Definitions

Academic Integrity - ‘the moral code of academia. It involves using, generating and communicating information in an ethical, honest and responsible manner'.¹

Academic Integrity Officers - academic staff who have responsibility for managing cases of Academic Misconduct within their discipline, school or faculty.

Academic Misconduct - behaviour that contravenes the values and principles of Academic Integrity, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Academic Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

1. Plagiarism, where students present Work for assessment or publication that is not their own, without attribution or reference to the original source.
2. Collusion, where students present Work as independent Work when it has in fact been produced in whole or in part with others (including persons external to the University) unless prior permission for joint or collaborative Work has been given by the Course coordinator, as specified in the Course Outline.
3. Copying, where a student acts in such a way as to seek to gain unfair advantage or assist another student to do so.
4. Cheating in Examinations means engaging in dishonest practice or breaching the rules during or in relation to Examinations
5. Contract Cheating, where a student submits completed or partially completed Work that a third party has completed for them, regardless of the relationship between the student and the third party or whether the third party is paid or unpaid.
6. Misrepresentation, where a student presents untrue information with the intention of deceiving or misleading the assessor.
7. Solicitation, where a student offers or gives money or any item or service to a University staff member or any other person to gain academic advantage for the student or another person.

Examination includes formal examinations, informal examinations and tests.

Exam Invigilator is a person designated to supervise students sitting Examinations.

Program is as defined in the University’s Glossary of Terms Program and also includes Non-Award Study and Cross Institutional Study for the purposes of this policy.

Work includes but is not limited to words, data, music, computer code, algorithms or computer code data, calculations, artistic and architectural works, precedents, templates, film, video, digital or electronic media designs or ideas, interpretations, computer software, designs, sounds, images, photographs in print or electronic media.

Assessment Task includes any Work submitted for assessment including an Examination, assignment or other task.

Balance of Probabilities is the civil standard of proof which requires that, on the weight of evidence, it is more probable than not that Academic Misconduct has occurred.

Circumstances includes:

1. Medical Circumstances including serious illness, injury or hospitalisation of the student.
2. Compassionate Circumstances, being those which lead to serious suffering or misfortune which were outside of the student's immediate control, including but not limited to:

• death or life threatening injury or illness of an immediate family member or a member of the student's household;
• serious illness or injury of a dependent of the student which requires the student to provide care;
• traumatic experiences including being a victim of a serious crime or involvement in a serious accident;
• natural disasters or a major political upheaval in a student’s home country;
• significant disruption to a student’s domestic arrangements;
• substantial and unanticipated financial hardship.

3. Extenuating Circumstances, being events beyond the University’s control that compromise an assessment process, or significant commitments or obligations which are outside of the student’s control, including but not limited to:

• religious obligations;
• formal legal obligations;
• military service commitments (including Army Reserve);
• service with a recognised emergency management service (including CFS or SES);
• representing the University, State or nation at a significant sporting or cultural event;
• being an approved elite athlete preparing for or participating in a sporting event or attending a sporting commitment.