• Section 1 - Purpose and Scope
• Scope
• Section 2 - Definitions
• Section 3 - Preventing Breaches of Academic Integrity
• Section 4 - Detecting and Determining Breaches of Academic Integrity
• Detecting and Investigating Breaches of Academic Integrity
• Minor Breaches of Academic Integrity
• Moderate and Major Breaches of Academic Integrity

Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) The purpose of these Procedures is to ensure that academic integrity is rigorously assured and proactively defended in all aspects of teaching and scholarship, consistent with the approach set out in the Academic Quality, Standards and Integrity Policy.

Scope

(2) These Procedures apply to all academic activities conducted by the University, including through its educational partnerships, except for research-related academic activities.

(3) These Procedures do not apply to Higher Degree Research teaching and learning, which is considered a research-related academic activity for the purposes of this Policy.

Section 2 - Definitions

(4) The Definitions (Academic) Policy applies to these Procedures. 

(5) The Student Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct Rules apply to these Procedures.

Section 3 - Preventing Breaches of Academic Integrity

(6) The Curriculum Design and Development Procedures set out the mechanisms by which learning outcomes related to knowledge of academic integrity and development of academic literacy skills, and associated learning tasks, are embedded at the course and unit level during curriculum design and accreditation.

(7) All learning sites in the University's learning management system will include information for students about academic integrity.

(8) All Unit Information Guides will contain a statement explaining to students "how this unit upholds academic integrity" with reference to approved learning outcomes, content, teaching and learning arrangements, and assessment tasks.

(9) All students will be required to complete mandatory academic integrity awareness training in their first study period after admission to the University, as set out in Rule 3 – Coursework Awards - Student Assessment and Examinations.

(10) Assessment tasks will be designed to minimise opportunities for academic integrity breaches by:

1. performing and documenting a risk analysis for each assessment task to explicitly identify, assess and manage risks to academic integrity, including identifying strategies to minimise opportunities for cheating and maximise opportunities for detection of academic integrity breaches;
2. explicitly including marking criteria related to upholding academic standards, as and when appropriate for the task and associated learning outcomes; and
3. enabling students to check their work exactly once prior to final submission using the University's text-matching software as a tool to facilitate student self-assessment and self-learning in practising academic integrity, where  possible.

(11) The University's text-matching software will be used to detect and deter against breaches of academic integrity by ensuring that all text-based assessment tasks are either:

1. submitted by students through a direct submission link to the text-matching software; or
2. submitted by students through the University's Learning Management System, then subsequently submitted to the text-matching software by the marker.

(12) The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students) is responsible for:

1. overseeing provision of academic support services to assist students in developing appropriate academic literacy skills; and
2. reporting relevant initiatives and outcomes annually to the Student Academic Experience Committee.

(13) The Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic Quality), through the University's Centre for Teaching and Learning, is responsible for:

1. overseeing development of educational resources to assist students in developing appropriate academic literacy skills;
2. facilitating a community of practice to share effective practices, ideas and resources among the University's teaching community; and
3. reporting relevant initiatives and outcomes annually to the Academic Standards and Quality Committee.

Section 4 - Detecting and Determining Breaches of Academic Integrity

Detecting and Investigating Breaches of Academic Integrity

(14) Except in the case of invigilated examinations, markers of assessment tasks have the primary responsibility for detecting potential breaches of academic integrity by:

1. ensuring they are familiar with the University's definition of academic integrity;
2. carefully reviewing all assigned submissions, and associated output reports from the University's text-matching software, to ensure use of appropriate academic integrity practice (e.g. appropriate referencing); and
3. carefully reviewing all assigned submissions, and associated output reports from the University's text-matching software, for potential indicators of contract cheating as set out in the Academic Integrity Guidelines.

(15) Unit Assessors are responsible for ensuring that all markers:

1. are aware of and understand their responsibilities set out in clause (14);
2. are appropriately trained to fulfil these responsibilities, including in the proficient and judicious use of the University's text-matching software and any other relevant academic integrity tools; and
3. fulfil their responsibilities appropriately.

(16) A Unit Assessor may require a student to verbally answer questions about an assessment submission in order to further verify the authenticity of the submission.

(17) Staff must not release work submitted by students to other universities in response to automated requests through the electronic originality checking service unless:

1. consent is provided by the student; or
2. authorised by the Academic Integrity Officer.

(18) In the case of invigilated examinations, exam supervisors have primary responsibility for detecting potential breaches of academic integrity and must report suspected breaches to the Academic Integrity Officer as set out in Section 7 of Rule 3 - Coursework Awards - Student Assessment and Examination.

