Academic Integrity Policy

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Purpose | Scope | Principles | Policy statements | Roles and responsibilities | Definitions | Approval information | Version history | References | Acknowledgements 

1. Purpose

1.1 The Academic Integrity Policy (the policy) responds to requirements outlined in the Higher Education Standards Framework 2021 (Cwlth) (the Threshold Standards) and the expectations outlined in the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research by providing a framework for supporting and managing academic and research integrity at UTS.

1.2 This policy:

  1. defines academic integrity and research integrity (hereafter academic integrity) 
  2. articulates the principles underpinning academic integrity 
  3. encourages and supports a culture of integrity 
  4. outlines governance and risk management arrangements to mitigate risks of integrity breaches, and 
  5. articulates how integrity breaches are managed in line with the university’s existing mechanisms.

2. Scope

2.1 This policy applies to: 

  1. all staff, students, participants and affiliates, including visiting researchers and academics (collectively, the UTS community), and 
  2. any person engaging in teaching, learning, research or associated activities at, or on behalf of, UTS.

3. Principles

3.1 Maintaining academic integrity is key to success at university and beyond. UTS supports its community through the promotion of academic integrity and the provision of systems and structures to support a culture of integrity. 

3.2 UTS will foster its culture of integrity, acknowledging the benefits that a high standard of academic integrity provides to its students, graduates, staff, affiliates and the wider community.

4. Policy statements

Defining integrity at UTS

4.1 Integrity means acting in a manner that is honest, trustworthy, fair, respectful, responsible and courageous, even when doing so is the more difficult choice. UTS community members must act with integrity at all times and support others to act with integrity (refer The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity (PDF)).

4.2 Academic integrity is described as the ‘moral code of academia’. It means acting with and demonstrating integrity in relation to all learning, teaching and research activities (refer TEQSA guidance note: Academic integrity). Research integrity is a form of academic integrity (refer Research Policy and Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, which outline further requirements to ensure research is rigorous, defensible, reproducible and complies with legislation).

A culture of integrity

4.3 To support a culture of integrity, UTS outlines clear behavioural expectations for UTS community members (refer Policy by classification: Conduct, behaviour and integrity). These policies, and the Research Policy, outline required behaviour and help UTS to maintain high academic standards under the stewardship of Academic Board.

4.4 UTS community members must ensure that all completed and submitted work is their own and represents their learning, research and other academic endeavours.

4.5 UTS community members must not, directly or indirectly:

  1. engage in any form of cheating, academic fraud or plagiarism 
  2. falsify data or results 
  3. make unauthorised use of facilities or equipment, and/or 
  4. make unauthorised use of copyrighted material.

4.6 UTS provides resources, guidance, advice and training on academic and research integrity, which are continuously updated and available for all staff, students and researchers. Further information is available at Academic integrity, Research Ethics and Integrity (SharePoint) and LX Resources.

4.7 Subject information, including academic integrity requirements, must be made available to all students. Students’ obligations in relation to academic integrity must be clearly outlined with links to further guidance where necessary (refer Subject Descriptions and Subject Outlines Policy and Coursework Assessments Policy).

Academic integrity in context

4.8 UTS is committed to:

  1. excellence in Indigenous higher education and research with a particular focus on integrity when undertaking research, scholarship and curriculum design that concerns Indigenous people, Knowledges, place or history (refer UTS 2027 strategy and Indigenous Education and Research Strategy), and 
  2. Indigenous self-determination, recognising that only ethically sound research has real integrity (refer Indigenous Policy and AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research).

4.9 Use of Indigenous Knowledges must be fully recognised and respected. Collaborations with Indigenous communities must:

  1. be based on respect, mutual trust and reciprocity 
  2. not exploit Indigenous Knowledges 
  3. recognise the protection of Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights, and 
  4. recognise that Indigenous communities are best placed to ensure outcomes have a beneficial impact.

4.10 Creative work and creative work assessments may incorporate a combination of original ideas, influence-based elements and subjective elements as part of an artistic production, creative performance or other non-text outcome. UTS:

  1. acknowledges that the development of a creative work as part of a learning, teaching or research activity can add complexity to the understanding of academic integrity and its maintenance, and 
  2. helps staff and students in establishing academic integrity practices (including those of attribution and citation) that support the development of creative outputs and meet ethical, legal and practical considerations (refer TEQSA: Academic integrity in the creative arts).

4.11 UTS acknowledges that academics and students will require ongoing guidance in response to the academic integrity challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools and other emerging capabilities. The use of GenAI tools in teaching and learning activities is guided by 5 student-centred principles that support academic integrity. Students:

  1. must be supported to understand the significance of GenAI for society, their careers and their studies 
  2. must understand the legitimate use of GenAI for their studies 
  3. will be equipped to engage critically and ethically with GenAI 
  4. should experience GenAI’s strengths and limitations as aids to learning, and 
  5. must be assessed on what they need to know in an AI world.

