for academic misconduct cases and you within five working days. The goal of the meeting is to discuss the situation and arrive at an agreement in which you acknowledge that you have contravened the academic regulations, whether intentionally or not, and you accept the sanction imposed. For this meeting, you can be accompanied by a person of your choice. Likewise, the person responsible for the accelerated process of academic misconduct cases may also be accompanied. If this is the case, the person responsible for the accelerated process and you must provide, in advance, each other with the name of the person accompanying you (at least 24h).

You have five working days after the meeting to sign and return the agreement to the person responsible for the accelerated process.  The person responsible for the accelerated process of academic misconduct cases forwards the results of the process, along with the sanction imposed, to the professor who made the allegation of misconduct and  your faculty within five working days.

The accelerated process for an allegation of academic misconduct normally takes twenty working days following the deposit of the the allegation.

You can end the process at any time before you sign an agreement. The regular process is then started.

The person responsible for the accelerated process of academic misconduct cases can also end the process if it is unlikely an agreement can be reached, such as if you:

• don’t answer e-mails or return phone calls, or if you unfairly drag out the process
• refuse to acknowledge having committed academic misconduct
• reject the proposed sanction
• don’t attend the meeting

If the regular process is started:

• All information you have disclosed during the accelerated process is considered confidential and is not to be disclosed during the regular process.
• The fact that the accelerated process was used or that you had considered it cannot be disclosed to the inquiry committee established under the regular process.
• No person (other than you) involved in the accelerated process can be a member of the inquiry committee established under the regular process, unless you have agreed.

If you decide to file an appeal after you’ve signed an agreement, you must submit the appeal to the Senate Appeals Committee within ten working days of having signed the agreement. Under the accelerated process, an appeal can be launched only in cases of procedural error.

For more information on the accelerated process, please see: Regulation 14. Academic regulation A-4 Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct