Consequences of plagiarism and cheating

Consequences

What happens and what are the consequences of breaching academic integrity? Take a look at this flowchart to learn more:

Text version of flowchart

Know the penalties for breaching academic integrity.

Academic integrity breach: what happens and what are the consequences?

Scenario 1. You submit an assessment

Before you submit an assessment, you can seek academic guidance from HELPS, UTS Library, and the Maths and Science Study centre

Your tutor marks your assessment against the marking criteria and reviews it for academic integrity.

If academic integrity is maintained, your tutor finishes marking your assessment and provides you with feedback. You can then read and act on that feedback.

If your tutor suspects cheating, go to the consequences for Scenario 2.  

If your tutor suspects plagiarism, the subject coordinator will then review and prepare materials. If evidence is found, the Responsible Academic Officer (RAO) of your faculty will review the allegation. If no further evidence or foundation is found, the decision is noted in your confidential student record and you tutor will continue marking and giving you feedback to read and act upon.

If an allegation is found then the RAO sends a letter to your UTS student email and may request a meeting with you. You can then admit, deny or not respond to the allegation. The RAO then reviews your response and determines the outcome and penalty. At this stage if the allegation is still not proven, the decision is noted on your confidential student record and your assessment will be marked and feedback provided for you to read and act upon.

If the allegation is proven, penalties are determined by two factors.

1. Have you been involved in a previous breach?
2. Is there clear evidence of intentional deception?

Penalties

No previous breach and no clear evidence to deceive.

Penalty imposed. Penalties may include: 

• decision added to student record
• formal warning
• re-do assessment with a reduced mark
• alternative assessment and reduced mark.

Previous breach and/or clear evidence to deceive.

Penalty imposed. Penalties may include: 

• decision added to student record
• reduced mark
• re-do assessment with a reduced mark
• alternative assessment and reduced mark
• zero and fail assessment
• zero and fail subject
• referred to Vice Chancellor's nominee for suspension or exclusion.

Scenario 2. You sit a centrally conducted exam

If plagiarism or cheating is suspected, exam supervisors report the alleged incident.

The subject coordinator or Responsible Academic Officer (RAO) reviews and prepares materials. They may request a meeting with you.

At this stage you can seek support from UTS counselling and the UTS Students Association. For an update on your case, you will need to contact the RAO for your faculty.

If no further evidence or foundation is found, the decision is added to your student record and markers will continue marking and giving you feedback to read and act upon.

If evidence is found, Student Misconduct and Appeals (SMA) reviews the allegation. If the allegation has foundation, SMA sends a leter of allegation to your UTS student email (this may or may not describe the penalty). You can then admit, deny or not respond to the allegation.

If you admit or don't respond to the allegation, you can either find the penalty in the letter or the Vice Chancellor's nominee will determine the penalty.

If you deny then allegation, the Manager of SMA reviews your response and determines the penalty. After this review, if the allegation is not proven, the decision is added to your academic record and your exam will be marked.

If the allegation is proven, then penalties will be imposed. 

Penalties

Penalties may include: 

• decision added to student record
• reduced mark
• re-do assessment with a reduced mark
• alternative assessment and reduced mark
• zero and fail assessment
• zero and fail subject
• reprimand
• suspension from UTS
• exclusion from UTS.

Appeals

You can appeal a decision of a RAO, Manager, Student Misconduct and Appeals or Vice-Chancellor's nominee via Student Misconduct Appeals Committee (SMAC). SMAC's decision is the final decision of UTS.

 

More Information

• UTS Academic Integrity Policy
• Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy: Academic Integrity
• UTS Student Rules: Student Misconduct and Appeals
• UTS Student Rules: Guidelines Relating to Student Misconduct and Appeals
• UTS Student Rules: Guidelines on Determining an Appropriate Penalty for Instances of Student Misconduct
• UTS Student Rules: Guidelines for Handling Student Misconduct Involving Plagiarism