The following responsibilities are for all teaching staff, including sessional staff, unit co-ordinators and academic conduct advisors.

1. Teaching staff
2. Unit co-ordinators
3. Heads of School
4. Academic Conduct Advisers
5. Deans of Faculties

Teaching staff

Teaching staff including tutors, demonstrators, and other sessional and full-time staff should, in cases of suspected academic misconduct immediately notify the relevant unit co-ordinator and supply the unit coordinator with details and evidence relating to the matter.

In the case of suspected plagiarism, this information should include the relevant work, and reference to the material upon which the work allegedly draws.

In other cases of alleged misconduct, staff should furnish unit co-ordinators with written details of the time, place and circumstances of the alleged misconduct.  The matter will then be handled further by the unit co-ordinator.
 
Beyond the provision of relevant information to unit co-ordinators, teaching staff in a unit of study:

1. should neither pursue a suspected case of academic misconduct, nor interview a student in relation to it, nor communicate with anyone other than the relevant unit co-ordinator, Head of School, Dean or other nominated University officer as requested, regarding any alleged case of misconduct
2. should neither impose independently any penalty for alleged misconduct, nor formulate alternative assessments for the student involved, nor engage in any other procedure outside the existing University and faculty guidelines
3. should be informed by the relevant unit coordinator at the commencement of each semester of their role and responsibilities in relation to alleged academic misconduct.

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Unit co-ordinators

In undergraduate study, the unit co-ordinator is the official examiner of that unit under University procedures. Therefore:

1. Unit co-ordinators may not devolve their responsibilities in relation to academic misconduct to other teaching staff within the unit. In cases where the unit coordinator is unexpectedly ill or otherwise indisposed, the responsibility for initial decisions relating to academic misconduct will be assumed by the Head of School.
2. Unit co-ordinators must brief all relevant staff engaged in teaching and assessment of the unit at the beginning of semester regarding procedures for the handling of academic misconduct within the unit, and particular elements of assessment requirements as they occur in the course of the unit and are notified to students in the unit guide and/or assessment mechanism statement. Particular attention should be given to protocols relating to group work and its assessment, where this element is included for assessment in the unit.
3. Unit co-ordinators will be responsible for advising students that they are suspected of committing academic misconduct no later than when assessment items are returned to other students. This advice should be confidential and coupled with procedural information so that the student understands what will occur next.
4. Unit co-ordinators will report all cases of alleged academic misconduct, except those leading to an advisory 'Notice of Academic Counselling', to Heads of School for consideration.
5. Unit co-ordinators may issue a 'Notice of Academic Counselling' to a student without reference to a Head of School. However, a record of such advice must be forwarded to the Academic Conduct Advisor for central recording purposes, and a signed copy provided to the student.
6. Unit co-ordinators will be responsible for the provision of appropriate academic counselling to students who receive a ‘Notice of Academic Counselling’, which may consist of direct discussion and advice, and/or referral to appropriate support services and materials.
7. For instances that unit co-ordinators believe should lead to deduction of marks for the assessment item, unit co-ordinators will propose an appropriate deduction of marks, and will forward a 'Notice of Academic Misconduct' to the Head of School for confirmation of the proposed deduction.
8. Unit co-ordinators must refer all other higher level instances to Heads of School for handling. In so referring cases, unit coordinators must provide to Heads of Schools the student's work that is under consideration; supporting details and clear evidence relating to the matter (including copies of relevant material in cases of suspected plagiarism, details of time and circumstances concerning other cases of alleged misconduct, and information provided to students concerning the item of assessment under consideration); and their written advice regarding the level of academic misconduct they believe is evidenced within the work, and, if deemed appropriate, a suggested penalty.

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Heads of School

(also academic conduct advisers, where the Head's responsibilities have been formally delegated) 

