Student FAQ

First, don’t panic. Make sure to respond to any messages from your instructor, the department Chair, or Academic Integrity Office. Avoiding the matter could make it worse. Attend any meeting(s) scheduled to discuss the matter and potentially resolve the case.

You may also wish to get advice from Academic Advising & Career Centre, the Scarborough Campus Student's Union (SCSU), the International Student Centre, or your AccessAbility Services consultant if you have one. If the offence is serious in nature, you may wish to consult a student lawyer in Downtown Legal Services.

If you have evidence to support your claim of what happened, compile all of that in a document that is clear and easy to review. Share this information with your instructor, department Chair, and/or Dean’s Designate prior to any meetings.

If you see a GWR on your transcript, this stands for Grade Withheld Pending the Review of an Alleged Academic Offence. It means that your instructor suspects you may have committed an academic offence. If a GWR is on your transcript, you may not graduate. Once the alleged academic offence has been resolved, your final mark for the course will replace the GWR.

You will be asked whether you received a copy of the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. The Dean’s Designate will review sections of the Code dealing with your rights, the range of sanctions available if you admit to an offence, and the offences as described in the Code. Evidence will be presented, along with details supporting the allegation of an academic offence. You may be asked to identify your work. You will have the opportunity to offer an explanation and may be asked questions for clarification. You may be accompanied by counsel or a support person (friend, family member, peer, etc.).

You will be asked if you wish to make a statement in mitigation, meaning any statement that may refer to your personal situation, or anything which you wish to be taken into consideration when determining the sanction. You will not be told what the sanction is at the meeting. You will receive a letter after the meeting informing you of the sanction, and your instructor will be requested, by copy of the letter, to submit the final grade in the course. If the course is still under way, you may not withdraw to avoid a sanction. Note that the Dean's Designate does not have to impose a sanction, but may instead send the case to the Provost to ask that a charge be laid. This usually occurs when a student does not respond to the Academic Integrity Office, is a no show to any meetings scheduled with the Academic Integrity Office, or when an offence is of a more serious nature.

Students have the right to not admit to the offence. If the evidence is compelling, the Dean's Designate will send the case to the Provost to ask that a charge be laid.  You will receive a letter from the Vice Provost informing you whether a charge has been laid and describing the next steps.

Depending on the situation, additional offences may be treated more seriously with sanctions on the less lenient end within the range of sanctions. 

If, after careful examination of the evidence, the Dean's Designate believes that an offence did not occur, then you will receive a letter informing you that the charge has been dismissed. You may be warned in the letter about the behaviour which initially brought you under suspicion.

If you are dissatisfied with the sanction that has been imposed by the Dean’s Designate, you may refer the matter to the Provost’s Office for consideration. The Provost has delegated authority over the sanction consideration process to the Vice-Provost, Faculty and Academic Life. All requests for consideration of a sanction imposed by a Dean should be sent in an email providing the sanction/resolution letter, details of the specific request, and the situation, to vpfal.academicdiscipline@utoronto.ca.

Visit the Academic Advising & Career Centre in order to plan the rest of your academic career and avoid the pitfalls that may have contributed to this situation. Make use of other UTSC resources such as English Language Development Support, the Writing Support Centre, and Health and Wellness, where appropriate.

Meet with an advisor in Academic Advising & Career Centre to work on your study skills, time management and motivation. Visit the Writing Support Centre and/or the U of T Scarborough Library to ensure you do not plagiarize. View modules on Academic Integrity. Most importantly, speak to your instructor about concerns you have around completing your coursework.