• Section 1 - Purpose
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy 
• Academic integrity
• Integrity of academic decisions
• Educative approach to academic integrity
• Academic integrity monitoring
• Academic integrity of third-party deliveries
• Breaches of academic integrity
• Types of academic integrity breaches
• Reporting breaches of academic integrity
• Consequences of breaching academic integrity
• Reporting of academic misconduct and research misconduct
• Responsibilities
• Section 3 - Procedure
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Glossary
• Section 6 - Document context

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This policy states requirements for staff and students of Charles Sturt University (the University) to practise, promote and defend academic integrity.

(2) This policy is intended to ensure the following:

1. All staff and students understand academic integrity as fundamental to effective learning, teaching and research.
2. The whole University community understands their shared responsibility for practising, promoting and defending academic integrity.
3. All staff and students involved in learning, teaching or research conduct these activities with integrity.
4. All academic decisions are made with integrity.
5. Staff model and promote academic integrity as part of teaching, academic supervision and research.
6. All staff and students understand academic misconduct and research misconduct as behaviour that:
   1. undermines the purposes and value of learning, teaching and research
   2. impairs students’ learning and their ability to achieve the University’s graduate attributes, and risks their success in life
   3. harms the reputation of the person who behaves in this way
   4. harms the reputation of the University’s awards and research, and
   5. if discovered by the University, will be addressed.
7. Instances of suspected academic misconduct or research misconduct are referred for investigation under, as relevant, the Student Misconduct Rule 2020, the Research Misconduct Procedure or the disciplinary process under the Enterprise Agreement.
8. The University is compliant with:
   1. the academic integrity and research integrity requirements of the Australian Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, and
   2. the research integrity requirements of the Australian Code for Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018.

Scope

(3) This policy applies to:

1. all staff and students of the University
2. all students enrolled in, and all staff teaching in, Charles Sturt University courses or subjects delivered in partnership with another institution or organisation
3. all adjunct staff and academic or research visitors to the University
4. anyone external to the University who participates as a researcher or administers research on behalf of the University
5. all courses and subjects offered by the University
6. all research carried out by staff or students of the University or research by adjunct staff, visiting staff, consultants or contractors that will be identified as Charles Sturt University research, and
7. all academic decisions about students.

(4) Research integrity is addressed by:

1. the Research Policy which states detailed definitions of research integrity, and
2. the Research Misconduct Procedure which states the process for considering any potential breach of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research 2018.

(5) The Student Misconduct Rule 2020 states:

1. the processes for investigating and deciding allegations of student misconduct including academic misconduct and research misconduct
2. the positions of the University that are authorised to decide whether student academic misconduct or research misconduct has occurred and to apply penalties for them, and
3. the penalties that may be applied to students who are found to have committed academic misconduct.

(6) The subject outline tool includes information about academic integrity and provides mandatory text for each subject outline.

(7) The Course and Subject Procedure - Coursework Design includes requirements for course design to provide opportunities for students to achieve ethical and sustainable practice in their discipline or profession: including helping students to develop an understanding of academic integrity.

Section 2 - Policy 

Academic integrity

(8) Academic integrity is a fundamental value of the University as a learning, teaching and research community. Academic integrity means:

1. acting with honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility in learning, teaching and research
2. honesty in acknowledging others’ ideas, text and data presented in one’s work, or one’s previous work when re-used
3. fairness and honesty in staff and student dealings with one another, and
4. striving for objectivity in academic decision-making, which includes:
   1. not accepting inducements, and
   2. declaring possible conflicts of interest so that these can be recorded, assessed and managed.

(9) Academic integrity is essential to:

1. a high-quality student learning and teaching experience
2. effectiveness and credibility of learning, teaching and research
3. reliability of learning outcomes and research outputs
4. the reputation of the University and of its awards and research, and
5. supporting the personal and professional development of students.

Integrity of academic decisions

(10) Academic integrity includes the integrity of staff academic decisions about students.

(11) Staff must make academic decisions about students fairly and objectively based on all the relevant, available and admissible evidence, and not based on inducements, irrelevant considerations, personal bias or ill-will.

(12) Where staff have an actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest, in relation to an academic decision, they must declare this by the process stated in the Conflict of Interest Procedure.

(13) Students may appeal an academic decision:

1. in accordance with the relevant appeal or review process for that type of decision as stated in the relevant academic policy or University Student Appeals Policy, or
2. where no specific appeal or review process is available, by submitting a complaint in accordance with the Complaints Management Policy and Complaints Management Procedure.

(14) Where staff are found to have breached academic integrity in an academic decision about students, they may be subject to disciplinary processes under the Enterprise Agreement.

Educative approach to academic integrity

(15) The University takes an educative approach to academic integrity.

(16) Academic integrity training will be provided to students:

1. when they begin at the University regardless of their stage of study
2. when they first undertake a research project, or have not yet received a thorough introduction to the responsible conduct of research, and
3. when they need support to develop academic skills that will enable them to avoid breaching academic integrity.

(17) All students will be trained in research integrity before they begin a research project, whether for a higher degree by research course, a research component of a coursework course or in a coursework subject that involves research with human subjects.

(18) All academic staff and professional/general staff who support academic governance, assessment, learning and teaching or research will be trained in academic integrity and in research integrity.

(19) The Academic Integrity Procedure states detailed requirements for training students and staff in academic integrity and research integrity.

Academic integrity monitoring

(20) The University will use a range of methods to ensure academic integrity is maintained, including specialist academic integrity monitoring software to check student assessments and textual theses submitted by higher degree research candidates. The Academic Integrity Procedure provides further detail. 

(21) To submit an assessment, students must agree to have their work checked by academic integrity monitoring software as outlined in the Academic Integrity Procedure. 

