University of Waterloo Committed to Academic Integrity

WATERLOO, ON, Sept. 13, 2012 /CNW/ - Academic integrity and honesty are defining values — an integral part of who we are and how we define ourselves at the University of Waterloo.

Allegations of plagiarism, such as the one widely reported in national media this week, are deeply troubling. Such incidents are taken very seriously by the university. The University of Waterloo has established policies in place to assess and investigate such allegations against both students and faculty, and a range of well-defined consequences for those who fail to uphold our high standards for academic honesty, integrity and proper conduct.

When the University of Waterloo was made aware of this allegation earlier this year, it was dealt with first within the department, then at the Faculty level, and then by senior leadership. The university has a rigorous process in place to deal with such allegations, and that process is being followed.

The consequences for academic misconduct are serious, because our institution's core values are at stake. Academic integrity reflects our commitment to honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. It applies to all academic endeavors - teaching, learning and scholarship, and to a range of academic activities, from conduct in research to the writing of co-op work term reports.

Let there be no doubt:  We are dealing with this matter properly, with integrity, as openly as possible, and in a timely fashion. We will continue to investigate, we will find answers, and we will continue to communicate with our university community, alumni and other stakeholders on this very serious matter.

This is our commitment.

About the University of Waterloo
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 34,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, please visit www.uwaterloo.ca.

SOURCE: University of Waterloo

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