AIM- More Information for Community Members

Academic Integrity Matters (AIM) is a program that is offered to students who accept responsibility for violating the Student Conduct Code with regard to scholastic dishonesty. This program uses conversation and educational experiences to provide greater understanding of academic integrity and ultimately repair harm caused by scholastic dishonesty. 

After receiving communication from the Office for Community Standards and accepting responsibility for violating the Student Conduct Code, students sign up for an AIM Community Meeting. Community Meetings include student participants and community members (faculty, instructors, and students). In a group, student participants explain what happened and how their actions impaced others. They will then hear from individual community members regarding how they are impacted by scholastic dishonesty and how scholastic dishonesty impacts the University of Minnesota and the broader community. 

The last part of the meeting consists of a discussion between the student and the community members to create a plan for the student to repair the harm that their actions caused. The plan may include the student participating in a workshop, class, or educational experience in order to gain a greater understanding of academic integrity. 

If the student successfully completes the restorative plan, the student's disciplinary records will be changed to a non-disciplinary record. 

If the student has a second case of academic dishonesty and the student is found responsible then the second case of academic dishonesty will result in a disciplinary charge of scholastic dishonesty. Also, the first case, that was made non-disciplinary by AIM, will revert back to disciplinary. This would result in two charges of scholastic dishonesty after the second case. 

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Volunteer Role

Community members are volunteers who represent the interests of the University of Minnesota in Community Meetings. At Community Meetings students explain what they have done and how they are impacted by their actions. Community members then share their personal account of how they are impacted by scholastic dishonesty and also offer examples of how scholastic dishonesty impacts the broader commnunity. After discussing the incident and impact, community members propose an educational plan that a student can complete in order to learn from the incident and repair harm to the University. 

AIM Agreements

After discussing the incidents, community members and student participants discuss options for repairing harm and rebuilding trust, otherwise known as the AIM Agreement. For sample agreements, click here

Process for Community Meetings

  1. Community meetings typically consist of a facilitator, 2-3 community members, and 3-5 student participants. Community members are made up of current or former students, faculty, and staff. Community Meetings will be scheduled 1-2 times per week.
  2. Faculty, instructors, staff, and students volunteer their time to be a part of this program. The time commitment will be no more than six to eight hours per semester. 
  3. Logistics will be coordinated by the Office for Community Standards. 
  4. Students must complete all components of the program. Failure to complete any part of the program will result in the disciplinary record being maintained per standard University policy. 

Goals of the Program

  • Prevent/lower recidivism
  • Allow first-time scholastic dishonesty reports to be made "non-disciplinary" with no "finding of responsibility".
  • Students will demonstrate a greater understanding of the importance of academic integrity.*
  • Students will demonstrate a greater understanding of how scholastic dishonesty impacts other students, instructors and the University of Minnesota in general. *
  • Students will be able to define and identify ways to demonstrate academic integrity.*

*Students will complete a pre/post survey to measure these goals. 

What Does a Non-Disciplinary Record Mean?

When a student successfully completes all required portions of the AIM program, their record will be made non-disciplinary. This means that our office will not disclose this information to a third party. We can not delete your record as policy mandates they are kept. Cases will remain non-disciplinary as long as a student does not have a second incident of academic dishonesty where the student is found responsible. 

If you are interested in participating in AIM as a community member, please email Katelyn Sanders at [email protected]