Academic misconduct can take many forms, including:

• Plagiarism
• Collusion
• Exam cheating
• Contract cheating
• Unauthorised and/or improper use of Artificial Intelligence
• Unauthorised and/or improper use of editorial assistance
• Fabrication
• Falsification
• File sharing
• Solicitation

All students are expected to familiarise themselves with the types of academic misconduct, per the Academic Policy.

Different types of assessments may have different academic conventions. These conventions may also vary across disciplines. This may include different ways to cite or reference other’s ideas and different approaches to AI use. Make sure that you are familiar with the individual requirements of each assessment by following assignment briefs and engaging with the content provided to you in your units. If you are unsure about an assignment’s requirements, please reach out to your Unit Coordinator for clarification.

To avoid plagiarism, you should build upon the ideas of others by rewriting them into your own words. In certain cases, it may be necessary to directly quote the work of another. In both situations, it is important that you ensure this is appropriately referenced within the text. It needs to be clear to anyone reading your assignment where you have obtained your information as well as what is and is not your own work.

It is important to understand the difference between collaboration and collusion. Collaboration, such as study groups and discussing what you have learnt in your units, is encouraged at UWA. However, unauthorised collaboration between two or more individuals on an assessment task that should be completed independently constitutes collusion. Some group assessments may have components that must be completed independently. Please reach out to your Unit Coordinator if you require guidance about the level of appropriate collaboration in an assessment.

Digital tools, such as AI and translators, should only be used if explicitly permitted by your Unit Coordinator. If they are permitted, guidance should be given concerning how these tools are to be used and you must acknowledge your use appropriately. If you are unsure about the extent to which these tools are allowed, reach out to your Unit Coordinator.

Examination instructions, including which materials are and are not permitted, will be released to you before the examination period with your exam timetables. Ensure that you read and understand what is expected of you and only bring permitted material(s) into the exam. If at any point you are unsure about examination rules, please reach out to the exams team via askUWA - select the ‘Examination Timetable’ option.

Ultimately, acting with integrity means being honest with yourself and others. If any academic integrity concern is raised, you should be upfront in your response.

UWA promotes the values of academic integrity and upholds its values in its approach and academic community. The University has a requirement to uphold academic integrity, not only to ensure the value of our degrees, but to meet the external legislative requirements for TEQSA. We prioritise educative and proactive approaches and are responsible for providing resources and opportunities for learning to staff and students about academic integrity. The University identifies risks to academic integrity and implements mitigation strategies to assure learning.

As a UWA student you are required to uphold the principles of academic integrity during your studies course of study.

All students have a responsibility to:

• Familiarise themselves and act in accordance with the Academic Integrity Policy (the Policy) as well as the expectations of relevant programs and courses, by using information and guidance provided by the University and staff;
• Meet any University requirements to undertake ethical scholarship training made available by the University, and seek additional assistance if needed;
• Retain drafts of their work;
• Retain evidence of how AI was used in assessments, where AI use is permitted - e.g., prompt history, pre/post-AI amended work (where permitted), any AI outputs inserted into assignments;
• Submit original and authentic assignments in accordance with relevant briefs and instructions, ensuring any non-original work is clearly referenced; and
• Avoid any acts which could be considered academic misconduct.

You will receive a notice of academic concern if a marker or Unit Coordinator identifies an area in your work that may not meet the expected academic integrity standards. This notice will provide you with the relevant details and evidence. It is important that you review these carefully so that you may respond appropriately. Receiving a notice of academic integrity concern does not necessarily mean that misconduct has occurred. If no misconduct has taken place, please provide whatever evidence you have on hand to support this.

We understand the pressures associated with study, work and adapting to life as a student. Your honesty and openness are appreciated when having conversations about your academic conduct; we are here to help you and want to get you back on the right track.

The UWA Student Guild is also available to provide support at any stage of an academic integrity concern. Please see here for further information on how they can assist.

If you require any other support, please see the information listed below under Further Information and Links.

Academic Conduct Essentials (ACE) is a compulsory online unit that introduces students to the basics of ethical scholarship and the expectations for correct academic conduct at UWA. You will automatically be enrolled in ACE and the unit made available to you through the University Learning Management System. All coursework students enrolled in a UWA course are required to complete ACE in their first semester of study.

Please complete ACE as early as possible, as failure to do so will result in an encumbrance being applied to your student record. This means you will be unable to view your results for all enrolled units, re-enrol into new units, graduate or order official student documents until ACE is successfully completed and the encumbrance is lifted.

For more information, please visit the ACE homepage.

We are all responsible for upholding academic integrity at UWA. If you become aware that other students may have engaged in academic misconduct, please email [email protected] and the Academic Integrity Team will look into this matter. Please be sure to include any relevant information, including the unit, the assignment, the name of the student(s), and what type of misconduct you think may have occurred.  The more information you include, the quicker we can look into this. You may be contacted for further information if anything is unclear. The person who you are reporting against will not be informed that you were the one to report them, your details will be kept confidential and only seen by the integrity team.

Your tutors or Unit Coordinator are also available to support you and provide advice.

If a student received a finding of academic misconduct against them, they are entitled to seek a review of the decision by appealing the misconduct outcome using the link provided in the outcome letter. Only appeals that meet the following criteria will be considered:

• Have been submitted via the link mentioned above.
• Have been submitted within 20 working days of receiving the outcome letter.
• Clearly states the grounds upon which an appeal is being made.

Students may appeal the outcome under the following grounds:

• (a) the determination was not made in accordance with the Regulations for Student Conduct and Discipline  [PDF, 374 KB];
• (b) the process was procedurally irregular or unfair and has materially affected the outcome;
• (c) the determination was not made in consideration of relevant evidence or was made in consideration of irrelevant evidence;
• (d) new information is available that was not reasonably available to the student and that if provided and considered would have, in all likelihood, affected the outcome or the penalty or penalties imposed;
• (e) the penalty or penalties imposed is or are unreasonable and excessively harsh with respect to the misconduct engaged in.

We encourage students to reach out to the Guild when considering an appeal, as they can help you select the grounds that might be applicable to your case and assist you with drafting your appeal statement.

Students are typically permitted two avenues of appeal. Students may first appeal to their Head of School. If the outcome of the first appeal is not satisfactory to the student, they may then appeal to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Education and Student Experience (DVC-ESE).

If you have any concerns or require any assistance, please reach out to the Academic Integrity team.