AIM PRogram

The Academic Integrity Matters (AIM) program is offered to help students learn about UBC Okanagan’s standards 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.

We have a webpage for students with information about AIM, the support they can access, how to meet with an AIM consultant, how referrals to AIM work, and lots of helpful resources on academic integrity. Please direct students to visit students.ok.ubc.ca/aim.

AIM’s goals

To support students in learning about the best practices for academic integrity, the AIM program’s goals are to:

• Intervene before disciplinary processes are instigated for academic integrity breaches.
• Provide individually tailored support, including 1-on-1 appointments with opportunities to clarify expectations for academic integrity, develop skills for avoiding academic misconduct, practice source integration, and understand the steps that are needed for responsible academic writing and conduct.

Stage One

Upon referral, the AIM coordinator emails the student with a self-enroll link to a self-guided Canvas course. The student must enroll in the Canvas course and complete several modules and knowledge-testing quizzes related to Academic Integrity.

Stage Two

Upon completion of the self-guided course, the student informs the AIM coordinator by email (aim.ok@ubc.ca), who arranges a Zoom meeting for them with an AIM consultant. Based on the student’s needs, the AIM consultant will develop an individualized plan during the first meeting for subsequent support.

Stage Three

The referrer will be sent a confirmation of the student’s status in the program (completed/not completed) upon the deadline suggested by the referrer. Referrers can request a report on the student’s progress in the program at anytime by contacting aim.ok@ubc.ca.

If you are a faculty member wishing to refer a student who needs additional support for academic integrity, please fill out the referral form below.

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.

AIM REFERRAL FORM

Please refer as early as possible. There may be many students moving through the AIM program simultaneously and appointments may be limited.

Have questions about AIM? Need guidance on submitting a referral?

Reach out to aim.ok@ubc.ca!

Are you a student looking for support?

Visit students.ok.ubc.ca/academic-integrity or email aim.ok@ubc.ca!

We have three Canvas courses available for faculty to assign to students in their classes for credit. Once students complete an AIM course, they are awarded a Certificate of Completion. So, if students are assigned an AIM course in multiple classes, they can use their certificate as proof of completion.

If you aren’t sure which course is best suited for your class or subject area, you are welcome to enroll in the courses yourself and take a look around or email aim.ok@ubc.ca for a recommendation. If you’d like to be excused from the quizzes so you can review the course more quickly, you can request this by emailing aim.ok@ubc.ca.

Courses available

Academic Integrity Matters: 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.

Enroll

Time commitment: approx. 1.5 hours

Academic Integrity Matters: 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.

Enroll

Time commitment: approx. 1.5-2 hours

Academic Integrity Matters: 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.

Enroll now!

Time commitment: approx. 1-2 hours

Assigning an AIM course on Canvas for class credit

1. Create a Canvas Assignment and weight the assignment appropriately.
2. Adjust settings to require File Upload. Here are general instructions for creating a Canvas assignment with a file upload: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-create-an-online-assignment/ta-p/950.
3. In the Details section, include the self-enroll link to the AIM course you wish to assign:
   1. Academic Integrity Matters (AIM): Unauthorized Collaboration and Cheating:
      canvas.ubc.ca/enroll/PNDM83
   2. Academic Integrity Matters (AIM): Writing and Plagiarism:
      canvas.ubc.ca/enroll/9B4G3R
   3. Academic Integrity Matters: Academic Integrity in the Visual Arts:
      canvas.ubc.ca/enroll/R6PF49
4. Add instructions; for example, “Complete the AIM course and associated quizzes, then collect your Certificate of Completion from the AIM course. Upload the Certificate file here to submit the assignment and receive your credit.”

If you have any trouble with setting up the assignment, please contact aim.ok@ubc.ca.

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.

Who facilitates AIM?

The AIM program is part of the UBC Okanagan Library and Student Learning Hub, run by the Library’s Academic Integrity Program Manager and peer staff, the Academic Integrity Assistant (a graduate student position).

How can AIM benefit students?

Academic integrity is not just about rules—it’s about cultivating a mindset of excellence and achieving full potential. AIM is a partner in this journey, providing students with the tools and support they might need. Through personalized 1-on-1 support, students can further develop their knowledge of academic integrity and hone their skills, from recognizing risks and avoiding misconduct to appropriately integrating sources. AIM can support students 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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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How do students know if they’ve been 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.

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Why might a student be 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.

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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 students should refer to the email from AIM for their specific steps. If a student cannot find their instructions, they should contact aim.ok@ubc.ca. See “What is generally required to complete AIM?”

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What is generally required to complete AIM?

1. Read, fill out, and initial a consent form.
2. Self-enroll in the assigned AIM Canvas course.
3. Read all of the materials in the Canvas course and complete all quizzes.
4. Email aim.ok@ubc.ca to request a follow-up Zoom meeting. The email should include the student’s name and a request to book an AIM meeting.
5. Book and attend a Zoom meeting with an AIM consultant. Additional meetings may be recommended if a student is given the opportunity to revise an assignment.
6. Once a student has completed the course and meeting(s), AIM will notify the referrer that the student has successfully completed the program.

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Who do I contact if I have questions about AIM?

Contact aim.ok@ubc.ca. We are always happy to hear from you.

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Can students access support from AIM without a referral from a faculty member?

Yes! Students can access support from AIM in a few different ways:

• Self-enroll in one or both of the self-guided AIM Canvas courses;
• Email AIM with questions or request support at aim.ok@ubc.ca;
• Meet with an AIM Consultant. Book directly on QReserve with a Writing Consultant that has (AIM) beside their name. First time using QReserve or having trouble booking a meeting? See the QReserve guide or contact aim.ok@ubc.ca for help arranging meetings.

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