Breaches of academic integrity in coursework

All members of Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland must abide by the Student Academic Conduct Statute, which defines what we consider breaches of academic integrity and sets out how these breaches are managed. 

For more information, visit Student Academic Conduct Statute. 

A breach of academic integrity is where a student gains, attempts to gain, or assists another student to gain an unfair or unjustified advantage in assessment.

This may happen through a deliberate act or omission, or through a failure to take reasonable care, and it applies whether or not the advantage was obtained.This includes breaches of relevant ethical approval processes or codes of conduct.

Breaching academic integrity is also known as

• Academic dishonesty 
• Committing academic misconduct

If you’re caught breaching academic integrity, you may be penalised for academic misconduct under the Student Academic Conduct Statute. 

You can be found to have breached academic integrity even if you didn’t know what you were doing was wrong. This is why all students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Course.

All confirmed breaches of academic integrity are recored in our central Academic Integrity Management System. Please note, the University recognises that your information is confidential, especially around cases of academic misconduct. Access to view records within the central Academic Integrity Management system is strictly limited to staff authorised to access this information. 

The University has three levels of classification for breaches of academic integrity that occur in the preparation and submission of coursework, tests and research work.

The three levels are

• Poor academic practice
• Minor academic misconduct
• Major academic misconduct

Poor academic practice
Poor academic practice applies only to coursework and does not apply to breaches of academic integrity in tests or examinations.

In order for a breach to be classified as Poor Academic Practice, the breach must have occurred in undergraduate coursework within the student’s first two semesters of tertiary study at this University; or the breach occurred in postgraduate coursework within the student’s first semester (or first two quarters) of tertiary study at this University.

The breach must also be minor in terms of

• Its overall impact on the academic integrity of the work
• The legitimate interests of others
• The interests and reputation of the University
• Evidence that the breach is the result of a deliberately dishonest act
• Prior record of academic integrity breach or academic misconduct

Where the breach does not meet the criteria described above, or the breach is judged to be more serious, it is classified as academic misconduct. 

Consequences can include

• Reducing the marks for the piece of work to eliminate any unfair advantage 
• Requiring you to resubmit the piece of work

Academic misconduct
Academic misconduct may be minor or major.

When determining whether academic misconduct is minor or major, your academic unit will consider whether the breach is minor in terms of

• Its overall impact on the academic integrity of the work
• The legitimate interests of others 
• The interests and reputation of the University 
• Evidence that the breach is the result of a deliberately dishonest act 
• Prior record of academic integrity breach or academic misconduct 

Penalties and consequences can include

• Reduction in marks
• An oral or written reprimand
• A fine not exceeding $1,000
• Suspension or expulsion from the University 

Poor Academic Practice

1. You will be contacted about the allegation

Suspected breaches of academic integrity are submitted to the Academic Integrity Management System, and are processed according to the Student Academic Conduct Statute.

Following the breach, your Course Director and/or faculty Academic Integrity Adviser may first contact you about the breach, inviting you to provide a response, or attend a meeting to discuss what happened. You are welcome to bring a support person to any meetings.

Following this, you will be contacted by the Academic Quality Office about the allegation and invited to provide a response within 5 working days.

Alternatively, you may hear from the Academic Quality Office directly about the allegation, without first hearing from the Course Director/faculty Academic Integrity Adviser.

If this is the case, you are still able to reach out to the Course Director to discuss your case, but it is a good idea to also provide a response to the Academic Quality Office as this response is recorded in the Academic Integrity Management System.

In all cases, you will be invited to provide a response to the allegation within 5 working days.

If you would like free confidential advice or support with providing a response, or at any other stage during the academic misconduct process, you can contact AUSA Advocacy via email at advocacy@ausa.org.nz.

Sometimes cases are withdrawn at this stage if the Course Director/Academic Integrity Adviser determines that a breach of academic integrity has not taken place.

If your case is withdrawn, you will be informed via email. 

2. You will be contacted about the outcome of your case. 

Your Course Director will consider any response you give to your allegation. Once they have reached their decision, you will receive an email from the Academic Quality Office informing you of the outcome of your case.

