Get Help

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There are many reasons YOU, As a student, may visit the Office of the Ombudsperson.  

You may:
  • believe an assignment was not graded fairly or an exam not conducted fairly
  • have received a poor evaluation in a clinical placement
  • be an undergraduate student who has been required to withdraw from your program or the University 
  • be a graduate student with progression concerns
  • have been accused of a scholastic offense 
  • have been accused of an infraction under the Code of Conduct or Gender-Based Sexual Violence Policy 
  • have been sanctioned under the residence contract
  • be experiencing general conflict or need to have a difficult conversation with a person in authority
The five drop-downs below link to information that helps students figure out what to do. If, after going through this information, you still have questions, please contact the Ombuds Office.

 

Appealing

Conduct

Required to Withdraw (Undergraduate students)

Academic Integrity

When you pay attention to proper paraphrasing and citation
and are committed to not cheating, you add integrity to your resume.

Western takes academic integrity very seriously and sanctions students for even accidental plagiarism. A number of tools exist to help students learn proper citation and paraphrasing, as well as what is considered a scholastic offense.

Western Libraries are a wonderful resource for both research and academic advice. They have a plagiarism guide available to help you determine if you've cited a passage properly. The Office of the Ombudsperson also produces an online brochure covering what you need to know about Cheating, Plagiarism and Unauthorized Collaboration. If you are accused of a scholastic offence, be sure to check out the Ombuds guide Cheating, Plagiarism and Other Scholastic Offences. This guide explains possible sanctions, how to appeal, and whether or not appealing is the best course of action.

The Academic Integrity Council of Ontario (AICO) is a group of academic integrity practitioners at instititutions across Ontario. AICO has conducted research pertaining to contract cheating -- that is, hiring someone to complete work for you. Read AICO's AICO tip sheet on how to avoid contract cheating. 

Graduate Student Centre