U of R investigating around 50 alleged cases of academic misconduct among nursing students

The University of Regina has confirmed it is in the process of investigating approximately 50 potential cases of academic misconduct. (Alexander Quon/CBC - image credit)
The University of Regina has confirmed it is in the process of investigating approximately 50 potential cases of academic misconduct. (Alexander Quon/CBC - image credit)

The University of Regina is investigating approximately 50 alleged cases of academic misconduct involving nursing students.

A spokesperson for the university confirmed the investigations are all tied to final exams taken in December 2023 by students in the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science Nursing program, which is jointly delivered by the University of Regina (U of R) and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

"We can confirm that some of the investigations have determined that academic misconduct did occur, while others resulted in a determination that there was inadequate evidence to support a finding of misconduct," wrote Paul Dederick in an email.

Not all the investigations are complete, he added.

The university said 1,200 nursing students wrote approximately 4,800 exams in the month of December.

According to the U of R's website, examples of misconduct include cheating on an exam, plagiarism, giving false information to university staff to gain an academic advantage, writing an exam on behalf of someone else and downloading an assignment from the internet.

Dederick stressed that academic misconduct investigations are "routinely undertaken" by faculties at the University of Regina.

Students under investigation are not suspended from the program and any student found to have committed academic misconduct has a right to appeal the decision within 30 days to the U of R's council discipline committee.