Terms of Reference

Purpose

The purpose of the Academic Integrity Committee is to:

• review the Academic Integrity Policy and make recommendations for change
• review cases as necessary acting as an impartial adjudicator
• administer the Academic Integrity Policy by determining resolutions or sanctions on cases which have been referred to the Committee
• provide education to faculty, staff and administration regarding the implementation of the Student Academic Integrity Policy.

The Director of Student Affairs will report annually to Senate. These reports will not contain student names and are to be used to provide the institution with an overall picture of Academic Integrity at TRU.

Confidentiality

Students shall have the right to reasonable confidentiality. The Secretary will retain all records and will provide related information only to those persons in places of authority at TRU (President, Vice-Presidents, Registrar). Members who are unable to provide secure storage of their files may request that the Secretary maintain their files between meetings.

Quorum

A quorum will consist of fifty percent (50%) of voting members and must include at least two (2) faculty members. Vacancies on the committee will not invalidate any of its decisions provided a quorum was present in person or by teleconference when the decision was made.

Attendance

In addition to the three undergraduate students on the committee, the TRU Students’ Union may appoint other undergraduate students from time to time to be Alternate Student Members on the committee.

Whenever there is a vacancy on the committee for any of the three undergraduate student members, the TRU Students’ Union may designate one of the Alternate Student Members to fill the vacancy until Senate fills that vacancy. Such Alternate Student Member attending meetings of the committee shall have all the powers and duties of a student member of the committee appointed by Senate.

Prior to any meeting of the committee, the Chair of the committee will at least seven days prior to the meeting send an email providing notice of the meeting to all committee members. All members of the committee will reply by email to the Chair of the Committee at least 96 hours prior to the start of the meeting (the “Reply Deadline”) advising the Chair of their availability to participate in the meeting. If any of the three undergraduate students on the committee: (i) replies indicating that they are not available; or (ii) fails to reply to the Chair by the Reply Deadline, the TRU Students’ Union may designate one of the Alternate Student Members to attend that meeting in the place of the student member who is unavailable or who has failed to reply by the Reply Deadline. Such Alternate Student Member attending that meeting of the committee shall have all the powers and duties of a student member of the committee appointed by Senate.

When a committee member is absent from scheduled meetings, the constituency that that member is supposed to represent is being represented less than is intended by the regulations of the policy. A committee member who is absent for three consecutive meetings of the committee, without authorization from the committee for that absence, is deemed to have vacated his/her seat. Committee members are expected to submit their request for absence to the committee in writing. To be fair to their constituents, members of the committee who expect to be absent for more than three consecutive meetings, should promptly seek a leave of absence, or resign their seat, rather than allowing their seat to be vacant for 3 meetings before it is deemed to be vacated and then, subsequently, filled.

Membership

The Academic Integrity Committee shall be comprised of the following members appointed by Senate:

• At least six Faculty Members, with no more than one from each School or Faculty, nominated by the respective Faculty Councils;
• One Dean;
• Three Undergraduate students nominated by the TRU Students’ Union;
• One Graduate student;
• One TRU World International Education representative –nominated by the Vice President International;
• One Open Learning representative –nominated by the Vice Provost Open Learning;
• One Library representative – nominated by the Library Director;
• Director of Student Affairs or designate (ex-officio, non-voting)

The Chair of the committee shall be a voting member of the committee nominated and elected by the committee.

The committee will have the support of one secretary provided by the Office of Student Affairs (to maintain records, minutes, database, and other such files). The secretary will set up all meetings and related duties.

Committee members will serve a term of up to three (3) years and may be reappointed, with the exception of student members who shall serve a term of up to one (1) year and may be reappointed.