All fraud allegations must be submitted in writing, with supporting documentation, to the dean of the faculty in which the course is offered, except for cases involving doctoral theses. If the allegation seems justified, the dean or the dean’s representative:
- writes to you to inform you of the allegations, and includes supporting documentation. If you are eligible for the accelerated process for academic fraud cases, you can choose to follow the regular process (described here) or the accelerated process (See Regulation 14 on academic fraud). If the allegation involves an examination, the student has the right to consult the exam in question at the faculty, in a diligent manner;
- attaches a copy of the Regulation on Academic Fraud;
- refers the file to a committee of inquiry made up of at least three individuals, appointed by the dean, in the following circumstances: you are not eligible for the accelerated process, you choose the regular process, or the accelerated process was abandoned.
The committee of inquiry:
- invites you to submit in writing, within a set deadline, all information or documentation relevant to the allegation, and invites you to appear before the committee. At this meeting, you can be accompanied by a person of your choice (if it’s a case involving other students, the accompanying person cannot be one of these students). The person accompanying you is there to provide support and can, therefore, assist you during the meeting, keeping in mind that the exchange is, first and foremost, between the faculty and the student;
- requests all other information it considers relevant.
Once the committee of inquiry has received this information and has given you a chance to make your case in writing or in person, it may do one of the following:
- decide that the allegation is not well-founded and that it will take no further action; or
- decide that the allegation is well-founded and provide a short report to the dean, recommending the appropriate sanctions.
The dean sends you a copy of the inquiry committee’s report within five (5) working days of its reception. The dean also informs you that you have the right to submit your comments concerning this report, particularly with respect to any sanctions being imposed, as long as you do so in writing within ten (10) working days following the report’s transmission.
The committee of inquiry’s report and, if applicable, your written comments are submitted to your faculty’s executive committee (or its equivalent), which makes a decision or recommendation, depending on whether the faculty or the Senate Appeals Committee is responsible for applying the recommended sanction.
If your faculty is responsible for applying the sanction, the decision made by the faculty executive committee (or its equivalent) takes effect immediately, even if you decide to appeal it.
The dean informs you in writing of the decision or recommendation of the executive committee (or its equivalent) and the procedures you must follow to appeal it within five (5) working days following the decision.
Fraud allegations involving doctoral theses
In the case of fraud allegations involving doctoral theses, the inquiry committee is formed and chaired by the Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The Committee consists of four members, including the Vice-Dean,Graduate Studies of the faculty where the student is enrolled In cases of potential research misconduct, the director of the Office of Research Ethics and Integrity will be notified.