Stage One
Overview
It is expected that most disciplinary cases will be resolved by the reviewers at Stage One of the process without the need for referral to a Student Disciplinary Panel at Stage Two. However, cases will be referred to Stage Two if the reviewers deem it to be a major offense and/or it is not the student’s first offense.
Inquiries
Allegations of misconduct will normally be raised with the Program Team in the first instance. An initial assessment will be completed to establish whether formal inquiries into the allegations should be initiated. Information obtained during the initial assessment will form part of the formal inquiries, where applicable.
The Institution will, at its discretion, nominate a case manager to carry out any necessary inquiries. The case manager will normally be from the Program Team. The case manager will be the primary contact point for students and other stakeholders, and responsible for managing the formal inquiries stage.
The case manager will write to the student (or students where it relates to a group) and:
- Inform them of the allegation and share any available evidence and a copy of the relevant regulations.
- Explain how, if proven, the allegation would constitute a breach of the regulations.
- Provide a copy of the Student Disciplinary Policy.
- Offer a meeting to discuss the matter further.
The student must provide a written statement in response to the allegation. The student must complete a response themselves and ensure the information provided is completely truthful and not misleading. Where appropriate, evidence that is directly relevant to the matter being considered may be presented for consideration.
In cases where the alleged misconduct involves a group, each student in the group must provide a statement. Other students in the group will normally have the opportunity to hear and respond to what each student has said unless the Institution decides there is a good reason for not sharing some or all of the information.
Once all inquiries are concluded, the case manager will produce a summary report. A copy will be shared with the reviewer(s) to complete the formal consideration, and the student for their information.
Consideration
The reviewers will aim to consider the case upon receiving the file. The reviewers will be a senior faculty member and a senior administrator.
| Decision | Next Steps |
| Not Proven | Misconduct is not proven and the case is dismissed |
| Proven + Sanction | Misconduct is proven and an appropriate sanction(s) will be applied by the reviewers at Stage One |
| Proven + Referred | Misconduct is proven and the case is referred to Stage Two for the Student Disciplinary Panel to decide on appropriate sanction(s) |
| No Decision + Referred | No decision has been made at Stage One and the case is referred to Stage Two for the Student Disciplinary Panel to consider the case in its entirety and decide an appropriate sanction(s). |
Sanctions
For cases that have been proven and a sanction(s) is to be applied at Stage One, the reviewers may, at their discretion, consider the following when determining the most appropriate sanction(s):
- The severity of the misconduct and if the misconduct was premeditated.
- The weighting of the assessment, where applicable.
- In group work, the principles of equal contribution and collective responsibility for the quality and integrity of the assessment. All students in the group will normally share the penalty unless the Institution believes there are justified grounds for awarding different penalties to individual students in the group.
A non-exhaustive list of possible sanctions for academic misconduct is included below:
| ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT | ||
| Levels | Example | Sanction |
| Minor Offense | Includes but not limited to:Poor referencing Very minor plagiarism.The assessment contributes to a small percentage of the course | Includes but not limited to:Formal written warning Assessment graded excluding the affected sections Or, a combination of the above |
| Major to medium first offense or Major to minor second offense | Includes but not limited to:A significant percentage of the assessment is plagiarized.Submitting another student’s work,Purchasing an essay or assessment answer Breaching Exam Regulations.The assessment contributes to a significant percentage of the course | Includes but not limited to:Assessment awarded 0%, no option to retrieve.Assessment awarded 0%, with retrieval mark capped.Assessment graded excluding the affected sections.Formal written warning Or a combination of the above |
For general misconduct, where possible the Institution will often seek to apply a sanction that is commensurate with the offense.
However, where the reviewers deem a sanction to be impractical or insufficient, they may, at their absolute discretion, choose to apply an alternative penalty or combination of penalties.
Sanctions for general misconduct may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Formal written warning.
- Requirement to sign a good behavior contract.
- Requirement to submit a letter of apology.
- Contribution of time or money to make good on any loss or damage.
- Restriction of access to courses and/or program opportunities.
- Failure of a course on which the incident(s) of misconduct occurred
