Academic integrity

What does the academic integrity policy and procedure cover that a student needs to know about?

The Policy and Procedure cover detail such as what the College and staff are responsible for to ensure academic integrity, as well as what the responsibilities of students are. They describe what integrity is in more detail and what principles we follow at Monash College. The breaches with their definitions are presented, as well as the College position in relation to the use of AI and generative AI in teaching and learning activities.

Detail is then given on what happens if students do not follow the expected academic integrity principles. The College has different processes for managing and responding to suspected breaches. This includes an educative process called an ‘academic integrity intervention’ if you have something highlighted in your work called an ‘academic integrity concern’. If more serious breaches are suspected, then students are referred for a formal investigation by an Academic Integrity Committee to investigate suspected ‘academic misconduct’.

Details on all of these processes are described in the Policy and Procedure, as well as which teams or people at Monash College are responsible for the process. The Academic Integrity Committee Guidelines give information about what to expect during a hearing and what outcomes and consequences can be applied for cases of academic misconduct.

What is an academic integrity concern?

An academic integrity concern means that there are concerns with the way that you have done your assignment. You might show a lack of understanding of the academic conventions expected with studying in Australia, or not quite understood what collusion means and worked too closely with someone else. These concerns are considered to be low-level or early stage issues in your program of study and indicate that students might need some extra support to understand the principles of academic integrity and the study skills required to meet them. Concerns are usually found by teachers marking assignments.

What is an academic integrity intervention?

An academic integrity intervention is an educational outcome given if a teacher thinks that a student’s work contains an academic integrity concern. The intervention provides a way for the College to give extra training and support to students to help them understand the expected academic study skills needed to complete their work with integrity. The intervention includes an email from teachers explaining what the concern is, as well as giving information on where students can get extra help and support to develop their academic skills. The purpose of an intervention is to increase student’s knowledge so that the risk of them accidentally completing their work and having an academic integrity breach is reduced. If someone doesn't engage with the educational support, and there are further concerns, it may end up in a suspicion of academic misconduct in future assignments.

What is suspected misconduct?

Suspected academic misconduct means that there is a serious concern with an element of a student’s assignment, or another process in which it appears that the student has attempted to gain an unfair advantage over others. This might be cheating in exams and using materials that are not allowed, through using technologies not permitted in assessments, creating fake materials, or getting someone else to do their assignment for them. This is taken seriously because it means that a student is trying to achieve something dishonestly that others students have completed honestly. Anyone suspected of academic misconduct will be referred for a formal investigation.

What is an academic integrity committee?

Academic Integrity Committees are held to investigate any cases of suspected academic misconduct. They will look at the evidence presented and decide whether they think academic misconduct did or did not happen. The information they consider relates to what teachers or others find in student’s work or submissions, as well as what students submit in response.

What do I need to do if I have been told my work is suspected of containing academic misconduct?

The letter you receive will let you know the date of the meeting and what the suspicion is (e.g. plagiarism, exam cheating, fraud etc). It will be important for you to gather together as much information as you can about how you completed your assignment, where you got your information from, as well as responding to any of the issues raised in your letter. If you are feeling upset or worried by this, you should contact support services. If you did not complete your work honestly, the best thing you can do is to provide a truthful explanation for what you did and why.