Working with TAs to Support Academic Integrity

Teaching Assistants (TAs) play an important role in supporting academic integrity by reinforcing course expectations, clarifying assignment requirements, and guiding students toward responsible academic practices. TAs are also often among the first to identify potential concerns related to academic integrity.

This page offers guidance for Course Directors and instructors on working with TAs to clarify expectations, define roles, address potential concerns, and connect students with appropriate supports.

Early in the term, it is helpful to review academic integrity expectations with TAs so they understand the standards for your course and know how to raise concerns appropriately. In your first meeting, you may want to discuss the following topics.

Establishing Consistent and Preventive Communication with Students

Provide TAs with guidance and sample language they can use when students ask about:
- Collaborating with classmates
- Citing and using sources appropriately
- Using digital and AI-enabled tools
- Accessing support when they are unsure about expectations

Discuss ways that TAs can communicate expectations proactively, including:
- explaining how academic integrity principles apply to each assignment or lab
- clarifying what kinds of collaboration and resource use are explicitly allowed
- reinforcing the purpose and value of completing work independently

Encourage TAs to incorporate brief reminders about academic integrity in tutorials, office hours, and online posts, particularly before major assessments.

Reviewing Course Integrity Standards and Anticipating Common Risks

Help TAs recognize and prevent typical problem areas, such as:

plagiarism or patch-writing
reuse of work from other courses
contract cheating or unusually polished work
inappropriate use of generative AI
exam-related misconduct
unauthorized collaboration

Highlight what preventive measures TAs can take, such as clarifying assignment instructions or reminding students of expectations before deadlines.

Clarifying What Does Not Constitute Misconduct

To avoid unnecessary concern or reporting, review examples of situations that may raise questions but are not necessarily academic misconduct, including:

honest citation or formatting errors
misunderstandings arising from unclear instructions
skill gaps rather than intentional misconduct
legitimate collaboration that results in some similarity across student work

Encourage TAs to respond to these situations with clarification and support.

Discussing Assignment-Specific Requirements

Ensure TAs understand expectations associated with each assessment, including:

permitted and prohibited forms of collaboration
expectations for using and citing sources
course-specific rules regarding AI tools
requirements for take-home, open-book, or online assessments
how to remind students of these rules at different points in the term

Potential Concerns TAs Should Watch For

Review examples of situations that may warrant further attention, such as:

significant discrepancies between a student’s in-class performance and submitted work
evidence suggesting unauthorized assistance
unusual similarities across multiple submissions
student questions that suggest uncertainty about permitted tools or resources
unusual behaviour during tests or exams

Emphasize that these indicators should be considered in context and do not, on their own, establish that academic misconduct has occurred.

Establishing a Clear Process for Raising Concerns

Ensure TAs know how to proceed if they identify a potential concern, including:

what information or documentation to provide (e.g., assignment files, screenshots, notes)
the importance of maintaining confidentiality
when and how to bring concerns to the Course Director
how to describe observations factually and without making accusations.

Providing this guidance early can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure that TAs feel prepared to support students and respond appropriately if concerns arise.

Clarifying the role of Teaching Assistants (TAs) in supporting academic integrity can help ensure that potential concerns are handled consistently and appropriately.

TAs Are Responsible For

TAs play an important role in identifying and documenting potential concerns related to academic integrity. Their responsibilities may include:

observing potential concerns that arise during marking, tutorials, labs, or other interactions with students
collecting relevant documentation where appropriate (e.g., assignment files, screenshots, or notes)
bringing concerns to the Course Director for review
seeking clarification when they are unsure whether a situation may involve academic misconduct

TAs Are Not Responsible For

TAs should also understand the boundaries of their role. They should not:

investigate the issue independently or attempt to gather additional information from the student
contact or confront the student about the concern
determine whether academic misconduct has occurred
make promises or statements about possible outcomes
share details of the concern with other students or colleagues who are not involved in the process
respond to student challenges or disputes related to academic integrity concerns; these should be referred to the Course Director

Clearly defining these responsibilities and boundaries helps TAs support academic integrity while ensuring that concerns are addressed fairly and through appropriate procedures.

Once expectations have been established, Teaching Assistants (TAs) may raise concerns based on what they observe during marking or in their interactions with students. The following steps can help Course Directors respond consistently and in accordance with York’s Academic Conduct Policy & Procedures.

1. Acknowledge the Concern Promptly

When a TA raises a concern:

Thank them for bringing the issue forward.
Reinforce that raising potential concerns is appropriate and valued.
Let them know that you will review the situation and follow up as needed.

Timely acknowledgment builds trust and reassures TAs that they are supported in their role.

2. Review the Evidence

Request relevant information from the TA, such as:

Assignment files, screenshots, or other supporting documentation.
Contextual details, including assignment instructions, due dates, and any relevant interactions with the student.
Confirmation that no further steps have been taken beyond documenting the concern.

Reviewing the available information will help you determine the appropriate next steps.

3. Assess Whether the Concern Meets the Threshold for Academic Misconduct

Consider the following questions:

Does the behaviour violate the Academic Conduct Policy?
Could the issue be explained by unclear instructions, misunderstanding, or a skills gap?
Would this situation be better addressed through clarification and support, or does it warrant formal reporting?

If you are uncertain, consider consulting:

your Associate Dean (Faculty PPR) or PPR-Designate
your Faculty’s academic integrity resource person
general support: academicintegrity@yorku.ca

4. If Misconduct Is Suspected, Follow Formal Reporting Procedures

Submit the concern to the Faculty PPR / PPR-Designate.
Do not ask the TA to initiate formal reporting.
Document your decision-making and steps taken.

5. Communicate with the TA

Provide a brief follow-up that includes:

confirmation that the concern has been reviewed
a general description of the action taken (e.g., confirming that the case has been referred to the appropriate party)
any next steps for the TA

This closes the communication loop while upholding confidentiality and avoiding the disclosure of case-specific information.

6. Consider Possible Preventative Measures Going Forward

After the situation is resolved, you may wish to:

review assignment instructions or rubrics for clarity
address common issues with the class
provide the TA with general guidance for similar future situations
note recurring patterns that suggest a need for clearer instruction or assignment redesign

7. Provide Ongoing Support

TAs may feel uncertain or vulnerable when reporting concerns. You can support them by:

reassuring them that raising concerns is appropriate
briefly outlining the process so they understand what will happen next
reinforcing that their role contributes meaningfully to upholding academic integrity

Teaching Assistants may support in-person exams in a variety of ways, depending on the course, department, and assigned duties. Before an exam, Course Directors and instructors should clarify what TAs are expected to do, what procedures they should follow, and who they should contact if a concern arises.

This may include discussing:

how exam expectations will be communicated to students;

whether TAs will assist with check-in, seating, monitoring, or collecting materials;

what TAs should do if they observe behaviour that may raise an academic integrity concern;

what information should be documented and shared with the Course Director; and

any department-specific protocols that apply to exam administration.

TAs should not be expected to independently determine whether academic misconduct has occurred. Concerns should be handled in a way that respects student privacy, maintains exam confidentiality, and follows applicable course and departmental procedures.

For more detailed guidance, see Deterring Academic Misconduct During In-Person Exams (Passport York authentication required).

Teaching Assistants (TAs) are often among the first people students approach when they are confused about course expectations or experiencing academic challenges. Ensuring that TAs are familiar with available supports can help students get the assistance they need early and may prevent misunderstandings from escalating into academic integrity concerns.

York offers a range of resources that TAs can recommend to students.

Academic Skill Resources

Student Support

Academic Integrity Guidance