It is through the Student Academic Misconduct Regulations that students, instructors, academic units, and the University can react and respond to suspected, likely, and confirmed instances of academic misconduct. 

Important:  

  • Instructors are responsible to make academic integrity expectations clear.  
  • This is frequently done through the syllabus and other instructions about assessments. 
  • Students are responsible to seek out and follow those academic integrity expectations. 
  • Instructors and students should recognize that different instructors can have different expectations and this can cause some confusion or misunderstanding.
  • Providing and seeking clarification is important. 
 Instructors:
  • USask does not subscribe to text-matching software (e.g., Turnitin or Ithenticate), and no GenAI detection tools are approved for use.
  • Support for students and instructors in the case of academic misconduct are largely handled at the College level.

Definitions

The following is an excerpt from pp. 6-8 of the Regulations on Student Academic Misconduct January 1, 2022.

Academic misconduct that may be the subject of an allegation under these Regulations includes, but is not limited to: 

  1. Providing false of misleading information or documentation to gain admission to USask or any USask program; 
  2. Theft of lecture notes, research work, computer files, or other academic or research materials (including data) prepared by another student or an instructor or staff member; 
  3. Using work done in one class in fulfillment of any requirement of another class unless approval is obtained from the instructor by whom the material is being evaluated; 
  4. Colluding in the development of or completion of work, examinations and/or assessments (sometime called unauthorized collaboration) without direction rom or approval of the instructor in the class. It is not academic misconduct to use work developed in the context of a group exercise if the mode and extent of the use does not deviated from that which is specifically authorized;  
  5. Alteration or falsification of records, computer files, or any document relating to a student’s academic performance, including but not limited to falsification of information provided for application USask or any of its program; 
  6. Fabrication or invention of sources; 
  7. Examinations and assessments: The following are examples of academic misconduct involving examinations and assessments: 
    1. Failure to observe any stated rule with regard to the procedures used in an examination, assessment, or an activity undertaken for academic credit where such a failure could result in the student gaining relatively greater credit; 
    2. Altering answers on a returned examination; 
    3. When prohibited, removing an examination (including creating a digital copy) from the examination room and/or sharing examination or assessment material 
    4. Seeking to acquire or acquiring prior knowledge of the content of any examination question or paper; 
    5. Attempting to use, possessing or using notes or other sources of information or device not permitted by the instructor in an examination or assessment; 
    6. Consulting or seeking the assistance of other when writing an unsupervised (e.g., “take home”) examination or assessment unless permitted by the instructor; 
    7. Providing false or misleading information with the intent to avoid or delay writing an examination or fulfilling any other academic requirement

Consequences of Academic Misconduct

There are two procedures for deciding on consequences. 
See Regulations for detailed descriptions.

1) The instructor and student come to an agreement:  Limited set of consequences

  1. See “Informal” procedures (pp. 8-9)
  2. An instructor and student agree that academic misconduct occurred and agree on the consequences which are limited to:
    • A resubmit or do-over of the assessment and/or
    • A grade reduction on the assessment in question to a maximum penalty of zero.
  3. Both sign an agreement which is kept on file for up to 5 years by the College.
2) A hearing board convened by the College where the course is taught decides: Full range of consequences
  1. See “Formal” procedures (pp. 9-10)
  2. Responsibility for academic misconduct is decided by a hearing board of faculty and a student representative. See the text box below for a list of sanctions.
  3. Decision is kept on file for up to 5 years by the College, and depending on penalty, may also become part of the permanent academic record for a student. 

The following is an excerpt from p. 13 of the Regulations on Student Academic Misconduct January 1, 2022.

