Graduate student academic integrity
It is the responsibility of every graduate student to make herself/himself completely familiar with the principles of academic integrity.
Faculty of Health graduate students are required to complete an academic integrity milestone, which includes completion of an in-person workshop, an on-line module and signing and submission of one milestone form.
The online modules, Graduate Studies and Academic Integrity, is a degree requirement for all graduate students and is accessed through your LEARN account. The goal of the Graduate Academic Integrity Module (AIM) is to ensure that all graduate students are given the resources and information to work, study, and play with integrity.
Content found in the online tutorial includes:
- University policies on academic offences, intellectual property, student discipline, etc.
- Information on common violations of academic integrity such as:
- Cheating
- Plagiarism
- Unauthorized collaboration
- Fabrication and falsification
- Resources offered campus-wide help you act with integrity in all aspects of your university life
Students may visit the Office of Academic Integrity for additional information, or refer to their site for Frequently Asked Questions.
Academic offences
According to UWaterloo policy, all cases of academic discipline are to be handled by the Faculty's Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. This is done to ensure consistency of penalty, to track multiple offenders, to prevent a student accused of committing an offence from dropping the course, and to route discipline cases to the correct administrator (cases are handled by the Associate Dean in the student's home faculty rather than the faculty in which the course is offered). Should you suspect a student has committed an academic offence contact the appropriate Associate Dean (Undergraduate or Graduate) in the Faculty of Health as well as the course instructor.
Refer to Policy 71 for more information on academic integrity offences.
Examples of academic offences and penalties are listed in the table below.
| Offence | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Plagiarism/cheating on assignments (e.g. copying) in courses with numeric grades | 0 on the course element; a further 5 marks off the final course grade; may include suspension |
| Plagiarism/cheating on assignments (e.g. copying) in courses graded CR/NCR | NCR in the course; may include suspension |
| Theft of intellectual property | 2-term suspension |
| Plagiarism on Comprehensive/Thesis | Failed Comprehensive/Thesis; expulsion |
| In a term test or final exam situation - cheating; use or possession of unauthorized aid; violation of exam regulations |
Opportunistic: 0 on the test or exam; a further 5 marks off the final course grade; 1-term suspension Premeditated: 0 on the test or exam; failure in the course; 2-term suspension |
| Failure to indicate previous post-secondary education | Denial of the transfer credit; expulsion possible in cases of malicious intent |
| Misrepresentation (e.g., lying; altering medical note or work term performance evaluation, falsifying work history or resume) | Expulsion |
| Unauthorized co-operation or collaboration; unauthorized resubmission of work | 0 on the course element; a further 5 marks off the final course grade |
Policies relevant to academic integrity
Policy 33: Ethical behaviour
Policy 69: Conflict of Interest
Policy 70: Student petitions and grievances
Policy 71: Student discipline
Policy 72: Student appeals
Policy 73: Intellectual property rights