Academic misconduct

Academic misconduct includes any behaviours that undermine or breach academic integrity. 

This includes but if not limited to:

  • Cheating
  • Plagiarism
  • Submitting the same work in more than one unit
  • Unauthorized collusion – when more than one student contributes to a piece of work that is submitted as the work of an individual
  • Examination misconduct
  • Misconduct in research

Penalties

Depending on the seriousness of the case, dishonesty in assessment can result in penalties from a formal warning to (in extreme cases) expulsion.

When assessing penalties, the university will consider the extent of the wrongdoing, the nature of the wrongdoing, the experience of the student and the intent to be dishonest.

Academic misconduct process

There are two types of allegations, minor and major. This will be determined during your initial review. This graphic demonstrates the Academic Misconduct Process for minor and major allegations.

Reporting

The process is started by a unit coordinator submitting an allegation for academic misconduct to Student Integrity Services.

Initial review

An initial review is conducted to determine if the allegation is minor or major.

For a minor allegation, you will receive an email from your unit coordinator with a ‘caution’ and advice on where to seek help to avoid further allegations of misconduct. The minor allegation will remain in the student integrity system but is not recorded in your academic transcript. 

If you don’t dispute the allegation, the case is then closed. If you choose to dispute the allegation, the case will progress to investigation. 

For a major allegation, including if you have recorded a previous academic integrity allegation, the case will be assigned to an investigator.

Investigation

You will be notified by email about the pending investigation along with evidence. As part of the investigation process, you can view the evidence and it’s also your opportunity to give your side of the story.

Student's response

You can respond to the allegation by writing or opt for an interview with the investigator. You may also choose not to respond to the allegation, in which case the investigator completes the investigation based on the information available to them.

 

Providing a written response

If you choose to submit a written response, it must be sent within 5 days from the date that the notification is sent. 

It is crucial that you prepare a proper letter that is supported by relevant evidence. 

If you are unsure of what to write in your response, please do not hesitate to contact Student Assist for advice.

 

An interview is requested

Either you or the investigator can request an online interview to view the evidence, give your side of the story and provide evidence to support your case. 

The interview will take place with the investigator and a student integrity team member. You may request for one of our Student Assist Officers to attend the interview with you to act as a support person.

If after the investigator decides that misconduct has not occurred, you will receive an email informing you the case has been dismissed. If the investigator decides that misconduct has occurred, the investigator will give a recommended outcome and the case will proceed on to an arbiter.

Arbitration and decision

If you reach this stage, the arbiter will review all the evidence and decide if the case should proceed. If it doesn’t proceed, the allegation is dismissed, and you will be notified in writing.

If the case does proceed, an arbitration notice with the investigation report and recommended outcome will be sent to you. This is not the final decision and you can still give your side of the story and provide further evidence for the last time.

Student's response

You will have to provide a written response within 7 business days. If you need assistance writing this response, please contact Student Assist.

Final decision

The arbiter will make a final decision and notify you of the final outcome of the case.

Book An Appointment

Murdoch Guild’s Student Assist officers are ready to listen to your academic concerns and provide direction. You can book an appointment with us via our booking calendar below.

For further enquiries, you can contact us at studentassist@murdochguild.com.au

See Our Booking Calendar