Draft Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures

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Application

This policy document applies to all students and staff members of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland (the “University”).

Purpose

To affirm the University’s commitment to academic integrity and its responsibility to educate and support students in this; and to define the responsibilities and expectations of the University, of staff members, and of students in the practice of academic integrity.

Policy

Principles

1. Academic endeavours at the University are built upon an essential commitment to academic integrity, which is the basis for ethical decision-making and behaviour in an academic context.

2. The University affirms that instilling academic integrity is an integral part of a university education.

Academic integrity

3. Academic integrity is a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to the fundamental values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage.

  • Academic integrity involves showing respect to other's ideas, words, images, code and more by ensuring you acknowledge who and what has influenced your thinking or the work you have produced.
  • Academic integrity means being honest, careful, ethical and responsible in your academic work.

4. Minor breaches of academic integrity that result from inexperience or unfamiliarity with relevant academic requirements and that have little impact on the assessment of a student’s performance may be classified as poor academic practice (PAP).

  • PAP is not academic misconduct and will be addressed through an educative intervention as specified in item 24.
  • PAP will not be applied to breaches of academic integrity arising from dishonesty or from a clear attempt to gain some advantage in respect to assessment, access to learning resources, academic progress, or research progress.
  • PAP will not be applied to breaches of academic integrity in tests and examinations.
  • PAP will be determined by the academic head following an investigation and a recommendation of a Course Director or Academic Integrity Adviser. PAP is not an entitlement and breaches of academic integrity not judged to be PAP will be treated as academic misconduct, as outlined in item 5.

Note: see procedures to address poor academic practice, below.

5. Academic misconduct will be dealt with in accordance with the Student Conduct Statute and relevant Procedures, and is defined as conduct by which a student does or omits to do anything which:

  •  Is intended to obtain or is likely to have the effect of obtaining for that student or any other person an unjustified or unfair advantage in assessment – whether or not the advantage was obtained; or
  • Is inconsistent with scholarly practice or the responsible conduct of research, including compliance with relevant ethical and regulatory rules, requirements, policies and codes of conduct.

Roles, responsibilities and expectations

6. The University is responsible for educating students about academic integrity and promoting academic integrity in courses and research.

7. The University is responsible for providing advice to students and staff members on its expectations for academic integrity and procedures for dealing with breaches of academic integrity.

8. Course directors are responsible for ensuring that courses promote academic integrity through the syllabus, resources provided, assessment design and marking, and in communications with students.

9. Teachers are responsible for monitoring students’ practice of academic integrity in courses and ensuring that breaches of academic integrity are addressed in accordance with this policy.

10. Academic Integrity Advisers (AIAs) are responsible for promoting academic integrity to teachers and students in their programmes and/or courses offered by their academic units.

  • AIAs may support course directors and teachers in course and assessment design to promote academic integrity.
  • AIAs may support course directors and teachers in addressing breaches of academic integrity.

11. Students are responsible for upholding academic integrity in all aspects of their learning and especially in work submitted for assessment.

Procedures

Academic integrity in curriculum and teaching

12. Ethics and professionalism are key capabilities of Waipapa Manawa Whenua, Graduate Profile. Programmes will ensure that opportunities are provided to students to learn and practise academic integrity.

13. Courses will include advice to students on academic integrity and will be monitored for students’ adherence to academic integrity.

  •  Advice on academic integrity should be included in the Canvas course.

14. Assessments will be designed to encourage the practice of academic integrity and to deter breaches of academic integrity, including clear guidance on expectations.

  • Assessments based upon group work or other forms of collaboration must be accompanied by clear guidance on the expectations for the assessment of individual and group/collaborative work.

15. Training for teachers will include advice on promoting academic integrity in students’ work.

Academic integrity promotion

16. The Academic Integrity Adviser (AIA) is a leadership role in faculties and/or academic units to support consistency in academic integrity expectations and academic misconduct processes for staff members and students.

Note: see Academic Integrity Adviser position description.

17. The Academic Integrity Community of Practice (AI CoP) will work towards building a values-based culture of academic integrity, advise on educative approaches to responding to academic misconduct, and serve as a repository of good practice advice and information.

  • AIAs are members of AI CoP.

Note: see Academic Integrity Community of Practice terms of reference.

  • The Academic Quality Office (AQO) will support AIAs and AI CoP, and liaise with student representatives to support students’ attention to academic integrity and understanding of academic misconduct processes.

