1991/1992 - Office of the Registrar - McMaster University

Senate Policy Statements
The University has defined its expectations of students in both the academic
and non-academic life of the University community, and developed
procedures to ensure that all members of the community receive
equitable treatment Each year at registration, you will receive the document
Senate Policy Statements which contains the following:
Statement on Academic Ethics
The University's Statement on JHuman Rights
Code of Conduct
Student Appeal Procedures
General Regulations for McMaster University Library
Policy Statement on Applicants and Students with Disabilities
Policy on Undergraduate Student Access to Final Examinations
The following provides a brief summary of the major p~licies contained in
the Senate Policy Statements. Complete versions of the policies may be
obtained from the Senate Secretariat, Room 104, Gilmour HalL
ACADEMIC ETHICS
The Senate Statement on Academic Ethics explains the expectations the
University has of its scholars. Some Departments and instructors have
also developed more specific rules and regulations designed to maintain
scholarly integrity. It is the responsibility of each instructor to make students
aware of these expectations.
It is the responsibility of each student to adhere to the Senate Statement
on Academic Ethics (and to any additional rules and regulations
developed by Departments and instructors), not only in coursework,
tests and examinations, but also in other scholarly activities such as laboratory
research, and the use of computing and library resources.
Breaches of academic ethics fall into two general categories:
a. a disregard for the norms of scholarly integrity, without necessarily
intending to deceive; and
b. academic dishonesty, which is an intentional for the norms
of scholarly integrity.
Minor breaches of academic ethics that fall into category (a) are normally
drawn to students' attention by instructors and may result in penalties
such as a reduced mark or a zero for the piece of work.
Academic dishonesty is not qualitatively different from other types of
dishonesty. It consists of l'J1isrepresentation by de~eption or by other
fraudulent means. .
The Senate Resolutions on Academic Dishonesty define academic
dishonesty and specify the procedures to be followed in the event that
a student is charged with academic. dishonesty. Penalties include expulsion
from the University. A copy of the Senate Resolutions may be
obtained from the Senate Secretariat, Gilmour Hall, Room 104.
. APPEAL PROCEDURES
The University has a responsibility to provide fair and equitable procedures
for the lodging and hearing of students' complaints arising from
University regulations, poliCies and actions that affect them directly. The
procedures described in the Student Appeal Procedures are intended to
provide a mechanism to remedy injustices and may culminate in a hearing
before the Senate Bqard for Student Appeals.
Students are strongly encouraged, however, to pursue any complaint
or grievance through informal channels, before following the
formal procedures. Experience has shown that many complaints can
be resolved satisfactorily through informal communication.
Students should seek remedies for their grievances as promptly as
possible, and must do so within six months of the end of the academic
year in which the grievance has oc£urred. The end of the academic year
is August 31.
Decisions on admission or re-admission to an undergraduate degree
programme may not be appealed, except under the conditions
described in the next paragraph. Applicants may, however, ask for a
review of a decision on admission or re-admission or on the granting
of transfer credits. To initiate such a review, the applicant must write to
the Registrar within one week of receiving the original decision and state
the gmunds for seeking the review.
Applicants who have been refused re-admission to an undergraduate
degree programme may appeal the decision, using the procedures
described in the Student Appeal Procedures, if the follOWing two conditions
have been. met:
i. the applicant withdrew from the University voluntarily; and
ii. the aRPlicant alleges error or injustice on grounds other than academic
judgement.
CODE OF CONDUCT
McMaster University is a community dedicated to furthering leaming,
intellectual inquiry, and personal and profeSSional development. Membership
in the community implies acceptance of the principle of mutual
respect for the rights of others and a readiness to support actively an
environment conducive to intellecl:1,lal growth, both for individuals and
for the whole University.
The Code of Conduct contains regulations which outline the limits of
conduct conSidered to be consonant with the goals and the well-being
of the University community, and define the procedures to be followed
in cases of violation of the accepted standards.
STATEMENT ON HUMAN RIGHTS
McMaster University wishes to ensure the full and fair implementation of the
prinCiples of the Ontario Human Rights Code which states:
Every person has the right to equal treatment with 'respect to services,
goods and facilities, without discrimination because of race, ancestry,
place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation,
age, marital status, family status or handicap.
The University Senate has approved Procedures on Human Rights
which outline the procedure to be followed in the event that a student
has a complaint regarding an alleged violation of human rights.
STUDENT RECORDS
The University has developed operating procedures which are designed
to protect the confidentiality of undergraduate student records. The following
have been d~fined as public information: student number, student
name, sex, degrees .earned and when, undergraduate awards
earned and when, and whether a student is full-time or part-time. Additional
information may be used by the various offices and officials of the
University where a need to know has been established.
Information about applicants for admission who do not gain admission
will be kept for a limited period only. For those admitted to the
Nursing and M.D. Programmes a separate admission file is maintained.
While a student may have access to his or her file, documents received from
a third party in confidence are not normally placed in the student's file, but,
in those cases where they have been, they will not be disclosed.
The operating procedures also define the circumstances under which
information may be disclosed to: judicial and law enforcement agencies,
the Ontario Universities Application Centre, Statistics Canada,
agencies charged with the recoyery of funds provided under OSAP or
CSL, and secondary schools. \
Transcripts are issued only with the consent of the student. Addresses
will not be released except under provisions noted above.
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