Academic integrity

Academic integrity is important because it recognizes and appreciates the work done by other scholars and promotes behaviours that avoid dishonesty, plagiarism and cheating. By acknowledging others’ previous academic contributions, you can also demonstrate how your work builds on existing knowledge.

Policies on academic integrity

Familiarize yourself with NIC Policy 3-06, Community Code of Academic, Personal and Professional Conduct. It’s important to note that being uninformed about policies does not prevent you from facing disciplinary action for academic misconduct.

Students involved in research conducted at or under the auspices of NIC may be required to seek research ethics approval.

What happens when an instructor suspects academic misconduct?

1. The instructor will speak to the student who submitted the work.
2. After speaking to the student, if the instructor still believes academic misconduct has taken place, they will refer the matter to the Academic Integrity Committee (AIC).
3. The AIC chair will contact the student. As per Policy 3-06, the student can respond in one of three ways.

   • Option 1: Present their defense to the Academic Integrity Panel
     The student must notify the AIC chair withing three (3) days of being contacted whether they intend to appear in person, submit a written statement or both. The student’s case will be scheduled for the next available meeting. If the student chooses to attend, they can bring a support person or student union advocate.  

     • After hearing the evidence, the panel can accept or dismiss the allegations; if accepted, the panel will forward the case the the dean for sanctioning.

   • Option 2: Acknowledge the academic misconduct
     If the student admits to academic misconduct, the panel process will be bypassed and the AIC chair will send the matter directly to the dean for sanctioning (step 4).

   • Option 3: Decline a response
     Absent a response from the student, the AIC chair will decide whether to refer the case to the Academic Integrity Panel or to the student’s dean for sanctioning (step 4).

4. If a case has been forwarded to the dean for sanctioning, the dean will review the evidence and determine appropriate sanctions.
5. If the student wishes to appeal the dean’s decision, they should review Policy 3-30, Student Appeals.

If you have questions about this process, contact the chair of the Academic Integrity Committee.

Practical tips

In addition to getting to know the policies and procedures explained on this page, here are a few other things you can do to safeguard your work from academic misconduct.

Complete the Academic Integrity Matters (AIM) tutorial

This tutorial takes 30 to 40 minutes and covers topics like plagiarism, citing, writing tips and academic integrity. You’ll also be able to test your knowledge with quizzes and earn a certificate of completion. In some cases, your instructor may require you to complete the AIM tutorial. The tutorial is available on Brightspace.

Know when to work alone

Find out when you can work in groups and when you need to work alone. Collaboration on assignments, quizzes and essays can get you in trouble if you were meant to work alone.

Start fresh

While recycling is great for the environment, recycling previous work is almost always the wrong thing to do. Start fresh with new ideas, new research and new content.

Cite your sources

Make sure you make a note of all your sources and cite them accurately. Even if it is accidental, plagiarism is plagiarism.

Get research advice

Your campus Library and Learning Commons offers workshops on helpful topics like citation throughout the year. Visit us online or drop in to learn more.