An academic offence includes (see section 2 of the Procedures for Dealing with Academic Offences), but is not limited to:

Cheating: The term ‘cheating’ relates to behaviour that takes place in an examination, class test or laboratory test. It is considered cheating if you:

• Have any form of notes, or any items or texts other than those that are specifically permitted for that examination, at your desk in an examination hall during an examination, in a classroom during a class test or in a laboratory during a laboratory test. It is your responsibility to establish what the permitted items are for each examination.
• Make use or attempt to make use of unauthorised items as described above, and/or any form of technology, including mobile telephones, smart phones, earpieces (though not authorised hearing aids), cameras or other devices.
• Copy or attempt to copy from another student’s examination, test or laboratory script.
• Permit another student to copy from your examination script, class test or laboratory test script.
• Obtain or attempt to obtain assistance from another student or from any other person which leads to an unfair advantage.
• Impersonate another examination student, or allow yourself to be impersonated
• Provide or attempt to provide unfair assistance to another student.
• Knowingly assist any student to make use or attempt to make use of unfair means in a University examination, class test or laboratory test.

Plagiarism: Presenting the work of others as your own.

Duplication: Using or reusing significant, identical, or nearly identical portions of your own work where such work has been previously submitted for credit within the University or at another institution.

Copying or Permitting Copying: Copying another student’s work or permitting another student to copy any of your work which you submit for assessment. Both yourself and the other party will be dealt with in accordance with these Procedures.

Collusion: Working on an assignment with anyone else where that assignment is meant to be done individually. It is expected that the work being assessed, unless specifically designated as a group assessment, will have been done by you alone. Should you be suspected of collusion, you will be informed of the identity of the individual(s) with whom you are suspected to have colluded.

Fabrication: Claiming to have carried out experiments, interviews or any form of research which you have not in fact carried out, or inventing or falsifying data, evidence or experimental results. It is also an academic offence if you knowingly make use of falsified data as described above.

Contract Cheating: Commissioning or seeking to commission (either paid or unpaid) another individual or artificial intelligence software to perform or complete academic work on your behalf.

• Submitting or ‘cutting & pasting’ text from a book/journal/another student’s work or the internet without properly referencing. 
• Copying a friend or classmate’s assignment, or part of an assignment, and submitting it as your own work.
• Submitting all or part of an assignment that you have previously submitted for assessment by Queen’s or any other institution.
• Buying or obtaining an assignment online or elsewhere and submitting it as your own work.
• Fabricating evidence/interviews or data.
• Having a mobile phone, notes or any unauthorised material in an examination – simply having any of these in an examination environment is in itself considered cheating. 

Not knowing how to reference correctly or not understanding the regulations is not an excuse for committing an academic offence. Schools expect you to learn how to reference correctly. The  Learning Development Service offer various academic skills support. There are no excuses for cheating in an examination, class test or laboratory test or for contract cheating. 

Turnitin

Turnitin is a software programme used by the University to establish the originality of a piece of coursework. It will compare your assignment to websites, books, journals and student assignments submitted to 16,000 institutions in 140 countries.  Each School has a policy on the use of Turnitin and some Schools will allow you to check your assignment before formally submitting it.  To find out the policy in your School, please refer to your School or to your Programme Handbook.

Members of staff

Members of academic staff who mark assessed coursework are experts in that particular area.  They will know the core texts/reading lists and will easily be able to identify when a student has not referenced correctly or has attempted to pass off an author’s work as their own.  Staff members will also check your bibliography or references to ensure that you have referenced properly. 

Invigilator in Examination Hall

At scheduled University examinations, there are invigilators who ensure the smooth running of the examinations.  Should an incident occur, the invigilators will report any suspicious activity or incident to the Examinations Office who will inform the relevant School for the purposes of an investigation.  Cheating in an examination is considered to be a very serious academic offence (see sections 2.1 and 3.1 of the Procedures for Dealing with Academic Offences).

Exceptional circumstances cannot be used to excuse an academic offence.  If something is impacting on your academic performance you should inform your School as soon as possible and you may request an extension to the submission deadline for an assignment or a deferral of an examination. Please see the Exceptional Circumstances Procedure. Guidance material regarding Exceptional Circumstances can be found on the Assessment Support Hub. 