1. The role and responsibilities of Heads of School in relation to academic misconduct may be formally devolved to an appropriately trained Academic Conduct Adviser. For single school faculties where the Head of School and Dean are the same person, it will be necessary for the Dean to appoint a nominee to undertake the role of Head of School as outlined in these guidelines.
2. In cases notified to the Head of School for deliberation, the Head of School will review the evidence of academic misconduct and the advice brought before them by the unit coordinator. If a case of misconduct has been established, the Head of School will make further investigation regarding the level of misconduct by accessing a student's confidential record to assess whether the case is a first or subsequent breach.
3. The Head of School will then offer an interview to the student concerned, attended by the unit coordinator and the Head, at which the academic misconduct and its level will be discussed as well as evidence of relevant mitigating circumstances. The student may be accompanied by another person.
4. The Head of School will then make a final determination about the level of academic misconduct where established, and an appropriate penalty for the academic misconduct on the basis of the evidence, the previous record of the student, and any mitigating circumstances relevant to the case.
5. The Head of School will complete the relevant 'Notice of Academic Misconduct', forwarding a signed copy both to the student, and to the Academic Conduct Adviser in the faculty, within ten working days of determining the outcome of a case.
6. In any case of academic misconduct that, according to the University guidelines are at a level that may attract penalties exceeding failure within a specific unit of study, namely – the concurrent failure of other units; a period of suspension; exclusion from the faculty; expulsion from the University; and non-conferral of a degree, or that demands referral for warning to the Dean of the faculty/Dean of Graduate Research the Head of School will provide full details of the case to the Dean for their consideration. The Head will also provide advice concerning the previous record of the student, the conduct of the matter to date, and the penalty they believe should be applied in the case.

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Academic Conduct Advisers (ACAs)

The Academic Conduct Adviser’s role in all faculties would include:

1. Periodic monitoring of levels of reported academic misconduct within the faculty.
2. Liaison with ACAs from other faculties at twice yearly meetings convened by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies to discuss issues arising from the policy or procedures, to ensure ongoing monitoring of procedures and alterations as required. It is envisaged that the Guidelines on Ethical Scholarship, Academic Literacy and Academic Misconduct be reviewed by this group at the end of 2005 and then on a cyclical basis every two years.
3. Provision of relevant information and advice to staff in relation to academic misconduct policy.

Heads of School may also choose to devolve some or all of their responsibilities in relation to the handling of academic misconduct to a faculty's trained ACA. In all such circumstances, the ACA would, in policy terms, exercise the same role as a Head of School, and staff within the School should be informed of the details of any such decision as it may bear on the handling of particular cases.

The role of an Academic Conduct Adviser who has delegated responsibility from the Head of School would be as follows: 

1. The role and responsibilities of Heads of School in relation to academic misconduct may be formally devolved to an appropriately trained Academic Conduct Adviser. For single school faculties where the Head of School and Dean are the same person, it will be necessary for the Dean to appoint a nominee to undertake the role of Head of School as outlined in these Guidelines.
2. In cases notified to the Head of School for deliberation, the Head of School will review the evidence of academic misconduct and the advice brought before them by the unit coordinator. If a case of misconduct has been established, the Head of School will make further investigation regarding the level of misconduct by accessing a student's confidential record to assess whether the case is a first or subsequent breach.
3. The Head of School will then offer an interview to the student concerned, attended by the unit coordinator and the Head, at which the academic misconduct and its level will be discussed as well as evidence of relevant mitigating circumstances. The student may be accompanied by another person.
4. The Head of School will then make a final determination about the level of academic misconduct where established, and an appropriate penalty for the academic misconduct on the basis of the evidence, the previous record of the student, and any mitigating circumstances relevant to the case.
5. The Head of School will complete the relevant 'Notice of Academic Misconduct', forwarding a signed copy both to the student, and to the Academic Conduct Adviser in the Faculty, within ten working days of determining the outcome of a case.
6. In any case of academic misconduct that, according to the University guidelines are at a level that may attract penalties exceeding failure within a specific unit of study, namely - the concurrent failure of other units; a period of suspension; exclusion from the faculty; expulsion from the University; and non-conferral of a degree, or that demands referral for warning to the Dean of the Faculty/Dean of Graduate Research the Head of School will provide full details of the case to the Dean for their consideration. The Head will also provide advice concerning the previous record of the student, the conduct of the matter to date, and the penalty they believe should be applied in the case.

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Deans of Faculties

1. In cases notified to the Dean for deliberation, the Dean will review the evidence of academic misconduct and the advice brought before them by the Head of School.
2. The Dean will then offer an interview to the student concerned, attended by the Head of School, at which the academic misconduct and its level will be discussed as well as evidence of relevant mitigating circumstances. The student may be accompanied by another person.
3. The Dean will then make a final determination about the level of academic misconduct where established, and an appropriate penalty for the academic misconduct on the basis of the
   evidence, the previous record of the student, and any mitigating circumstances relevant to the case.
4. The Dean will complete the relevant 'Notice of Academic Misconduct', forwarding a signed copy both to the Head of School, the student, and to the Academic Conduct Adviser in the Faculty, within ten working days of determining the outcome of a case.
5. A proposed penalty for academic misconduct that includes expulsion from the University or nonconferral of a degree, diploma or other award to which the student would otherwise have been entitled should be referred to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, with appropriate evidence, for referral to a Board of Discipline.

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