AADSAS Academic Infraction Question Changed? Do I Still Need to Disclose?

[funnybigbird54]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hi everyone,

I am an applicant in the current AADSAS cycle, and I am really struggling with whether I need to disclose an academic integrity violation from my freshman year.

To give some background, during my freshman year I received an academic integrity violation because I used AI to help generate citations, and some of the cited sources turned out to be inaccurate. My professor reduced my grade from an A to a B+, and I received an academic integrity violation.

At my university, students who complete a correction program can have the violation permanently removed from their disciplinary record. I completed the remediation course, and the violation was removed and It does not appear on my transcript or on any disciplinary record maintained by the university.

When this happened, I researched the AADSAS application and found that the wording at the time specifically instructed applicants to disclose misconduct even if the record had been removed or no longer appeared on a transcript. Because of that language, I fully expected that I would disclose the incident when I applied.

For context, I had just moved to the U.S. and genuinely did not understand proper citation practices or the limitations of using AI. That is not an excuse as I take full responsibility for what happened. It was a valuable lesson, and I wanted to make sure I never repeated the mistake. Since then, I have worked hard to demonstrate that growth. During my junior year, I was selected to serve as one of my university's Integrity leader and in that role, I participated in outreach programs that educated students and helped students avoid making the same mistakes I did. I always thought that if I disclosed my violation, I could also discuss how I learned from it and how I went above and beyond.

However, the wording on this year's AADSAS application appears to have changed. Unlike previous years, I no longer see language stating that applicants must disclose violations even if they have been removed from the school's records.

I also contacted my university's conduct office, and they told me that if a conduct check were requested, they would report that I have no disciplinary record.

Given these circumstances, I am genuinely unsure what the correct answer is. For a long time, I mentally prepared myself to disclose the violation because I believed that was what AADSAS required. Now, with the revised wording and confirmation from my university that nothing would be reported, I am questioning whether disclosure is still expected. At the same time, I do not want to answer incorrectly or appear as though I am trying to hide anything.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation or received guidance from AADSAS or admissions offices? Based on the current wording, would you answer "Yes" or "No"?

I would really appreciate any insight. Thank you.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Here is what is in the ADEA AADSAS help documentation:

Academic Infraction​

Indicate whether you have ever been disciplined or placed on academic probation while attending an academic institution. If you select Yes, enter a brief explanation in the field provided. Include:

1. A brief description of the incident
2. Specific charge made
3. Related dates
4. Consequence
5. A reflection on the incident and how the incident has impacted your life

Here are the questions in the AADSAS application:

Have you ever been disciplined for academic performance (e.g. academic probation, dismissal, suspension, disqualification, etc.) by any college or school? Once the application is submitted, you cannot change your response to any infraction question. Notify programs directly if you need to provide additional information or to make any changes.

Have you ever been disciplined for student conduct violations (e.g. academic probation, dismissal, suspension, disqualification, etc.) by any school or college? Once the application is submitted, you cannot change your response to any infraction question. Notify programs directly if you need to provide additional information or to make any changes.

To compare, this is the AMCAS help documentation:

If you were ever the recipient of any institutional action by any college or medical school for unacceptable academic performance or a conduct violation, you must answer Yes to the question about institutional action. You need not disclose if the institution subsequently deleted or otherwise removed the institutional action from your academic record.

In brief, the ADEA AADSAS application does not say that you need not disclose those actions if your institution does not have a record of (or has expunged) the infraction. The original advice to say "yes" in the AADSAS application still holds, and you must pay attention to legal language to disclose infractions in any follow-up questions from the schools.