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AIM Program
INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS
What is the AIM Program?
The Academic Integrity Matters (AIM) program provides UBCO students with educational support to learn and apply best practices for academic integrity. The program, based out of the Student Learning Hub and the Library, is available to all students but is also provided as an intervention, such as part of an Integrity Plan, before disciplinary measures are taken for academic integrity violations. Students can access support directly from AIM without a referral or can be referred by a faculty member, whether for additional support or as a response to misconduct incident.
Through AIM, you can receive personalized support, including one-on-one appointments, to develop your knowledge of academic integrity. AIM provides opportunities to clarify expectations for academic integrity, gain confidence in recognizing and avoiding academic misconduct, practice source integration, and understand the steps needed to create responsible academic writing.
Meet with an AIM Consultant
The Student Learning Hub’s AIM consultants provide one-on-one meetings for students who would like to gain confidence in their understandings of academic integrity. AIM consultants will meet with you to:
- help you get answers to your questions about academic integrity
- discuss student responsibilities and expectations for academic integrity
- share best practices for recognizing and avoiding misconduct
- connect you with appropriate resources and support
- support you with written assignments with a focus on:
- avoiding plagiarism
- integrating sources
- where/when/why of in-text citations
- provide opportunities to practice and gain skills for integrating sources
To meet with an AIM Consultant:
Contact aim.ok@ubc.ca to request a meeting. Example: “Hello, I have questions about X. Can I please meet with an AIM Consultant?”
Have questions about academic integrity and not sure who to ask? Interested in ongoing support throughout the academic year?
Reach out to aim.ok@ubc.ca. We’re here to help!
Are you a graduate student looking for integrity-related support?
Contact aim.ok@ubc.ca, and we’ll help you connect with the appropriate support.
Self-guided AIM courses
Have you been referred to the AIM program? Please contact aim.ok@ubc.ca before taking the courses!
AIM has three academic integrity Canvas courses that are self-guided, informative, and free. While students referred to the AIM program will be assigned to complete one of the modules, any student can self-enroll in these courses. Instructors can also assign the courses for class credit.
When you complete a course, you get a fancy Certificate of Completion!
1
Academic Integrity Matters (AIM): Writing and Plagiarism
This course covers UBC’s standards for academic integrity, strategies for taking notes about your sources, and how to avoid plagiarism. Upon completing, you will be able to recognize plagiarism in its various forms, explain why avoiding plagiarism is important, and develop skills including acknowledging sources, note-taking, quoting, and, paraphrasing.
Time commitment: approx. 1.5 hours
2
Academic Integrity Matters (AIM): Unauthorized Collaboration and Cheating
This course covers the International Center for Academic Integrity’s six fundamental values of academic integrity, what constitutes academic dishonesty and situations where it may occur, the importance of academic integrity within the scholarly community, and the methods and resources available to maintain academic integrity.
Time commitment: approx. 1.5-2 hours
3
Academic Integrity Matters (AIM): Academic Integrity in the Visual Arts
This course covers: the significance of academic integrity; identifying and preventing misconduct; assessing the nuances of artistic inspiration, learning, and plagiarism; demonstrating proper visual source attribution; and accessing resources for upholding integrity in your creative endeavors.
Time commitment: approx. 1-2 hours
AIM-approved resources and support
Academic integrity is about upholding, in both our beliefs and our actions, the values of trust, respect, honesty, fairness, and responsibility. Academic integrity is also referred to as academic honesty. These names both relate to expectations for honest conduct in academic coursework and are often used interchangeably. You may also hear the phrase scholarly integrity, which is also known as responsible conduct of research and relates to work intended for publication.
Learn more by watching this short video:
The Academic Calendar tells us that students are responsible for informing themselves of the standards for academic integrity at UBCO. This means:
- reading the Student Conduct and Discipline policies and regulations in the Academic Calendar;
- ensuring you understand what is expected of you; and
- seeking clarification if these policies and regulations are not clear to you.
The Academic Calendar also tells us that students are responsible for informing themselves of the specific expectations for each graded assessment set by instructors for each course. This means:
- reading the syllabus for every class;
- reading the assignment instructions carefully with the goal of fully understanding;
- ensuring you understand what is expected of you; and
- asking questions to your instructor when something is not clear to you.
Each syllabus you receive should have an academic integrity syllabus statement, stating the expectation that you are to conduct yourself honestly in the course; some instructors include more detailed expectations. By reading your syllabus and any other course documents/instructions as soon as you receive them, you give yourself time to locate areas you are confused by, to ask your instructor questions, and to clarify expectations before you submit an assignment.
Remember: if you have any doubt whatsoever about expectations for academic honesty in a particular course or assignment, you are allowed to consult with the instructor for clarification. In no case should you ever submit coursework if you are unsure of the expectations for academic integrity for that specific assignment.
AIM handouts
Have a suggestion for a resource? Let us know: aim.ok@ubc.ca!
- What is academic misconduct and how do I avoid it?
- Plagiarism, patchwriting, and paraphrasing
- Check yourself: Studying and tests
- Check yourself: Writing
- Cheat sheet: Maintaining academic integrity with generative artificial intelligence
- What’s the deal with artificial intelligence tools?
- What’s the deal with citation generators?
- What’s the deal with study help websites?
- What’s the deal with Turnitin?
Learning Support Services
Self-guided resources
Faculty-specific academic integrity information
Information for faculty
Faculty should refer to the AIM page under Faculty resources for more information and to make a referral. The link to the referral form is at the bottom of the page. Please refer as early as possible. There may be many students moving through the AIM program simultaneously and appointments may be limited. Faculty members can also reach out directly to aim.ok@ubc.ca for guidance.
