Academic warning, concern or offence?
Academic integrity violations differ in terms of severity. These are classified as either an ‘academic warning’, ‘academic concern’ or ‘academic offence’. The severity of the violation will determine action taken by the University.
All types of academic misconduct can be treated as a concern, offence or warning:
- plagiarism
- either as 'unattributed use of the words and / or ideas of others', or as 'incorrect attribution of the words and / or ideas of others'
- collusion
- submitting work produced or assisted by a 3rd party (including use of AI beyond what is permitted in the assessment brief)
- fabrication
- cheating in an invigilated exam
- impersonation.
Sometimes the issue is very minor, does not need to be treated as a concern, and there is sufficient work to grade.
However, the issue is significant enough to advise you of it so that you can seek guidance to improve your practice and ensure that it does not continue. Continuation may result in the issue becoming more serious and leading to a concern or offence.
- In such cases you will be sent a warning email advising you of the issue.
- You will be advised of any guidance you should undertake to improve your practice, and are also able to ask your tutor for further guidance.
- Your work will be graded, and the warning will be noted as A1 so that you are aware of the issue.
Examples
Minor issues within any type of misconduct may be treated as an academic concern. Typically this would be the first time that a student had academic misconduct issues, and would be an earlier stage of study.
Typical action taken by the University
- You will be sent a concern email advising of the concern and of the issues within your work.
- You will be advised of any guidance you should undertake to improve your practice, and are also able to ask your tutor for further guidance.
- The concern will be recorded A4 as your grade which will cap the assessment at 0 and it will fail.
- If the concern is within a 1st attempt at that assessment you will be able to submit a resit.
- If the concern is within a resit attempt you will not be permitted another resit opportunity and will fail the unit.
- Your tutor may recommend that you seek advice from the Study Hub team.
Examples
- Repeated (more than one) academic misconduct.
- Evidence of a deliberate attempt to mislead or cheat such as:
- taking notes into an invigilated exam
- making up results or information
- purchasing or receiving assistance beyond what is permitted in the assessment brief.
Typical action taken by the University
- Penalties are decided by an Academic Conduct Panel (which consists of academic staff from different Faculties and Schools).
- Common penalties are to fail the assessment and retake where available, fail the unit and retake a unit which would also involve a financial penalty (the requirement to pay to retake a unit). However, in the most extreme cases a student could be asked to leave the University.
- If your work is suspected of showing an academic offence you will receive an email explaining the offence, and the evidence provided by your lecturer. You will also receive a form to respond to the allegation.
- The Academic Conduct Panel will review the evidence of the offence and your response and will make a decision on a relevant penalty. You will be emailed a letter with the panel decision.
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