Academic Integrity Policy

Purpose
To maintain a high standard of academic integrity across the Seneca community and provide the foundation
for research, teaching, learning and working practices.
Scope
This policy applies to all members of the Seneca community.
Key Definitions
Academic integrity
Within an academic environment, “a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental
values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. From these values flow principles of behaviour
that enable academic communities to translate ideals to action" (ICAI, Fundamental Values Project, 1999).
Cheating
Obtaining or attempting to obtain, or aiding another to obtain, credit for work or improvement in evaluation
of performance, by dishonest or deceptive means.
College business day
Monday to Friday, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, statutory holidays or any other day Seneca has publicly
acknowledged that it is closed.
Contract cheating
A form of academic dishonesty in which a student’s academic work is completed by a third party on their
behalf and submitted for academic credit. It may involve a fee paid to a third party.
Falsification
Misrepresenting or forging documentation, e.g., a medical record, an academic record or academic work of
another student, to gain an academic advantage.
Impersonation
The act of taking a test, an examination or any other assessment on another individual’s behalf, with their
knowledge and consent.
Official transcript
A detailed record of a student’s academic history that carries an authorized signature and can be requested
for a fee.
Plagiarism
Using another individual’s work (e.g., words, images, ideas, logic, phrases, signatures or computations) and
presenting it as one’s own, without properly citing the source.
Restorative practice
Based on the values of inclusion, accountability and compassion, as well as the understanding that
everyone is an equal member of society and has a contribution to make to the greater good, this approach
enables those who have been harmed to convey the impact of the harm to those responsible, and for those
responsible to acknowledge this impact and take steps toward resolution.
Student record
A documented history of a student’s educational progress that can be found in the Student Centre and may
include electronic notations/service indicators, e.g., outstanding fees. Electronic notations/service indicators
are not visible on a student’s official transcript.
Policy
Policy Statement
Seneca upholds a learning community that values academic integrity, honesty, fairness, trust, respect,
responsibility and courage. These values enhance Seneca’s commitment to students by delivering high-
quality education and teaching excellence, while supporting a positive learning environment.
Seneca’s Academic Integrity Program is a holistic, integrated model, grounded in a teaching and learning
approach, and requires the engagement and participation of various stakeholders, including the Seneca
Student Federation, Student Life, Teaching & Learning Centre, Academic Integrity Sub-Committee,
Academic College Council, Seneca International and Seneca Libraries. The objective of the Academic
Integrity Program is to maintain a high standard of academic integrity across Seneca. The integrated nature
of the program requires that policy and procedure, development and training for faculty, along with training
sessions, and student life programming for students be aligned with the institutional philosophies and
approaches to academic integrity.
General
Consistent with a traditional Indigenous approach, restorative justice should be adopted, where students
communicate with their professors throughout the semester, either individually or with a support person, to
discuss different perspectives and insights on academic expectations and concerns.
Students should inform faculty at the earliest opportunity of any circumstance that may affect their
academic performance, so that alternate arrangements can be made.
Should there be a suspected violation of this policy (e.g., contract cheating, falsification, impersonation or
plagiarism), the academic integrity sanctions will be applied according to the severity of the offence
committed. Refer to Appendix B for the academic integrity sanctions.
Should a suspected violation of this policy be a result of, or in combination with, a suspected violation of
Seneca’s Student Code of Conduct and/or another non-academic-related Seneca policy, the matter will be
investigated and adjudicated through the process found in the Student Code of Conduct. Should the
investigation find a breach of this policy, the sanctions outlined in Appendix B may be imposed
accordingly. The Student Conduct Office will work with the respective academic dean to ensure the
appropriate application of the relevant policies.
Supporting Documentation
Appendix A: Academic Integrity Procedures
Appendix B: Academic Integrity Sanctions
Appendix C: Academic Integrity Report
Appendix D: Response to the Academic Integrity Report
Related Seneca Policies
Academic Appeals Policy
Related Materials
Bertram Gallant, T. (2008). Academic Integrity in the 21st Century: A Teaching and Learning Imperative:
ASHE Higher Education Report, Volume 33, Number 5. San Francisco, CA. Wiley-Jossey Bass.
Lang, J. M. (2013). Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty. Cambridge, Massachusetts:
Harvard University Press.
Twomey, T., White, H., & Sagendorf, K. (Eds.). (2009). Pedagogy, not Policing: Positive approaches to
Academic Integrity at the University. Syracuse, N.Y, The Graduate School Press, Syracuse University.