Academic Misconduct

The University puts very high value on academic integrity. (PDF file) Senate Policy 60: Academic Integrity provides detailed information about Academic Misconduct and what penalties are to be expected. These are some examples of types of Academic Misconduct:

Citing resources without proper and/or incomplete referencing
Working collaboratively with others without explicit consent of the instructor
Having access to or using materials or aids during exams that were not explicitly allowed by the instructor
Improperly obtaining access to examination questions or materials
Submitting stolen or purchased assignments
Submitting altered, falsified, or forged medical or other documentation for academic consideration, or making false claims for this consideration
Offering or giving assignments, essays, test questions to others
Using your own work more than once for an assignment or essay without the permission of the instructor

2. The Process for Handling Suspicions of Academic Misconduct

You must be notified that there is a suspicion of Academic Misconduct as soon as possible and in a confidential manner. A detailed summary of the basis for the suspicion must be included. The AIO shall send to the student any evidence that can transmitted electronically, in advance of the discussion.

Once you are notified about the suspicion, a meeting will be arranged with your instructor to discuss the suspicion of academic misconduct. This meeting can be organized in one of two ways:

(1) You and your instructor, this is called a Non Facilitated Discussion (NFD);

(2) A Facilitated Discussion (FD) with you, your instructor or a Designated Decision Maker (DDM), and a Facilitator from the Academic Integrity Office.

Note: A Facilitated Discussion must be organized for Graduate Students.

The specifics of a Facilitated Discussion are:

The Facilitated Discussion can be requested by either you, (if you are asked to attend a Non-Facilitated Discussion), or your instructor. The Facilitated Discussion should normally be held within five working days after you were notified of the suspicion. If you are unable to attend the Facilitated Discussion, you must inform the Academic Integrity Officer right away in order to be able to reschedule the meeting.

You may consult the Full-Time Undergraduate Student Advocate (external link) , Graduate Student Advocate (external link, opens in new window) , the TMAPS Student Advocate (external link) , the Academic Integrity Office or your Program Director or Chair if you want more information about next steps. If you believe you are being treated unfairly, you can contact the Office of the Ombudsperson.

The Facilitator from the Academic Integrity Office will host the meeting and assist everyone present to have a constructive discussion. During the meeting, the instructor or the DDM, will explain why they suspect you may have engaged in academic misconduct. They are required to provide evidence to substantiate the suspicion. It is important to listen carefully to what the instructor or DDM explains, even if you might be upset by what is being said.

After your instructor presents the reason for their suspicion, you have the opportunity to respond. You can explain what happened and if they are relevant, present documents or notes to clarify why you took a particular approach. You may be asked to submit rough notes or drafts of the academic work in question (if applicable). If you realize later that there is an important document relevant for the discussion that you did not provide, inform the AIO as soon as possible so that the document can be made available to the instructor before they make a decision.

Each Facilitated Discussion will be summarized and notes will be prepared by the Facilitator that will then be reviewed by you and the instructor. This is done at the end of the Facilitated Discussion. If you do not agree with the summary, note your disagreement and what you disagree with on the Summary of Discussion form. The Summary notes will be emailed to you one or two business days after the meeting. If you have any concerns about the information on the Summary of Discussion Form, please notify the Academic Integrity Office immediately.

After the Facilitated Discussion is held, your instructor or DDM will decide whether you engaged in Academic Misconduct or not. If they decide that you have not behaved with academic integrity the instructor will also tell you what penalty is being applied. You should receive the decision within five working days after the Facilitated Discussion. If you do not agree with the decision, you have the opportunity to appeal it. This must be done within ten working days of when you received the decision.

If you are found to have engaged in Academic Misconduct your Chair/Program Director and the Registrar will be informed. A Disciplinary Notation (DN) will be automatically placed on the University’s internal Academic Record. If you are an Undergraduate or Chang School student the DN will be removed from your internal record when you graduate.

3. Appealing a Finding of Academic Misconduct

If you believe that the Instructor's decision is incorrect or unfair, you may Appeal the finding of Academic Misconduct to the Academic Integrity Council (AIC).

Moreover, if you believe that the finding is accepted, you may Appeal the penalty of Academic Misconduct to the Academic Integrity Council (AIC).

You have 10 business days from the date of the decision letter, to submit your Appeal using the Academic Misconduct Appeal Form which can be found at https:www.torontomu.ca/senate/appeals

Academic Integrity Council (AIC) decisions can be appealed to the Senate Appeals Committee (SAC), within 10 business days of receiving the AIC decision letter, using the Senate Academic Misconduct Appeal Form which can be found at https:www.torontomu.ca/senate/appeals

Please see (PDF file) Policy 60 (15.1) for the specified circumstances that qualify for Appeal to the Senate Appeals Committee(SAC).

4. Automatic Hearings at Academic Integrity Council and the Senate Appeals Committee

If your instructor or DDM recommends a Disciplinary Suspension, Disciplinary Withdrawal, or Expulsion from the University as a penalty, a hearing will be automatically scheduled at the Academic Integrity Council. A Penalty Hearing can also be scheduled if you have two findings of Academic Misconduct. You are then required to submit a (PDF file) Response to Notice of Penalty Hearing Academic Integrity Council form. If the Academic Integrity Council supports the recommendation for Disciplinary Suspension, it will decide on the length of the suspension. However, for Disciplinary Withdrawal or Expulsion, the Senate Appeals Committee is the decision-maker. It is only the Senate Appeals Committee that can decide if a student will be expelled or withdrawn from the University for Academic Misconduct.

Please refer to the AIO website for Procedures on preparing your Appeal.