Your School will inform you in writing to your University email account that you have been suspected of an academic offence. This email will also explain if the offence is considered to be major or minor. There are different procedures for dealing with major and minor academic offences (see sections 4 and 5 of the Procedures for Dealing with Academic Offences). 

Advice and guidance is available from Student Wellbeing, the Students’ Union and SU Advice (studentadvice@qub.ac.uk).

You have the right to be accompanied to any meetings by a registered student of the University (including a Sabbatical Officer from the Students’ Union) or by a member of staff of the University (including a member of staff from SU Advice  or your Safe and Health Relationship Advocate)  ) or University Chaplaincy at any stage in the procedure. The role of the person accompanying you is one of support, not representation, and you will be expected to present your own case.

If you consider that you have a disability or ongoing condition, you should advise the Investigating Officer as soon as possible so that the appropriate reasonable adjustments can be put in place to help you engage as fully as possible with the disciplinary process. This may entail a consultation with Disability Services.

An academic offence shall normally be designated as ‘minor’ if the piece of work, where it occurs, counts towards one third or less of the assessment for the module. 

An allegation of a minor offence (e.g. poor referencing practice) will normally be dealt with as an academic matter within your School with the aim of giving you advice and guidance to ensure that the problem does not reoccur.

Initial Review Stage – Minor Offences

A review of the documentation provided by the member of staff who discovered the alleged offence/s will be carried out by another member of staff appointed by your Head of School/Centre Director (or nominee).  The member of staff will decide:

1. that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that an academic offence has been committed and no further action will be taken against you; or
2. that there is evidence of poor academic practice but not of an academic offence, in which case you will be signposted to advice, guidance and additional learning resources; or
3. that it appears a minor academic offence may have been committed and that the case requires investigation.

There is no appeal against this decision.

Investigation Stage – Minor Offences

An investigation will be carried out by an Investigating Officer appointed by your Head of School/Centre Director (or nominee) (a member of the Board of Examiners).

The Investigating Officer will consider the piece of work and any other evidence provided by you or by the member of staff who discovered the alleged offence and may meet with the member of staff. 

You will be informed of the alleged offence/s and told the assessment they relate to.  You will also be given a copy of the Procedures for Dealing with Academic Offences and a copy of any documentary evidence. You will be invited to meet with the Investigating Officer and another member of staff.  The suspected minor offence will be outlined to you and you will be asked to respond.

You are required to attend this meeting.  If you do not attend the meeting, without good reason, the Investigating Officer may consider your case on the paperwork alone and make a report to your Head of School/Centre Director (or nominee) in your absence and without further notice.   

The Investigating Officer will write a report for your Head of School/Centre Director (or nominee), who will make a decision, which will be communicated to you in writing, normally within eight working days. 

At all stages of the procedure, the following criteria will be taken into account before a penalty is imposed:

• The extent of the academic offence;
• The degree of intent;
• Your level of study and previous educational background;
• Any previous history of plagiarism or other academic offences;
• The extent of your knowledge and understanding of the concept of academic misconduct and of the correct procedures for referencing in your discipline; and
• The impact of the penalty on your progress or award.

The Head of School/Centre Director (or nominee) may:

• Find that no academic offence has been committed and dismiss the case
• Impose a written warning (this will stay on your Student Record until graduation)
• Declare the relevant work submitted as null and void and permit you to re-do the component (for that attempt) with no further penalty (i.e. the full mark obtained will be allowed to stand)
• Declare the relevant work submitted as null and void and permit you to re-do the component (for that attempt) for a maximum of the pass mark
• Award a mark of zero for the component but not permit you to re-do it for that attempt
• Refer your case to the Chair of the relevant Board of Examiners to be considered under the procedures for major offences

1. A written warning to the student; or
2. Declare the relevant work submitted as null and void and permit the student to re-do the component (for that attempt) with no further penalty (i.e. the full mark obtained is allowed to stand); or
3. Declare the relevant work submitted as null and void and permit the student to re-do the component (for that attempt) for a maximum of the pass mark; or
4. Award a mark of zero for the component but not permit the student to re-do it for that attempt. The offer of a resit attempt will be considered in line with relevant study regulations (including programme specific regulations). If a resit is granted, the resit attempt will be capped at the pass mark, for degree classification purposes.