Academic integrity of third-party deliveries

(22) Where a course or subject of the University is delivered in partnership with a third-party institution or organisation, the University teaching faculty will collaborate with partner staff to monitor and ensure the academic integrity of the delivery, with oversight by the Academic Quality and Standards Committee. 

(23) The Academic Integrity Procedure states detailed requirements for academic integrity monitoring and reporting.

Breaches of academic integrity

Types of academic integrity breaches

(24) The descriptions in this section supplement the definitions of the same terms in the Student Misconduct Rule 2020 and Research Misconduct Procedure. These descriptions are intended to explain the University’s approach to breaches of academic integrity:

1. Where there is any inconsistency between these descriptions and the definitions in the Student Misconduct Rule 2020, the Student Misconduct Rule 2020 definition is the University’s authoritative definition of the term.
2. Where there is any inconsistency between these descriptions and the definitions in the Research Misconduct Procedure, the Research Misconduct Procedure definition is the University’s authoritative definition of the term.

(25) Academic misconduct and research misconduct are breaches of academic integrity.

(26) Academic misconduct is dishonest behaviour that misrepresents a person’s level of academic achievement in assessment, or their scholarly achievement in a work of scholarship. Behaviours that constitute academic misconduct include:

1. cheating
2. collusion
3. contract cheating
4. falsifying assessment tasks
5. plagiarism
6. self-plagiarism, and 
7. submitting an assessment task generated by an algorithm, computer generator or other artificial intelligence or other means, without specific permission to do so.

(27) Research misconduct includes a serious breach of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research 2018. The different types and levels of breach are defined in the Research Policy and Research Misconduct Procedure.

(28) Students with an approved study access plan may be granted permission to use certain tools in their assessment that are not listed in the subject outline. When such permissions are granted, the Accessibility and Inclusion Support team will provide information on how students are to use these tools while maintaining academic integrity.

Reporting breaches of academic integrity

(29) Anyone who reports cases of suspected academic or research misconduct must not be victimised or discriminated against.

(30) A suspected case of academic misconduct should be reported as per the Academic Integrity Procedure.

1. Staff or students who feel unsafe in reporting academic or research misconduct within their subject, course, school or faculty may report an allegation of misconduct by a student directly to the central Student Conduct team.
2. Alternatively, they may report academic or research misconduct by staff to senior staff responsible for maintaining academic integrity outside of the subject, course, school or faculty: for example to the relevant Head of School, Deputy Dean, Executive Dean, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) or Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) as relevant.

Consequences of breaching academic integrity

(31) If a student is found to have committed academic misconduct or research misconduct, they will be subject to penalties under the Student Misconduct Rule 2020.

(32) Schedule 1 of the Student Misconduct Rule 2020 collates authorities that the Rule grants to appointed officers.

Reporting of academic misconduct and research misconduct

(33) Oversight of academic integrity, including monitoring of potential risks, is in accordance with the University Governance Framework, Risk Management Policy and Academic Quality Policy. For courses and subjects delivered through educational partnerships, the monitoring and reporting requirements of the University Partnerships Policy and Procedure also apply.

(34) All allegations of academic misconduct and research misconduct by students, including outcomes and penalties, will be recorded on a university database and managed in accordance with the Records Management Policy and Procedure.

(35) The Office of Academic Quality, Standards and Integrity will coordinate and prepare the Annual Academic Integrity and Misconduct Report to the Academic Senate and the relevant sub-committee(s).

(36) The Research Integrity Unit will report de-identified details of staff research misconduct allegations, findings of research misconduct and disciplinary outcomes, to the University Research Committee.

(37) Where an academic staff member is found to have engaged in academic misconduct, the Executive Director, People and Culture will provide a de-identified report of the finding and any disciplinary penalty to the Academic Senate and the relevant sub-committee(s).

Responsibilities

(38) The University expects all members of the University community (that is, all those included in the scope of this policy) to contribute to:

1. practising, promoting and defending academic integrity, and
2. identifying and reporting suspected cases of academic misconduct or research misconduct.

Section 3 - Procedure

(39) The Academic Integrity Procedure states detailed requirements in relation to:

1. requirements of information on academic integrity to be provided to applicants for admission
2. training in academic integrity and research integrity for staff and students
3. design of assessment tasks, subjects and courses to maintain academic integrity and minimise academic misconduct
4. conditions on which professional editors may help a student prepare an assessment or thesis
5. ensuring academic integrity in third party deliveries of the University’s courses and subjects, and
6. aspects of the University’s response to breaches of academic integrity.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(40) Nil.

Section 5 - Glossary

(41) This policy uses the following terms:

1. Academic integrity – as defined in the academic integrity section of this policy.
2. Academic misconduct – as defined in the Student Misconduct Rule 2020.
3. Cheating – as defined in the Student Misconduct Rule 2020.
4. Collusion – as defined in the Student Misconduct Rule 2020.
5. Contract cheating – as defined in the Student Misconduct Rule 2020.
6. Coursework course – as defined in the policy library glossary.
7. Coursework subject – as defined in the policy library glossary.
8. Higher degree by research (HDR) course – as defined in the policy library glossary.
9. Plagiarism – as defined in the Student Misconduct Rule 2020.
10. Referencing – means the practice of appropriately acknowledging the works of others by citing the original author or creator.
11. Research component – as defined in the policy library glossary.
12. Research misconduct – as defined in the Student Misconduct Rule 2020 and the Research Misconduct Procedure.
13. Self-plagiarism – as defined in the Student Misconduct Rule 2020.
14. Teaching faculty – means the faculty that manages the course in question, or to which the teaching school belongs.

Section 6 - Document context