In the case of an alleged violation of academic integrity, faculty should follow the steps below to conduct an investigation and submit an Academic Integrity report.
Note that the investigation (Steps 1-3) must be completed prior to submitting a report.
Step 1: Investigation
As soon as a faculty member becomes aware of an alleged violation of academic integrity they, or their designate, will:
- Gather and review all relevant documentation and, if necessary, meet with individuals who have relevant information regarding the alleged violation.
- Provide the student with notice of a scheduled opportunity (usually a meeting between the student and faculty member) for the student to provide their account of the situation.
Students are encouraged to seek guidance and support from a BCIT Student Association Advocate. A student may also bring a support person to any meeting regarding academic integrity.
Step 2: Investigation Findings
Using all relevant information, the faculty member or designate will decide whether the alleged academic integrity violation occurred or not. If no violation occurred, the matter will be closed and no record will be created. If a violation has occurred, the faculty member must decide on an appropriate outcome.
Step 3: Resolution
When the faculty member or designate finds that the student has violated the academic integrity requirements, they will decide on an appropriate outcome by considering:
- The extent and impact of the violation;
- The importance of the work in question;
- Whether the violation was deliberate or inadvertent;
- Whether the violation was an isolated incident or part of repeated violations in the same course; and
- Any other mitigating or aggravating circumstances.
The faculty member or designate may then impose one or more of the following outcomes:
- Deliver a written warning to the student that they have violated the Student Code of Academic Integrity;
- Require the student to resubmit the work, or complete a similar assignment, for equal or lower grade value of the original submission;
- Assign a lower grade for the work;
- Assign a failing grade for the work (worth 25% or less of the final grade);
- Refer to Associate Dean for further review (for complicated cases including an egregious or recurring incident, or work worth more than 25% of final grade).
Submitting the Academic Integrity Report
The faculty member or designate must complete the online Academic Integrity Report Form, documenting all evidence used to reach their decision and selected outcome. The submitted form will be automatically sent to the Student Life Office. Within two business days of receiving the report form, the Student Life Office will send a notification letter containing the results of the investigation to the student, Associate Dean, and the faculty member or designate who submitted the report.
The Student Life Office will retain a copy of the report within the student’s conduct file. The decision maker (faculty member, Associate Dean, Registrar, or designate) is responsible for the storage and retention of all documentation and evidence consistent with the BCIT Records Management policy.
Multiple Reports
Investigations into multiple reports of violations of academic integrity by the same student outside of the same course may only be completed by an Associate Dean or the Registrar.
When the Student Life Office receives multiple reports of violations of the Student Code of Academic Integrity by the same student, they will notify the Associate Dean or Registrar as appropriate. The Associate Dean or Registrar will:
- Review all submitted reports and complete their own investigation
- Provide the student with notice of an opportunity to meet to respond to the allegation of multiple academic integrity violations
- If necessary, impose one or more of the outcomes available to a faculty member, or one or more of the following:
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- Educational activity – require the student to complete a project, with the intent of understanding and/or contributing to the reparation of harm caused and/or trust lost as a result of the dishonesty;
- Failing grade on work (more than 25% of the final grade) – assign a failing grade for the work;
- Course grade – assign a lower grade in the course, including a failing grade;
- Request a formal investigation – in situations that involve evidence of significant violations of the Student Code of Academic Integrity, an investigator can be appointed by the Student Life Office to conduct a full investigation on behalf of the President.
When the investigation is complete, the Associate Dean or Registrar must complete an Academic Integrity Report form, which will be automatically sent to the Student Life Office. Within two business days, the Student Life Office will send a notification letter containing the results of the investigation to the student and the Associate Dean and/or Registrar.
The Student Life Office will retain a copy of the report within the student’s conduct file. The decision maker (Associate Dean or Registrar) is responsible for the storage and retention of all documentation and evidence consistent with the BCIT Records Management policy.
Questions?
For more information on the Student Code of Academic Integrity policy [PDF] and procedures [PDF], please refer to BCIT’s policy webpage. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss the process, contact the Student Life Office at student_life@bcit.ca.