Academic Fraud

Academic fraud is defined as “any act by a student that may result in a distorted academic evaluation of that student or of another student.” Academic fraud occurs if you do any of the following:

• Plagiarize (copy) or cheat in any way (for more information on plagiarism and how you can avoid it, see the academic fraud section in the student guides).
• Submit work you have not completely written yourself (with the exception of quotations and references). This can include an assignment, an essay, a test, an exam, a research report or a thesis, whether you present your work in writing, orally or in another form.
• Present research data that has been falsified or made up in any way.
• Attribute a statement of fact or reference to a made-up source.
• Submit the same work or a large part of the same work in more than one course, or a thesis or other work that has been presented elsewhere without the prior approval of the appropriate professors or faculties.
• Falsify or misrepresent an academic evaluation, 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 evaluation.

If you’ve committed or tried to commit academic fraud, or have assisted someone else to do so, you could be subject to one or more of the following sanctions, as detailed in Regulation 14 on academic fraud:

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 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 enrol;
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. 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-enrol in your program and you are subject to the program requirements in place at that time;
11. inclusion of a permanent statement on the student’s official transcript: Sanction pursuant to contravention of the University regulation on fraud.
12. expulsion from the University of Ottawa and permanent statement on your official transcript indicating you were expelled from the University for committing academic fraud. 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;
13. cancellation or revocation of a degree, diploma or certificate conferred prior to the University becoming aware of academic fraud;
14. any other sanction considered appropriate for the circumstances.

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

All fraud allegations must be submitted in writing, with supporting documentation, to the dean of the faculty in which the course is offered, except for cases involving doctoral theses. If the allegation seems justified, the dean or the dean’s representative:

1. writes to you to inform you of the allegations, and includes supporting documentation. If you are eligible for the accelerated process for academic fraud cases, you can choose to follow the regular process (described here) or the accelerated process (See Regulation 14 on academic fraud). If the allegation involves an examination, the student has the right to consult the exam in question at the faculty, in a diligent manner;
2. attaches a copy of the Regulation on Academic Fraud;
3. refers the file to a committee of inquiry made up of at least three individuals, appointed by the dean, in the following circumstances: you are not eligible for the accelerated process, you choose the regular process, or the accelerated process was abandoned.

The committee of inquiry:

1. invites you to submit in writing, within a set deadline, all information or documentation relevant to the allegation, and invites you to appear before the committee. 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 the student;
2. requests all other information it considers relevant.

Once the committee of inquiry 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; or
2. decide that the allegation is well-founded and provide a short report to the dean, recommending the appropriate sanctions.

The dean sends you a copy of the inquiry committee’s report within five (5) 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 (10) working days following the report’s transmission.

The committee of inquiry’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 (5) working days following the decision.

Fraud allegations involving doctoral theses

In the case of  fraud allegations involving doctoral theses, the inquiry committee is formed and chaired by the Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The Committee consists of four members, including the Vice-Dean,Graduate Studies of the faculty where the student is enrolled In cases of potential research misconduct, the director of the Office of Research Ethics and Integrity will be notified.

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 Vice-President, Governance and provide the reasons for the appeal in writing, within ten (10) 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 (10) working days of receipt of the Faculty’s decision
• receive a copy of the faculty’s comments to the Senate Appeals Committee on your case
• 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

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