What to do if you receive a notice of academic misconduct

By Charlotte Stone

So, you’ve received an email alleging that you have committed academic misconduct. You might see it and be inclined to panic, wondering what it means, and what’s expected of you now.

Not to worry – we’re here to help!

What is academic misconduct?

Academic misconduct stems from UNE’s expectations of fair and honest behaviour in academic endeavours. In the Student Coursework Academic Misconduct Rule (where you can find the full policy!), academic misconduct is defined as: behaviour where a student would want to gain an academic advantage they are not entitled to, whilst disadvantaging someone else.

Why did I receive an academic misconduct allegation?

It might be hard to wrap your head around to begin with but remember that this can be reflected in many ways. Here at UNE, there are lots of ways to both intentionally and unintentionally be involved in an act of academic misconduct. This includes: plagiarism, cheating, and borrowing too much of another author’s work without paraphrasing it or crediting them appropriately.

It might also be something you don’t expect, like self-plagiarism or re-using your own work that you may have previously submitted to any institution (not just UNE!). It could even be as simple as getting someone to help write your assignment for you, working together on your submissions, or copying a friend’s work. Bribery or coercion of other students and/or your University Representatives also fall under this bracket.

No matter what the case,

allegations of academic misconduct can be scary to receive, but the important thing to remember is not to panic! 

What can I do about it?

At UNE, the Advocacy and Welfare team are here to help you and have systems in place to assist you with the process of handling a notification of Academic Misconduct. You’ll know when you have received an allegation as you will receive a formal email advising you.

Here are some steps to follow when this happens:

• Stay calm and immediately forward your notification to advocacy@une.edu.au.
• Now that you’ve let Advocacy know, do not respond to your notification until you have heard back from us.
• While you wait for Advocacy to respond, you can start thinking about how to approach your case. You are allowed to respond in either writing or in a meeting; Advocacy can help you with advising how to move forward and put in your best possible case!
• When you’re communicating with Advocacy, some helpful things to include are information about any previous notices you’ve received and how far through your course you are. They will guide you through the process of addressing your notice.

Advocacy & Welfare is here to help you understand your allegations and advise you how to address the problem in the easiest, most painless way possible.

So, if you happen to receive a notice of academic misconduct, remember not to panic! You can contact Advocacy & Welfare, as well as the Academic Skills Office, who are here to help you out.

The team at Advocacy and Welfare offers confidential support to students! Contact them here.
Student Success also has confidential counseling for students, you can find them here.
Lifeline is also a 24/7 hotline and you can call them on 13 11 14.