Misconduct
Student misconduct includes academic and behavioural misconduct.
Academic misconduct - cheating, plagiarism and collusion
Behavioural misconduct
How to lodge a misconduct complaint
Consequences of misconduct
Misconduct appeals
Misconduct review panel
Academic misconduct - cheating, plagiarism and collusion
Academic misconduct is a very serious academic offence. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, and falsifying documentation or results. The following actions are considered to be examples of academic misconduct:
- Giving or receiving assistance during an examination or assessment that has not been agreed to by the teacher.
- Obtaining information about an examination before it is held, except for information provided to all the class by the teacher.
- Copying from another person's examination paper.
- Stealing, buying or obtaining in any other way, all, or part, of an examination before it is administered.
- Using any sources of information during an examination or assessment that have not been agreed to by the teacher.
- Substituting for another person to take an examination.
- Allowing another person to substitute in taking an examination.
- Giving your online password to another person to enable that person to log on and undertake any academic activity, including assessment, on the student's behalf.
- Using another person's online password in order to log on as that person and engage in any academic undertaking, including an assessment, on their behalf.
- Collusion - working with other students to produce work in groups that have not been agreed to by the teacher.
- Making up or falsifying data in experiments or other research.
- Altering the record of any grade or result.
- Giving untrue information in order to obtain exemptions from program requirements.
- Bribery in any form which includes offering or giving institute staff member money or any other benefit, as a means of influencing them or their decisions.
- Handing in someone else's work. This extends to anything that may have obtained from the internet or from resourced from books.
- Copying published or unpublished material without proper authority.
- Using or developing another person's ideas without acknowledging them.
- Using the work of other students (with or without their permission) and claiming it as the student's own material.
Students should not engage in any activities that can be considered to be academic misconduct or do anything that is intended to assist any other person in an act of academic misconduct. Students should also be aware that:
- If a teacher or examination supervisor believes that a student is involved in academic misconduct, the student will be instantly informed of such but allowed to finish the examination/assessment item.
- The teacher or examination supervisor is required to prepare a written report on the alleged academic misconduct and attach the report to the student's examination/assessment item.
- The matter will be referred to the Institute Director (or delegated officer) for appropriate action as outlined in consequences of misconduct.
Behavioural misconduct
Behavioural misconduct is broadly defined as actions that breach the student responsibilities and obligations listed in this document, or impair the reasonable freedom of other persons to pursue their studies and participate in the activities of the institute.
Examples of behavioural misconduct include but are not limited to:
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failure to comply with any student rule of the institute
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breaches of any institute policy including, but not limited to harassment (including sexual harassment), intellectual property, occupational health and safety, and use of computing and electronic resources
- stealing, destroying, impairing the accessibility of, or defacing any part of the institute library collection
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refusing or failing to identify oneself truthfully
- failure to comply with any lawful order that was given by an employee of the institute in order to ensure the safety of any person and the orderly conduct of learning programs and other activities of the institute
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any act or failure to act that endangers the safety or health of any other person
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actions that impair any persons' participation in a legitimate institute activity or, by act or omission disrupts the peace or good order of the institute
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conduct which unduly disrupts or interferes with a class, a meeting or any other official activity within the institute
- acting in a way that causes students or staff or other persons within the institute to fear for their personal safety
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assault or attempts to assault any other person or cause any person to hold reasonable fear for their safety or physical or psychological well being
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stealing, destroying or deliberately damaging institute equipment or premises
- making a false representation or declaration regarding a matter affecting your student status
- being under the influence of prohibited drugs and/or substances including alcohol while on institute premises or while participating in an institute related activity
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unauthorised possession of a weapon on institute premises or while participating in an institute related activity.
How to lodge a misconduct complaint
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An institute employee or student may report an alleged occurrence of misconduct by forwarding a signed, written account of the incident(s) to the Institute Director. Please remember to include the postal address.
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The institute student support officer can provide advice on options for the resolution of a particular complaint and can provide assistance with a written statement, if required.
Consequences of misconduct
The penalties for academic misconduct include but are not limited to:
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failing the assessment item - students may, at the discretion of the institute, be given the opportunity to complete supplementary assessment
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supplementary assessment will be treated as resubmitted assessment.
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failing the competency
- exclusion from the institute for a specified time
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exclusion from TAFE Queensland for a specified time determined by TAFE Queensland
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in some cases the police may be notified.
A member of the teaching staff, a librarian in charge of the library, or a senior officer in charge of administration may, in respect to any misconduct by a student committed in a class, laboratory, library, facility or premises under their management or control:
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Immediately suspend the student from attendance at such class or from use of such laboratory, library, facility or premises for a period not exceeding 24 hours as may be determined.
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If a suspension action is taken that officer shall:
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advise the designated institute officer immediately
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provide a written statement, which details the circumstances of the suspension.
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Following receipt of advice of an act of misconduct, the designated institute officer must advise the student in writing of the alleged incident of misconduct.
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" The student has five working days to make oral or written representations regarding the alleged incident of misconduct. After this period, the designated institute officer may:
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modify or dismiss the charge
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reprimand and warn the student against repetition of the breach of discipline
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suspend the student from attending classes for a period not exceeding 14 days which shall include any period of suspension imposed
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suspend the student from using all facilities and/or services, including library borrowing and computer access rights
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recommend to the Institute Director that further action be taken, or
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any combination of the above.
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- The designated institute officer must provide the student with a written statement detailing the decision within five working days of the decision being made.
Following receipt of advice from the designated Institute officer, the Institute Director may review the circumstances and:
- determine further appropriate action
- suspend or exclude the student from the institute for a specified period of time, or
- expel the student.
Note:
- Where State or Commonwealth laws appear to have been breached, the matter will be referred to the police or other appropriate authority.
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If you are an apprentice or trainee, any disciplinary action or recommendations will be made with due regard to the provisions of the Vocational Education, Training and Employment Act 2000.
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For students under the age of 18, the parent/guardian may be notified.
Misconduct appeals
If the student is found guilty of misconduct, they can choose to appeal the decision or the decision process by applying in writing to the Institute Director. The Institute Director will refer the appeal to the Misconduct Review Panel.
Note: Apprentices and trainees must lodge appeals in accordance with the Vocational Education, Training and Employment Act 2000.
Misconduct Review Panel
The Misconduct Review Panel has a responsibility to review the circumstances of the misconduct or the process in reaching a misconduct decision and shall make a determination in the matter.
A Misconduct Review Panel is formed separately for each appeal hearing and the following members must be present:
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the Director (or delegated officer)
- a member of staff from an unrelated teaching area of the institute
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a member of the management team from the student's area of study or delegated officer.
Note: Any staff that instigated or was directly involved in the matter cannot serve on the review panel.
The panel must ensure that records are kept of the proceedings at all meetings and must contain a fair summary of the evidence submitted to, or obtained by, the committee fairly showing the manner in which its inquiry was conducted.
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Immediately upon the determination of the Misconduct Review Panel, the decision will be communicated to the student in writing (no later than two working days from the date of the decision).
- The decision of the Misconduct Review Panel is final (and subject to the provisions of the Judicial Review Act).
Students have the right to be accompanied by a representative and may call witnesses or provide a written submission, instead of attending the meeting. The institute student support officer can provide support throughout this process. If required, the institute will provide an interpreter to assist during the meeting.
If the student does not attend the meeting or provide a written submission, the panel may assess the matter, and where necessary impose a penalty regardless of the student's absence.
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