Discipline Process and Penalties
Academic Integrity Officers in each Faculty are responsible for Dalhousie's Discipline Process. Download the Discipline Flow Chart [PDF - 274 kB] to view the process.
A summary of the procedure follows:
- The first step occurs when the professor or teaching assistant (TA) suspects that a student has committed an academic offence such as a plagiarized assignment or paper, unauthorized collaboration or cheating on an exam.
- The instructor submits a statement outlining the basis for the allegation, together with all relevant supporting evidence, to the Academic Integrity Officer of the Faculty in which the class is offered.
- The Academic Integrity Officer first determines whether or not there is a minimal basis (prima facie case) for the allegation. If there is none, no further steps are taken in relation to the allegation.
- If a prima facie case is established, then in most cases the Academic Integrity Officer will convene a meeting with the student(s), the student(s)’s advisor, if any, and the instructor within 5 working days of the student receiving the allegation. This time may be extended at the request of the student, instructor or Academic Integrity Officer in appropriate circumstances.;
- Following the meeting, the Academic Integrity Officer decides whether there is sufficient evidence to support the allegation, and if so, recommends what he or she feels is an appropriate penalty (see possible penalties).
- The Academic Integrity Officer then provides the student with the option of accepting the finding and the recommended penalty, or of proceeding to the Senate Discipline Committee for a full hearing. The option is presented to the student within 5 working days of the meeting, and the student has 2 working days to respond.
Read the complete Terms of Reference for the Senate Discipline Committee.
All allegations of an academic offence are considered CONFIDENTIAL and confidentiality must be maintained by those involved in each case when an academic offence is suspected.