If you do not agree with the outcome and would like to submit an appeal, the email will contain instructions on how to do so.

It’s important to remember that any appeal submitted must be supported by a detailed explanation of your reasons.  

Minor or major academic misconduct

1. You will be contacted about the allegation

Suspected breaches of academic integrity are submitted to the Academic Integrity Management System, and are processed according to the Student Academic Conduct Statute.

Following the breach, your Course Director and/or faculty Academic Integrity Adviser may first contact you about the breach, inviting you to provide a response, or attend a meeting to discuss what happened. You are welcome to bring a support person to any meetings.

Following this, you will be contacted by the Academic Quality Office about the allegation and invited to provide a response within 10 working days.

Alternatively, you may hear from the Academic Quality Office directly about the allegation, without first hearing from the Course Director/faculty Academic Integrity Adviser.

If this is the case, you are still able to reach out to the Course Director to discuss your case, but it is a good idea to also provide a response to the Academic Quality Office, as this response is recorded in the Academic Integrity Management System.

In all cases, you will be invited to provide a response to the allegation within 10 working days.

If you would like free confidential advice or support with providing a response, or at any other stage during the academic misconduct process, you can contact AUSA Advocacy via email at advocacy@ausa.org.nz.

Sometimes cases are withdrawn at this stage, if the Course Director/Academic Integrity Adviser determines that a breach of academic integrity has not taken place.

If your case is withdrawn, you will be informed via email.

2. The Academic Head and Associate Dean Academic (or delegates) will decide how severe the incident is, and what the penalty should be

Your case will be sent first to the Academic Head and then the Associate Dean Academic (or their delegates), and they will decide whether or not your case can be considered academic misconduct.

In making their decision, they will consider any response you have provided to the Academic Quality Office. If they decide it is academic misconduct, they will decide whether it is minor or major academic misconduct.

This will be determined by factors such as

• The overall impact on the academic integrity of the piece of work
• Evidence that the breach is a deliberately dishonest act
• Whether or not you have previous breaches of academic integrity

If they decide it is minor academic misconduct, they will decide on the appropriate penalties.

If they decide it is major academic misconduct, the case will be escalated to the Provost and then the Discipline Committee. 

3.  A) Minor academic misconduct: You will be contacted about the outcome of your case

Once the Academic Head and Associate Dean Academic (or their delegates) have reached their decision, you will receive an email from the Academic Quality Office informing you of the outcome of your case.

If you do not agree with the outcome and would like to submit an appeal, you can do so within 20 working days. The email will contain instructions on how to do this.

It’s important to remember that any appeal submitted must be supported by a detailed explanation of your reasons.  

  B) Major academic misconduct: You will be invited to a hearing with the Discipline Committee

If the Academic Head and Associate Dean Academic (or their delegates) decide that your case should be managed as major academic misconduct, your case will get sent to the Provost.

If the Provost approves the decision to manage your case as major academic misconduct, you will be notified of this decision and your case will be sent to the Discipline Committee.

You will then be invited to a hearing with the Discipline Committee. The Discipline Committee will prepare a hearing packet, containing evidence relating to your case, which you will be sent in advance.

At any stage of the academic misconduct process, you can get free confidential advice or support by contacting AUSA Advocacy via email at advocacy@ausa.org.nz.

At this stage of the academic misconduct process, they can help you prepare for your hearing and can attend the hearing with you.

Alternatively, you are welcome to bring another support person to the hearing if you need one. 

Following your hearing, the Discipline Committee will contact your student email address to inform you of the outcome of your case.

If the Discipline Committee decides your case should not be processed as major academic misconduct, it will be referred back to the Academic Quality Office and the academic unit to be resolved as minor academic misconduct.

If your case is determined to be major academic misconduct, you will be informed of this and any penalties.

If you do not agree with the outcome and would like to submit an appeal, you can do so within 20 working days. The email will contain instructions on how to do this.

It’s important to remember that any appeal submitted must be supported by a detailed explanation of your reasons.  For more information on the Discipline Committee, you can refer to the Discipline Committee web page.