Written by Chantel-Marie Stickel.

When students are notified by their faculty, via email, that they are being investigated for a potential academic integrity concern, they may feel overwhelmed with confusion, anxiety, stress, and uncertainty.

The Academic Integrity Office (AIO) has developed Email Templates for Students to support students in navigating Step 2 of the academic integrity procedure. This resource offers structured guidance to help students respond effectively to their faculty’s concerns.

How can the templates be used?

Students can use the templates to help them present clear, organized, and relevant information in response to academic integrity concerns, while avoiding emotional or vague explanations.

The templates include checklists and examples that guide students in providing:

• Sufficient evidence of original work, such as drafts or research notes.
• A clear, chronological explanation of their process for completing the assessment.
• A factual and detailed explanation of the situation that helps faculty to understand the student’s perspective and actions.

Students are encouraged to use the email templates to communicate effectively in stressful situations by ensuring their responses include all the key elements needed for a fair investigation process.

An Important Note for Faculty

It’s good to be aware that these email templates are available for students to use during Step 2 of the academic integrity procedure. If a student’s email response appears more polished or structured than their previous communication or academic work, this should not be viewed as suspicious or influence the investigation.

Students may seek support when drafting their emails or respond quickly without editing. Both are reasonable actions, especially in high-stress situations involving potential academic integrity violations.

It is also important to remember that emails are an informal mode of communication. The quality of a student’s email – whether carefully crafted or hastily written – does not accurately reflect their ability to produce formal academic work under normal assessment conditions, where they have time to plan, revise, and meet specific formatting requirements.

Ensuring a fair process

By encouraging students to use the email templates, the AIO aims to support respectful and transparent communication between faculty and students during the academic integrity procedure.