18. Tools and practices for detecting academic misconduct may be provided by the University.

Academic integrity course

19. The Enrolment and Programme Regulations require students admitted to a University of Auckland programme complete an online academic integrity course.

  • Students should complete this course early in their studies or as advised by their programme.

20. Academic integrity courses teach the principles of academic integrity and explain ethical practices in respect to the range of academic endeavours.

  • Specific academic integrity courses may be provided for programmes and/or student cohorts.
  • Academic integrity courses will remain current with respect to teaching and learning practices, and will be refreshed regularly with the input of Ranga Auaha Ako.

21. Academic integrity courses are zero-credit, delivered online, and administered by the AQO.

Procedures for poor academic practice

22. A staff member, student, or any other person may report a suspected incident of PAP through the Academic Integrity Management System (AIMS).

  • AQO administers the AIMS.

23. Details of alleged breaches of academic integrity will be received and reviewed by the Course Director or AIA who will investigate and recommend an action for the following:

  • Where the incident meets the criteria for PAP (item 4) may recommend an adjustment specified in item 24.
  • Where the incident does not meet the criteria for PAP the matter will be investigated as possible academic misconduct and will follow the relevant Procedures in accordance with the Student Conduct Statute.
  • Where the allegation is not confirmed the matter will be dismissed and recorded accordingly.

24. The Course Director or AIA may recommend adjustments to remove any unfair advantage obtained through the PAP, which may include but are not limited to:

  • A reduction in marks awarded for item(s) of assessment to eliminate any unfair advantage gained.
  • Requiring the student to resubmit any relevant work for assessment. The newly submitted work may be subject to an appropriate mark reduction to remove any unfair advantage in the student obtaining additional time for completing the work.
  • Requiring submission of an alternative item(s) of work as a replacement for the item of assessment affected by the PAP.
  • Requiring the completion of specified learning in academic integrity.

25. Where the Course Director or AIA recommends that the case be considered as PAP they will notify the student and will provide them with details of the allegation, their finding and their recommended action.

26. The student may respond in writing, and may acknowledge or dispute the allegation, or may state any extenuating circumstances for their case.

  • The student must respond within seven days of receiving the advice and recommendation of the Course Director or AIA.

27. Upon receipt of the student’s response or after seven days if no response is made, the academic head will be notified of the allegation, the Course Director or AIA’s finding and recommendation, and the student’s response. The academic head will review the information and either:

  • Dismiss the case and apply no adjustment; or
  • Confirm the finding and recommended adjustment(s); or
  • Make a new finding and recommendation, which may include determining the case to be academic misconduct in accordance with item 5.

28. The academic head will notify the student, the Course Director and the AIA of their decision within seven days of receiving notification of the case.

29. The student may request a review of the academic head’s decision on either:

  • The finding of PAP;
  • The adjustment(s); or
  • Both the finding and the adjustment(s).

30. The review will be undertaken by the Associate Dean Academic whose decision will be final.

Definitions

Academic head means head of department, school, or other teaching or research unit (or nominee).

Academic Integrity Adviser (AIA) is an academic service role to support the promotion of academic integrity and processing of academic misconduct allegations in an academic unit or faculty.

Academic Integrity Community of Practice (AI CoP) is sponsored by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Education to support the promotion of academic integrity, encourage consistency of practice, and to identify matters for the attention of the University community and senior leadership.

Academic Integrity Management System (AIMS) is the case management system for receiving allegations of breaches of academic integrity, processing of communications in respect to investigations and decision-making, and maintaining records.

Academic Quality Office (AQO) is part of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office and is under the purview of the Provost.

Course Director is responsible for the operation of courses and for students’ experiences of these. A Course Coordinator or nominee may act on behalf of a Course Director.

Examination means controlled assessment that is arranged by Assessment Services and invigilated.

Poor academic practice means a minor breach of academic integrity that results from inexperience or unfamiliarity with relevant academic requirements and that has little impact on the assessment of a student’s performance.

Ranga Auaha Ako is the University’s learning and teaching design team.

Staff member refers to an individual employed by the University on a full or part-time basis. This includes permanent, fixed-term or casual staff members.

Teacher refers to an individual employed by the University on a full or part-time basis to provide instruction to students in taught courses.

Test is defined as a controlled assessment scheduled outside of the examination period, that counts towards the final grade of the course, and is time limited.

University means Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland and includes all subsidiaries.

Key relevant documents

Document management and control

Owner: Pro Vice-Chancellor Education
Content manager: Manager, Academic Quality
Approved by: 
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