Appendix 2 - Senior School Academic Integrity Code

• Authentic Learning - real learning requires you to actually do the work.  If you use other’s work to give the appearance of learning you are bypassing the process required for you to grow and develop new skills.  Practicing how to write an essay teaches you how to express your thinking through words.  Conducting research and using your own thoughts to inform a Harkness discussion develops your own critical thinking and ability to listen and speak in front of others. Presenting others' work as your own means you aren’t actually learning, just pretending to. 

• Reputation - your peers and teachers value fairness and will judge you poorly if you use advantages not available to others to inflate your results.  Cheating is unfair, and others resent it. The reputation of WPGA amongst universities and the greater community is based upon the behaviour of those that work and study here.  In short, if you lack integrity it reflects poorly upon you and the school. 

• Character - honesty, trustworthiness, diligence, and responsibility are all attributes that will serve you well in your life. They improve your hireability and/or opportunities for advancement.  It is often the case that individuals who compromise their integrity for short-term gain eventually face consequences that can hinder their progress.

• not gain an unfair advantage on an assessment or assignment through unauthorized assistance, copying others work, using unauthorized materials or other aids.
• follow assignment or testing guidelines to ensure a fair playing field for others. 
• attend regularly and not stay home because you are not ready for an exam, would like more time to study, or would like to find out what was on the test. 
• ensure you submit work that is your own and not others’ including work completed by a tutor.
• not help another student by providing answers during a test.
• not allow your work to be copied.
• accurately cite the work and/or ideas of others in the work you submit. 
• not hand in work that has been assigned and/or graded previously without the teacher’s permission. 
• make sure that you are transparent in your use of generative Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT etc.) and appropriately cite its use.

Teachers:

• Continually teach and monitor guidelines so that students are clear on how to demonstrate academic integrity. 
• Ensure testing environments support the validity of results by:
  • providing appropriate physical distance between test takers
  • removing electronic devices (phones and smart watches) to prevent access to unauthorized information sources
  • actively supervising students during examinations to prevent issues. 
• Teach students on how to correctly incorporate information from various sources without plagiarizing;
• Outline expectations for student conduct during the completion of out-of-class assessment tasks including:
  • resources that may be accessed before and during the completion of a task, including whether the use of AI generative software is allowed, and
  • if collaboration with peers or others is permitted;

Students: 

• Produce coursework and write tests that reflect their own work or understanding and/or has not been generated through unfair advantage
• Cite sources appropriately and correctly;
• Abide by in-class and out-of-class assessment expectations including the following:
  • accessing only materials or equipment permitted and placing out-of-sight those that are unnecessary or restricted; 
  • ensuring others are restricted from viewing or copying their work.
• Understand and/or seek clarification regarding the requirements for the course and the course assignments including whether the use of AI generative software is allowed;
• Understand the different forms of cheating and plagiarism and how to avoid them;
• Understand that there will be consequences for being caught in the act of cheating or plagiarizing

• The teacher will talk to the student and let the student know about their concerns and provide the student an opportunity to respond to the concerns. Note: The student must have an opportunity to respond to the concern before any conclusion or decision related to consequences.
• The teacher will inform and consult with the Vice-Principal,Teaching and Learning to determine appropriate course of action and sanctions.
• With sufficient grounds for concluding academic dishonesty, the teacher and Vice-Principal of Teaching and Learning will meet together with the student and, when it is a repeated or significant event, their parents, to review the incident, the students understanding of the situation, and if applicable, explore any mitigating circumstances.
• Following the investigation, sanctions for academic dishonesty will follow.

• Notification of parents/guardians
• Detention and/or community service
• A zero or “emerging” on submitted work
• Warnings of suspension
• In-school suspensions, out-of school suspensions
• Withdrawal/failure of course
• Expulsion from school
• Communication with post-secondary institutions