Academic integrity governance and risk management

4.12 Academic Board is responsible for the maintenance of academic standards at UTS, including the responsibility to uphold academic and research integrity. To ensure oversight and good governance, Academic Board has developed the following (available at Academic Board documents):

  1. the Academic Standards Framework, which guides the standards for UTS’s activities and its alignment to the Threshold Standards
  2. the Strategic Risk Assessment for Academic Board, which is used to identify and propose mitigations for strategic risks, including academic and research integrity risks.

Academic integrity breaches

4.13 Academic integrity breaches by students are managed as an act of student misconduct in line with section 16, Student Rules. Penalties and processes will depend on the severity and nature of the misconduct (refer Consequences of plagiarism and cheating). Students are entitled to procedural fairness in the handling of student misconduct and appeals cases (refer Rule 16.5).

4.14 Where students have been accused of an academic integrity breach, UTS will provide all necessary information and support including, but not limited to:

  1. help and advice from a student misconduct and appeals advocate from the UTS Students' Association (refer UTS Students’ Association), and 
  2. free and confidential counselling provided by the Student Services Unit (refer Counselling service and self-help).

4.15 Research integrity breaches are managed via the Research Policy and the guidelines for research integrity breaches (available at Research Ethics and Integrity (SharePoint)). This may also include action taken under the Code of Conduct or the Graduate Research and Supervision Policy (and section 11, Student Rules) as appropriate.

4.16 Academic integrity breaches by staff and affiliates are normally managed as a breach of the Code of Conduct.

Privacy and records management

4.17 All reasonable steps will be taken to maintain the privacy of those involved in an academic integrity breach in line with the Privacy Policy and the Records Management Policy.

5. Roles and responsibilities

5.1 Policy owner: The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students) and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) share policy ownership and are responsible for: 

  1. policy enforcement and compliance, ensuring that its principles and statements are observed, and 
  2. the approval of any associated university level procedures.

5.2 Policy contact: The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) is responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the policy and acts as a primary point of contact for advice on fulfilling its provisions.

5.3 Implementation and governance roles: 

Academic Board has governance oversight for academic integrity at UTS.

The Director, Research Office, in line with the Research Policy, is the primary point of contact for advice on research integrity and research integrity breaches.

The Director, Governance Support Unit and the Manager, Student Misconduct and Appeals are responsible for student misconduct and appeals at UTS.

6. Definitions

The following definitions apply for this policy and all associated procedures. These are in addition to the definitions outlined in Schedule 1, Student Rules. Definitions in the singular also include the plural meaning of the word.

Academic integrity is defined in statement 4.2 of this policy (refer Defining integrity at UTS). Research integrity is a form of academic integrity.

Academic integrity breach means any breach of academic integrity or research integrity. Academic integrity breaches may take the form of either student misconduct (refer Rule 16.2.1), a research integrity breach (refer Research Policy) or a breach of academic integrity by a staff member. Academic integrity breaches include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, acting dishonestly, stealing work, stealing data, or fabricating or falsifying data, results or outcomes.

Affiliate is defined in the Code of Conduct. 

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is defined in Schedule 1, Student Rules. 

Integrity is defined in statement 4.1 of this policy (refer Defining integrity at UTS).

Participant is defined in the Short Forms of Learning Policy.

Researcher means staff, students and affiliates who conduct or manage research for UTS (refer Research Policy).

Staff is defined in the Code of Conduct.

Student is defined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy.

Approval information

Policy contactPro Vice-Chancellor (Education)
Approval authorityAcademic Board
Review date2026
File numberUR23/1498
Superseded documentsNone

Version history

VersionApproved byApproval dateEffective dateSections modified
1.0Academic Board (AB/23-5/92)15/11/202312/12/2023New policy.

References

Academic Board documents

AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research

Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research

Code of Conduct

Consequences of plagiarism and cheating

Counselling service and self-help

Coursework Assessments Policy

Graduate Research and Supervision Policy

Guidelines for research integrity breaches (available at Research Ethics and Integrity (SharePoint))

Higher Education Standards Framework 2021 (Cwlth) (the Threshold Standards)

Indigenous Policy

Indigenous Education and Research Strategy

Policy by classification: Conduct, behaviour and integrity

Privacy Policy

Records Management Policy

Research Policy

Short Forms of Learning Policy

Subject Descriptions and Subject Outlines Policy

Student Rules

TEQSA: Academic integrity in the creative arts

TEQSA guidance note: Academic integrity

UTS 2027 strategy

UTS Students’ Association

Acknowledgements

UTS's definition of integrity and academic integrity is taken from the International Center for Academic Integrity: The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity (available at Fundamental Values) and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency's Guidance notes: Academic integrity.

Universities Australia’s Academic Integrity Best Practice Principles (PDF) was used as a guide to underpin the drafting of this policy.

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.