Contact & hours
Contact us
Email: aim.ok@ubc.ca
Inquiries outside of office hours will be addressed the following business day.
Location: LIB237
Enter through the West Entrance to the Library building, across from the Science building/ beside the Commons. Take the elevator to the second floor or go up the stairs to the second-floor landing and through the doors.
Service Hours/Dates
Regular hours:
Monday-Friday, 9am-4:30pm
Dates:
The AIM program runs year round.
We are closed on statutory holidays, during the Winter break university closures, and generally close for a short period after Summer Term 2 exam period ends till the end of August.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn answers to some frequently asked questions about the AIM program. Have a question not answered here or would like to discuss further? Contact us at aim.ok@ubc.ca.
In this section
Who facilitates AIM?
How can AIM benefit me?
What can AIM specifically help with?
Who can refer students to AIM?
Is AIM disciplinary/punishment?
Is participation in AIM mandatory?
How do I know if I’m referred to AIM?
Why have I been referred to AIM?
Where are the instructions for completing AIM?
What is generally required to complete AIM?
Who do I contact if I have questions about AIM?
I haven’t been referred, but can I still get help from AIM?
Who facilitates AIM?
The AIM program is part of the UBC Okanagan Library and Student Learning Hub, run by the Academic Integrity Program Manager and peer staff, the Academic Integrity Assistant (a graduate student position), and the AIM consultants, who are also writing and language consultants in the Student Learning Hub.
How can AIM benefit me?
Academic integrity is not just about rules—it’s about cultivating a mindset of excellence and achieving your full potential. AIM is your partner in this journey, providing you with the tools and support you might need. Through personalized 1-on-1 support, you can further develop your knowledge of academic integrity and hone your skills, from recognizing risks and avoiding misconduct to appropriately integrating sources. AIM can support you in confidently navigating the complex academic landscape and emerging as a leader of integrity.
What can AIM specifically help with?
- Learning about/applying skills for responsible academic writing (understanding and avoiding plagiarism, integrating sources, in-text citations, how to use sources successfully in your writing, paraphrasing, quoting, summarizing)
- Questions about academic misconduct and how to recognize risky situations and avoid them
- Understanding appropriate collaboration
- Deciding whether something is an appropriate learning resource or not (i.e. study help websites, writing tools)
- Guidance on accessing/receiving appropriate help from tutors
- General questions about academic integrity situations
Who can refer students to AIM?
Faculty members and Associate Deans/Deans’ Designates can refer students to the AIM program. Teaching Assistants can submit referrals on behalf of a faculty member, but we ask TAs to report concerns to their supervising faculty member and discuss referral to the AIM program before doing so. Librarians, staff members, etc. can refer students to the AIM program, but we ask that these referrals be made only in consultation with the student. Students can self-refer to the program as well.
Is AIM disciplinary/punishment?
AIM is not a disciplinary measure nor should it be considered a punishment; rather, AIM is a offered as a learning opportunity, with the recognition that maintaining academic integrity requires learning and honing skills. Students may be referred to the AIM program by a faculty member or Associate Dean/Deans’ delegate in response to an academic misconduct report. Students may be asked to complete AIM as part of a warning letter or Integrity Plan, where completion of the program is required to meet the terms set out in an Integrity Plan or warning letter.
Is participation in AIM mandatory?
The AIM program itself does not enforce mandatory participation, but does report the outcome of a referral back to the referrer. In some cases, completion of AIM may be required as part of a diversionary process to halt escalation of a misconduct case, but this is facilitated by the referrer not by the AIM program itself.
How do I know if I’m referred to AIM?
When a student is referred to the AIM program, they will be contacted by email using the email address provided by the referrer. In cases where instructors do not have a student’s email address, students may be contacted by their instructor through Canvas and asked to contact aim.ok@ubc.ca to enroll in the program.
Why have I been referred to AIM?
Typically, a student is referred to the AIM program when a faculty member notices that a student is having issues related to academic integrity (such as trouble with integrating sources into their writing) or if the student expresses a need for additional support. Students may also be referred by a faculty member when a misconduct report has been received and/or as part of a warning letter or Integrity Plan.
Where are the instructions for completing AIM?
Instructions for completing AIM are provided by email to students who are referred to the program. Instructions may be unique to each student referred, depending on the type of support needed, the Canvas course assigned, and other requirements such as completing an assignment revision/rewrite, so refer to the email you have received for your specific steps. If you cannot find your instructions, please contact aim.ok@ubc.ca. See “What is generally required to complete AIM?”
What is generally required to complete AIM?
- Read, fill out, and initial a consent form.
- Self-enroll in the assigned AIM Canvas course.
- Read all of the materials in the Canvas course and complete all quizzes.
- Email aim.ok@ubc.ca to request a follow-up Zoom meeting. The email should include your name and a request to book an AIM meeting.
- Book and attend a Zoom meeting with an AIM consultant. Additional meetings may be recommended if you were given the opportunity to revise an assignment.
- Once you have completed the course and meeting(s), AIM will notify your referrer that you have successfully completed the program.
Who do I contact if I have questions about AIM?
Contact aim.ok@ubc.ca. We are always happy to hear from you.
I haven’t been referred, but can I still get help from AIM?
Yes! You can access support from AIM in a few different ways:
- Self-enroll in any of the self-guided AIM Canvas courses;
- Email us your questions or request support at aim.ok@ubc.ca;
- Meet with an AIM Consultant. Contact aim.ok@ubc.ca to request a meeting.
