Your responsibility as a student or staff member of the University is to adhere to academic integrity and the Code of Conduct.
What is Academic Integrity?
Academic integrity is ‘the moral code of academic life and endeavour. It involves using, generating and communicating information in an ethical, honest and responsible manner’ (adapted from Monash University, 2013, quoted in TEQSA Guidance Note on Academic Integrity, 2019).
The University of Divinity has adopted this definition of academic integrity because of its alignment with the University’s mission of excellence in learning, teaching and research, whereby students and staff develop knowledge, understanding and skills while demonstrating due regard for the work of others.
Academic Integrity means:
All work by members of the University, whether for assessment, publication or use as a teaching or learning resource, must acknowledge the rightful owners of any material utilised.
It is your responsibility to understand how and when to appropriately acknowledge any material used or drawn upon. Failure to do so may be viewed as a breach of academic integrity. Guidance on how to comply with the expected standards of acknowledgement and other aspects of academic writing, including working with TurnItIn, are available through your College and lecturer, and also in the University Style Guide.
Academic Misconduct means:
A breach of academic integrity.
Examples of breaches of Academic Integrity
Cheating
Cheating is the submission of academic work produced in whole or in part by someone other than the person who is being assessed – see also contract cheating below.
Example of cheating
In an essay, a student reads from published material an idea which would be relevant to include. The student paraphrases the idea but does not reference the published material. This is cheating.
Contract cheating
Contract cheating involves a student engaging or seeking to engage another party, either paid or unpaid, to produce work on behalf of the student to gain an assessment advantage.
Example of contract cheating
A close friend or family member who is a clergyperson is interested in helping a student with their assignment. The student talks at length with them, then the friend offers to write a page of the essay. The student accepts this page, includes it and submits the whole essay as their own work. This is contract cheating.
Copyright
Copyright is a form of intellectual property that protects the original expression of ideas. Copyright restrictions apply to library resources, software and others materials utilised by members of the University, who must comply with these restrictions, including those specified in University licensing agreements [see library website].
Example of a breach of copyright
A student writing a thesis comes across a picture of an artwork they would like to include. They copy the picture into the text, but do not cite a reference to the artist and a description of the work. This is a breach of copyright.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use by one person of another person’s work as though it is the first person’s own work without appropriate attribution.
Example of plagiarism
A student participating in an assessed online forum is reading a great book or website regarding the discussion. They copy a paragraph of the text word for word and insert this into the online forum discussion without referencing. This is plagiarism.
Learn more about Academic Integrity
In Semester 2, 2022, the University of Divinity, in collaboration with Colleges and the School of Graduate Research (SGR), is launching a learning experience in the area of Academic Integrity. This learning module which will be on ARK is for all coursework students and higher degree by research (HDR) candidates, for more awareness and support in practicing the values and skills of Academic Integrity. If you are a student or candidate, your College or the SGR will direct you as part of your orientation or other guidance to the module, which is to be completed in Semester 2.
Academic Integrity Policy
Guide for academics
Related information
Featured Links
Culture and Integrity
Fair treatment, justice, encompassing diversity and supporting those who are vulnerable are all part of the University’s culture, anchored in Christian tradition.
Appeals
As a member of the University you have the right to seek a review of or to appeal a decision of the University regarding assessment, admission to a course, or other academic decision.