4. The hearing board shall have the authority to dismiss the matter completely, or to impse one or more sanctions which may include, but are not limited to, the following:  

a) that the student be reprimanded or censured;
b) that a mark of zero or other appropriate grade be assigned for the entire course, for an assignment or for an examination or assessment, and/or that a credit or mark for the class be modified or cancelled;
c) that an examination be rewritten, an assignment be redone or any other academic performance be repeated; 
d) that the student(s) be required to submit an essay or assignment relating to the topic of academic misconduct, or to prepare and/or deliver a presentation on that or a related topic;
e) that the students(s) be required to complete additional training related to academic integrity;
f) that a prospective student be denied admission to the program;
g) that the student(s) be suspended from USask for a specified period of time;
h) that the student(s) be expelled permanently from USask; or 
i) that the conferral of a degree, diploma or certificate be postponed, denied or revoked.

Advice and support

Decisions about responsibility for academic misconduct are made using a standard called the “balance of probability”—this means decisions are made by thinking about what the most probable explanation is for what has happened.

  • Manage your first reactions to an instructor's inquiry or message about academic misconduct.
  • review Module 2 of the Academic Integrity Tutorial to learn more about your rights and responsibilities as expressed in the Academic Misconduct Regulations.
  • Seek advice and give some thought to your responses.
    • Undergraduates: contact the USSU; and/or ask at the student services office of the College responsible for the course.
    • Graduate students: contact the GSA; and/or ask at the student services office of CGPS.
  • Expect to be asked about your process for the assessment in question.
  • Refer to specific instructions for the assessments and/or statements on the syllabus about academic integrity expectations.
  • Refer to the Regulations – instructors cannot reduce a grade because of academic misconduct without following the procedures in the Regulations.

First, contact the Associate Dean’s office in the College where the course is taught for guidance about process and the Regulations. 

In general,

  • Manage your first reactions to a suspicion or discovery of academic misconduct – some instructors report distress and frustration in the moment and sometimes that can distort what you may is a good next step.
  • If you contact a student about an academic misconduct issue, expect they will be distressed and be ready to provide prompt(e.g., within 24 hours) and measured responses to their reply.
  • Assemble the instructions or communications provided to students about the academic integrity expectations.
  • Be ready to explain why you think academic misconduct has occurred—collect any relevant materials, prepare a description of observed behaviours.
  • Refer to the Regulations – instructors cannot reduce a grade because of academic misconduct without following the procedures in the Regulations.

Instructors and students can talk to each other about academic misconduct concerns.

In fact, this can be a good approach for finding those “teachable moments” where a student may have made an error and whether suitable for the Regulations or not, they need to learn from the mistake or the misunderstanding.   

Whether or not the concern requires a response through the regulations, having a conversation allows both students and instructors to understand what has happened. 

Restore Learning and Trust

When academic misconduct occurs, there will have been at least some distress about the matter.  Maybe there is also a breakdown in the teaching and learning relationship that needs repair because of harm done by an alleged or confirmed incident of academic misconduct. 

  • Students may feel ashamed, targeted, unfairly treated and/or unlucky.   
  • Instructors may feel angry, frustrated, disrespected, or regretful about some missed opportunity to prevent the issue. 

  • Whenever possible take measures that restore the learning and the validity of the assessment. 
  • It is an option in the Regulations for students to agree to (informal proceedure) or be required to (formal proceedure) resubmit an assignment or retake an exam to show what they can do on their own or what they can do once they understand their error.

  • Because relationships among educators and students are harmed by academic misconduct, those involved may be asked to discuss and come to better understand the impacts of the events surrounding the academic misconduct concern.
  • Sometimes, it will be appropriate to offer or exchange apologies or make amends in some other way.  

  • Human beings make mistakes and can learn from them.  Sometimes, it is from mistakes that we humans learn the most.
  • Students may choose on their own or be required to engage in skill development or time management actions. 

  • Educators and those who work in support services are continuously learning about what works and what doesn’t.
  • There are many teaching and assessment practices and other kinds of supports that help students maintain academic integrity and avoid academic misconduct.
  • This is why educators seek advice and try out new things and stop using assessments that are prone to academic misconduct issues.