Procedures and penalties for academic dishonesty

Major features of the University’s approach to investigating a suspected case of academic dishonesty are:

1. Wherever possible and appropriate, investigation and resolution of a case should be undertaken at the departmental level. Serious cases of dishonesty may be referred to the University’s Discipline Committee.
2. If the potential instance of cheating is identified by a tutor or other member of teaching staff, the course convenor must be informed.
3. Dialogue with the student(s) concerned must be conducted as part of the initial investigation. A student may bring a supporting person to a hearing or meeting. In more serious cases, a student may be represented by a lawyer or other responsible party.
4. In cases not referred to Discipline Committee, the Academic Head, in consultation with the teacher(s) concerned, determines the level of seriousness of the offence, and an appropriate penalty.
5. The University keeps a centralised record of deliberate cases of academic dishonesty.

See the Guidelines: Conduct of Coursework for further details on procedures for investigation.

If a case of cheating is determined to be relatively minor, it will be resolved at the department/faculty level. Penalties range from receiving a written or oral warning to receiving no marks for an assessment.

Major offences will be referred to the University’s Discipline Committee, which can impose the same or more severe penalties, including:

• Not credit a course or courses to the student’s degree programme.
• Cancel any previously-credited pass in a course associated with the offence.
• Impose a fine not exceeding $1,000.
• Suspend attendance at the University for a period to be determined.
• Cancel enrolment, i.e., expulsion from the University.

In accordance with the University’s Disciplinary Statute it is possible for students to apply for a review of any penalty imposed pursuant to these Guidelines to the Appeals Committee of the Council.

The University has implemented an electronic Register to record the details of all cases where a student has engaged in deliberate academic misconduct in their coursework, and receives an academic penalty as a result.

Details of each case will be recorded on a paper form, which includes a student declaration, and the student receives a copy of the completed and signed form once the case is closed. Information from the form is then entered into the Register. The record of offence will normally remain in the Register until one year after the student graduates.

After a deliberate offence is confirmed, the Register will be consulted to assist in determination of an appropriate penalty. The Register will be able to identify repeat offenders, with the risk that these students will receive more severe penalties for repeat offences.

Use of the Register is covered by strict protocols. Staff access is limited to a small number of authorised users, and there is no student access.

The development of the Register is part of the University’s efforts to safeguard academic integrity. The Register complements other measures that the University has taken to ensure that students understand academic values and referencing conventions, for example:

• Referen©ite (academic referencing resource)