Academic Integrity at the University of Windsor

 Academic integrity applies to all of us. To be and to foster a learning centred environment we need to cultivate a climate of trust and honesty. We cannot afford anything less." Dr. Pierre J. Boulos, Chair, Research Ethics Board, and IT Learning Specialist, School of Computer Science 

The University is committed to preserving academic integrity on its campus. In 2006 the University undertook its first Academic Integrity Assessment Project, which involved surveying faculty and students about their attitudes and behaviours relating to academic honesty. The information obtained in this study will inform the ongoing development of the University's educational initiatives. Another survey was conducted in 2011 and the results will be reported in 2012. 
  
The purpose of the Academic Integrity Office is two-fold: educational and administrative. Educationally, the AIO seeks to promote academic honesty at all levels and prevent misconduct before it occurs. This is done through the academic integrity awareness campaign, educational workshops for students, information sessions for faculty, and one-on-one or small group meetings with students, faculty, and administration. The Academic Integrity Office is also designed to be a resource for all members of the campus community with respect to any academic integrity-related issue.

The Academic Integrity Officer assumes an administrative role when academic (or non-academic) misconduct is alleged to have occurred. This involves investigating complaints under Senate Bylaw 31 (Student Affairs and Integrity) and making decisions as to how complaints should be resolved. It may also include participating in mediation, negotiating settlements, or serving as the University's discipline counsel at hearings before the University's disciplinary tribunals.

If you are a student, visit Information for Students to find information about citation and links to helpful sites, the University's Plagiarism Policy and Acceptable Use Policy for Computers, online tutorials, and Frequently Asked Questions about the academic integrity complaint process here at the University. A page is also dedicated to the specific concerns of Graduate Assistants and Teaching Assistants.

Faculty members are encouraged to visit the Faculty pages to find information about New Faculty Orientation, Academic Integrity and Plagiarism presentations, links to helpful websites about plagiarism and academic integrity across North America, the complaint process, and Turnitin.com, the plagiarism-detection system to which the University subscribes.

To learn what cases have been processed through the Academic Integrity Office, please visit the Cases and Sanctions pages where you will find summaries of this information or the Disciplinary Decisions for full-text decisions of the University's tribunals.

The Academic Integrity Office welcomes ideas about how to improve the culture of academic integrity at the University of Windsor, including suggestions for postings on this website. You can reach the Academic Integrity Officer, Danielle Istl, at istld@uwindsor.ca or extension 3929.