Academic integrity policy violation support for instructors
UVic has implemented a new academic integrity policy, effective September 2026.
The following process supports instructors in responding to suspected academic integrity violations and applying the Policy on Academic Integrity. Where this guidance differs from the policy, the policy governs.
Consult your department's Academic Integrity Advisor, or email our dedicated academic integrity and learning facilitator, if you would like assistance interpreting the policy, assessing evidence or determining an appropriate response.
Document what you notice
When you suspect a violation, first document what you have observed and the basis for your concern.
Gather evidence, such as:
- assignment instructions
- student submission
- other comparators
- version history
- discrepancy with student’s other work
Please note
You can only use university-approved tools and processes when evaluating or investigating alleged academic integrity violations. Unapproved university software, including detection tools or analytical systems are not permitted.Email the notice
Next, email the Notice of Alleged Academic Integrity Violation form to the student, normally within 10 business days of discovering the alleged violation.
Wait for a maximum of 10 business days for the student to respond; if they do not respond, note that and take the next step in their absence.
Review with student
Meet with the student, or provide a reasonable opportunity for them to respond, and invite them to explain the work. Students may bring a support person to meetings regarding alleged academic integrity violations. Take note of their responses and whether they demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding of the material.
Determine, based on your evidence collected, whether an academic integrity violation has occurred. If you have decided a violation has not occurred, the process ends and the student should be informed.
Assess the violation
If you decide that a violation has occurred, you should consider:
- the extent of the dishonesty
- whether it was deliberate
- the value of the work as a course component
- whether it was an isolated incident, and
- other circumstances and note your rationale.
Please note
If you believe a different penalty is required (or if the penalty chosen would fail the student in the course, please refer to the Chair/Director (See section 6 of the policy). Instructors are encouraged to consult their academic integrity advisor regarding evidence assessment, procedural questions and implementation of the policy.
Email incident report
- Email the completed Academic Integrity Incident Report to the student.
- Invite them to respond to the report and/or note any discrepancies (see "Student response" section on p. 3 of the incident report) and give them a deadline to respond within 10 business days of meeting with you. Students may provide a written response for inclusion with the report.
- The Academic Integrity Incident Report should be emailed within 10 business days of the meeting with the student (This final, critical step gives the student the opportunity to appeal and is the culmination of your thorough process).
- Email the Academic Integrity Incident Report (which contains all your evidence and rationale for the penalty) to the Office of the Registrar and Enrolment Management (OREM), cc’ing the Chair/Director (and delete your copies/record).
- Lastly, inform the student that the report will be retained by OREM and may be considered in the event of a future academic integrity proceedings.
Previous violations
OREM updates the Chair/Director if the student has one or more prior violations. The case is then referred to the Chair/Director or Dean, depending on the number of violations. If the Chair or Dean determines that another violation has occurred, they report this in the Notice of Academic Integrity Violation (Academic Dishonesty).
Where previous violations exist, the matter will proceed in accordance with sections 5.5-5.8 of the Policy on Academic Integrity.
Academic fraud
The academic integrity policy differentiates between academic fraud and academic dishonesty (see 5.1 of the policy).
If an instructor believes that a student may have engaged in possible falsification, misrepresentation, fraud or misuse, you must meet with the Chair or Director to decide whether the purpose was for academic advantage within a course/program. If so, it will be dealt with according to the processes for a case of alleged academic dishonesty.
Forms to support academic fraud
- notice of alleged academic integrity violation
- academic integrity incident report
- notice of academic integrity violation (only used by academic leaders)