Turning first-time academic misconduct into a teachable moment 

For students who stumble, UBC is offering an alternative path — shifting the emphasis from punishment to learning.  

A new diversionary process is helping turn first-time academic misconduct cases into an opportunity for learning and growth, while fostering a stronger culture of academic integrity across UBC’s campuses. 

Facilitated through the Academic Integrity Hub in the Provost’s Office at UBC Vancouver, the diversionary process allows faculties to resolve eligible cases through a tailored, educative approach rather than formal disciplinary proceedings. The process, which is only available to students with no prior academic misconduct record, aims to provide a timely resolution, reduce stress for students, and foster meaningful learning. 

Already, it’s showing promising results.  

“Students aren’t just being handed an outcome—they’re being walked through a process that helps them understand what happened and why academic integrity matters,” says Dr. Ainsley Rouse, associate director of academic integrity in the Academic Integrity Hub. “We want this to be an opportunity for students to learn, reflect, and come away better equipped to navigate their academic journeys.”​ 

How the diversionary process works 

The diversionary process is only available in cases where the student has admitted to academic misconduct and does not have a previous academic misconduct record. In these cases, the dean of the faculty must also agree the diversionary process is an appropriate mechanism to address the misconduct. The student must agree to the process as well.  

After faculties refer the case to the Academic Integrity Hub, staff work with the student to facilitate their Integrity Plan—a structured agreement that outlines what occurred and how the issue will be addressed. An Integrity Plan could include participation in a learning module about academic integrity, reflection assignments, or customized learning activities. 

“What’s unique about UBC’s approach is the individual support we provide,” says Dr. Rouse. “Every student meets with us at least twice. The first meeting is about ensuring they fully understand the process and have a chance to ask questions. The second meeting is more educative and reflective, where we work closely with the student to ensure the learning resonates with their experience.” 

Scientific literature supports diversionary processes like UBC’s as effective tools in addressing academic misconduct. A 2022 literature review published in The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education emphasizes that proactive, educational strategies not only help prevent misconduct but also benefit students and institutions by promoting fairness, trust, and a culture of integrity. According to the researchers, relying solely on traditional punitive approaches often fails to address the root causes of misconduct and may create adversarial environments that do little to improve students’ understanding of academic integrity. 

While critics might question whether the diversionary process is too lenient, Dr. Rouse maintains that it strikes an appropriate balance.  

“This is not about excusing misconduct,” she says. “It’s about ensuring that first-time incidents are addressed in a way that fosters learning and avoids unnecessary punitive measures, which can sometimes do more harm than good.” 

For allegations of academic misconduct that are not eligible for the diversionary process, UBC has a separate formal academic misconduct process governed by the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. In these cases, students may face a variety of disciplinary measures up to suspension or expulsion. 

The diversionary process also benefits from its timeliness. While formal disciplinary cases can take months, diversionary cases typically provide students with clarity around outcomes in about two weeks (time between the student’s first meeting with the Academic Integrity Hub to their signing of the Integrity Plan). After they sign their plan, students work to complete the Integrity Plan outcomes, which usually takes about six weeks. 

“Students are able to move past the uncertainty more quickly, which reduces stress for them,” says Dr. Rouse. 

While the diversionary process was only recently phased in across most of the university, early feedback suggests it is achieving its goals. Students report greater clarity, reduced stress, and an improved understanding of academic expectations. 

‘Just trying to keep my head above water’ 

That was the experience of Dana Marie, a fourth-year student at UBC Vancouver whose name has been changed to protect her privacy. 

During her third year, Marie found herself overwhelmed by personal challenges, including a sudden move far away from campus and family difficulties. Balancing her heavy course load with work, she struggled to complete an assignment for an English class she needed to fulfill her degree requirement. 
 
“I was in too deep to leave the term at that point,” she says. “I wasn’t a good writer, and this class was just to check a box for my degree. But everything was crashing down around me. I was just trying to keep my head above water.” 
 
Under pressure, she resorted to using ChatGPT to help summarize a book and rewrite her notes. Her professor quickly noticed inconsistencies compared to her previous assignments and reached out. 
 
“I admitted to using ChatGPT right away,” she recalls. “I was maintaining good grades otherwise, and I think my professor appreciated my honesty.”  

After meeting with the faculty dean, Marie was offered the diversionary process. She spent about a month completing a Canvas course about academic integrity, with support from Academic Integrity Hub staff, and writing a reflective essay about what she had learned from the experience.  

“I realized there’s so much I didn’t know about academic integrity and academic misconduct,” she says. “It’s not just about me—it’s about respecting my professor’s effort, my classmates’ hard work, and the integrity of the academy. You represent a whole university when you become a student.” 

For Marie, she says she is grateful for the diversionary process, which gave her a chance to grow and learn as a student.  
 
“Extending grace to people, I’ve learned, usually leads to much more positive outcomes,” she says. “The next time I am struggling, I know to ask for help rather than try to handle everything alone. The university and my professors are here to help me, not to punish me.” 

Fostering a culture of academic integrity 

The introduction of the diversionary process in September 2022 is part of UBC’s broader strategy to support a culture of academic integrity, particularly as students and faculty navigate emerging generative AI technologies, such as ChatGPT. 

Academic integrity entails the commitment to upholding principles of honesty, accountability, fairness, respect, and responsibility in all academic work. It ensures that tasks are completed truthfully, contributions are properly credited, and ethical practices guide the learning process. 

At UBC, academic integrity is central to the university’s values, reflecting a shared commitment to these principles across its community. By fostering a culture of fairness and accountability, UBC aims to safeguard the credibility of education, research, and credentials, as well as broader societal trust in academia. 

Academic misconduct refers to any action through which a student gains, or attempts to gain, an unfair academic advantage, or assists others in doing so. This can range from obvious acts like cheating during exams or plagiarism, to less apparent behaviors such as falsifying information, self-plagiarism, or using unauthorized assistance.  

At UBC, understanding the different forms of academic misconduct is important, as these actions undermine the integrity of academic work and compromise the fairness and trust essential to the university community. By holding students and instructors accountable to clear standards, UBC maintains the credibility of its educational and research outcomes. 

“We recognize that academic misconduct often stems from stress, time pressures, or misunderstandings rather than intent to cheat,” says Dr. Rouse. “The diversionary process allows us to address those root causes while educating students on what constitutes academic misconduct and why academic integrity matters.” 

Learn more about UBC’s academic integrity initiatives at https://academicintegrity.ubc.ca.