(19) Notwithstanding clauses (14) and (18), any other staff member of the University who detects a potential breach of academic integrity must notify the relevant Academic Integrity Officer as an allegation of potential academic misconduct in accordance with the Student Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct Rules.

(20) The Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic Quality) is responsible for authorising the use of software tools to detect and investigate breaches of academic integrity, including but not limited to text-matching software, and for ensuring Academic Integrity Officers are appropriately trained in their use.

Minor Breaches of Academic Integrity

(21) If a marker judges that a breach of academic integrity has occurred, they may determine that the breach is a minor breach provided that:

1. the student is in their first or second study period at the University, which must be established by examining the student's academic history report; and
2. the student has no prior findings of academic misconduct against them, which must be confirmed by the Academic Integrity Support Officer; and
3. they have no reason to suspect that the student may have knowingly breached academic integrity, including but not limited to the circumstances set out in clause (7)c of the Student Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct Rules.

(22) If a marker determines under clause (21) that a minor breach of academic integrity has occurred, they must:

1. mark the assessment task according to the stated marking criteria;
2. explicitly inform the student of their determination of a minor breach of academic integrity, including the nature of the breach, which may be done as part of the usual process of providing feedback on assessment tasks as set out in the Assessment Procedures;
3. report the breach to the Unit Assessor within five working days of making the determination; and
4. report the determination to the Academic Integrity Support Officer as set out in clause (30).

(23) After being informed by a marker that a minor breach of academic integrity has been determined, the Unit Assessor must initiate an appropriate educative intervention to ensure the student can:

1. fully understand, learn from and correct their mistakes; and
2. access any additional academic skills support needed to assist them in avoiding making the same mistakes again.

(24) The Unit Assessor may additionally:

1. overturn the determination of the marker; or
2. refer the case to the Academic Integrity Officer for further investigation.

(25) The process outlined in clause (22) may lead to a student receiving lower marks due to poor performance against any relevant stated marking criteria, but no additional penalties may be applied by the marker or Unit Assessor for a minor breach of academic integrity.

Moderate and Major Breaches of Academic Integrity

(26) If a marker, examination supervisor or any other academic staff member, suspects that a breach of academic integrity may have occurred but the provisions of clause (21) do not apply, they must refer the case to the Academic Integrity Officer as an allegation of potential academic misconduct in accordance with the Student Academic and Non- Academic Misconduct Rules.

(27) An Academic Integrity Officer may use a wide range of methods to investigate an allegation of potential academic misconduct, including but not limited to software-based investigation tools, as set out in clause (88) of the Student Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct Rules.

(28) If the Academic Integrity Officer determines to dismiss the allegation of potential academic misconduct in accordance with the Student Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct Rules but believes that a minor breach of academic integrity has occurred, they will inform the Unit Assessor who will then apply the provisions of clauses (22) and (23).

(29) A determination of a minor breach of academic integrity by the Academic Integrity Officer is final and may not be overturned by the Unit Assessor.

Section 5 - Monitoring and Reporting of Breaches of
Academic Integrity

(30) All breaches of academic integrity must be reported within five working days by the staff member who makes the determination to the Academic Integrity Support Officer using the Academic Integrity Breach Referral and Decision Form.

(31) The Academic Integrity Support Officer will provide a report to:

1. each School/College at the end of each Study Period on breaches of academic integrity by unit and course, including the types of breach and penalties applied; and
2. the first scheduled Academic Standards and Quality Committee meeting in a calendar year on breaches of academic integrity by unit and course within each School, including aggregated data on the types of breach and penalties applied.

(32) School/College Boards will regularly monitor breaches of academic integrity for units and courses owned by the School/College, including the types of breach and penalties applied, and review and provide a report to the first scheduled Academic Standards and Quality Committee meeting in a calendar year on:

1. any significant trends in academic integrity breaches within the School/College;
2. academic integrity risks within the School/College;
3. actions taken to address identified trends in academic integrity breaches or risks to academic integrity; and
4. outcomes of any actions taken in the previous reporting period.

(33) Academic Standards and Quality Committee will monitor, review and provide a report to the second scheduled Academic Board meeting in a calendar year on:

1. summary statistics of academic integrity breaches at the institutional level;
2. any significant trends in academic integrity breaches at the institutional level;
3. academic integrity risks within the University;
4. actions taken or recommended to be taken to address identified trends in academic integrity breaches or risks to academic integrity; and
5. outcomes of any actions taken in the previous reporting period.