
Conduct and Integrity
UWA holds its students and staff to the highest of standards of conduct and is committed to:
- a safe, fair and respectful community;
- a community embracing quality, reliability, integrity, accountability, and lawfulness;
- ensuring our students, graduates and staff are highly regarded in the broader community.
All staff and students can find out more about the expected standards of behaviour in UWA’s Codes, policy, regulations, and By-Laws.
Ethics and conduct
UWA is committed to ensuring that our community understand and operate with the highest level of integrity and accountability. The Codes identify the expected ethical standards and standards of conduct required of all members of the University campus. The Codes also serve as a ‘road map’, providing direction on a range of ethical issues that members of our campus community may confront in their daily work or study.
- The Code of Ethics is a statement of the ethical principles, values and behaviours expected of all employees and students at the University of Western Australia.
- The Code of Conduct details the legal and ethical obligations and expectations of all employees and students to act in accordance with the expressed standards of conduct, integrity and accountability contained in relevant legislation, University policies and Agreements.
Notice: Student announcements will not disrupt lectures or other learning and teaching activities
UWA encourages students to be actively involved in the various student organisations on its campuses. As stated in the policy Student Rights and Responsibilities, “the University … recognises that students are central to a dynamic University community. In doing so, the University recognises the importance of student rights, freedom of speech and academic freedom, wellbeing, responsibilities and opinion, and encourages diversity within the student body”.
The University acknowledges the tradition of student organisations seeking permission to make announcements at lectures; however, there are now alternative means of communication which do not impinge on scheduled teaching and learning activities.
Learning and teaching activities must be welcoming, safe and inclusive for all students and staff; all students and staff must be able to engage without interruption, fear, intimidation or concern. Other activities should not impact on the time scheduled for learning and teaching.
To ensure safety and wellbeing, student announcements are not permitted at the commencement of lectures or other teaching and learning activities. The following student announcements are permitted once the lecture or learning activity has finished:
- Announcements relating to the promotion of PROSH by authorised speakers. Authorised speakers are:
- PROSH committee members authorised by the Guild; and
- Can provide identification of the same by the production of an authorisation note approved by the Director of Student Life.
- Guild authorised representatives of UWA Faculty (i.e. School) Societies and Clubs as far as the announcements relate to:
- Recruitment of new members;
- Election of UWA Faculty (i.e. School) student representatives; and
- Promotion of UWA Faculty (i.e. School) Club and Society events including employability and networking events.
- AND can provide a Guild authorisation note approved by the Director of Student Life.
Every student has a right to freedom of speech, to be exercised in accordance with the UWA Code for the Protection of Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom (UWA Code) and the University Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct (Code of Conduct). Such discourse must be civil, ensuring our campuses remain respectful and inclusive.
FAQs
-
Do the Codes apply to me?
-
Do the Codes only relate to my behaviour and conduct at work/while studying?
-
How do all the policies in the Codes apply?
-
What if I cant find an answer to my question in the Codes?
-
What is a breach of the Code?
-
I understand the Codes are about my responsibilities but what about my rights?
-
What happens if I breach the Codes?
-
What should I do if I think someone else has breached the Codes
Freedom of speech and academic freedom
Freedom of speech and academic freedom are fundamental to the conduct of a democratic society and to the quest for intellectual, moral and material advance in the human condition.
UWA is committed to:
- academic freedom as a defining value for our staff and students
- freedom of lawful speech as a paramount value for our staff, students and visitors
- assisting our staff and students to engage in critical and free enquiry by asking important questions, even if these questions are controversial
- assisting our staff and students to share their findings and to engage in informed, intellectual public debate and conversations in pursuit of a better future
- engaging with the broader community and visitors to our University from our value base of supporting freedom of speech and academic freedom.
FAQs

Student conduct
Find out more about the four types of student misconduct, and the discipline process outlined in the Regulations.

Staff conduct
Staff are required to read the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct (the Codes), and to conduct themselves in accordance with this. There are also a number of policies that flow from the Codes which staff should also be familiar with.