An offence shall be designated as ‘major’ if:

• The piece of work counts towards more than one third of the assessment for the module
• You are an undergraduate or postgraduate taught student accused of cheating in an examination, contract cheating or misconduct in research. 
• You are a postgraduate research student accused of plagiarism or duplication in unpublished work submitted for assessment (via Annual Progress Review or oral examination). 
• It is a repeat offence or there are multiple offences found against you. 

Initial Review – Major Offences

Where there has been an allegation of a major academic offence, the Head of School/Centre Director (or nominee) shall report the matter to the Chair of the relevant Board of Examiners or Chair of the School Postgraduate Research Committee (as appropriate).

Any incidents of cheating in examinations (including class tests and laboratory tests) shall be reported to the Chair of the Board of Examiners by the University’s Examinations Office.

Where the Chair of the Board of Examiners discovered the alleged offence, the Head of School/Centre Director (or nominee) will appoint another member of staff to investigate the allegation. Where the Head of School/Centre Director is the Chair of the Board of Examiners, they shall appoint another member of the Board of Examiners to investigate the allegation.

The Chair of the Board of Examiners/Chair of the School Postgraduate Research Committee (or nominee) will appoint a member of staff to conduct an initial review of the evidence provided; this will only involve the documentation provided by the member of staff who discovered the alleged breach. Upon completion of the initial review, the appointed member of staff will decide either:

1. that no academic offence has been committed and no further action will be taken; or
2. that there is evidence of poor academic practice but not of an academic offence, in which case you will be signposted to advice, guidance and additional learning resources; or
3. that it appears a major academic offence may have been committed and that the case requires investigation.

There is no appeal against this decision.

Investigation Stage - Major Offences

Following the initial review, and normally within five working days of receiving a report on an alleged major offence, the Chair of the Board of Examiners/Chair of the School Postgraduate Research Committee (or nominee) will arrange for a Panel to review the evidence and to meet with you to discuss the alleged academic offence.

The Panel shall consist of at least two members of the Board of Examiners/School Postgraduate Research Committee and a representative from outside your School.

In circumstances where the alleged major offence (other than cheating), is discovered during the revision or assessment period, initial contact with you may be by means other than in writing, which will then be followed up in writing.

The School will normally provide you with at least a five working days’ notice of the date and time of the meeting with the Panel. However, during assessment period, when tight time constraints apply, the period of notice may be reduced.

Prior to the Panel meeting, you will be informed in writing that:

• You are suspected of committing a major academic offence, the nature of the alleged offence (insofar as possible based on the evidence available at that time) and the module, part of a module or piece of unpublished work concerned
• You have a right to be accompanied to the Panel meeting
• You have a right to make a written submission to the Panel and to submit supporting documentary evidence, in addition to appearing in person. 
• You will also be provided with a copy of the Procedures, as well as the paperwork to be considered by the Panel. 

If you are suspected to have engaged in contract cheating (prior to the Panel meeting), you may be required to undergo a short viva voce with a member(s) of staff with knowledge of the subject area, to help determine your level of knowledge of the subject area. If this is the case, you may also be asked to submit drafts of your work. The member(s) of staff conducting the viva voce will produce a report for the Panel; this will be shared with you prior to the Panel. 

If the alleged offence relates to collusion, all the students involved shall be invited to Panel meeting(s). You will be informed of the identify of all individuals with whom you are suspected to have colluded.

You will be required to attend the Panel meeting. 

If you do not attend the meeting, without showing ‘good cause’, the Panel has the right to consider your case on the paperwork alone and make a recommendation to the Chair of the Board of Examiners/Chair of the School Postgraduate Research Committee (or nominee) in your absence and without further notice. As such, it is your responsibility to establish ‘good cause’ to the satisfaction of the Panel.

On completion of its investigation, the Panel will prepare a written report (to be accompanied by all supporting documentation, including any provided by you), for consideration by the Chair of the Board of Examiners/Chair of the School Postgraduate Research Committee (or nominee).

The report will summarise the Panel’s investigation and indicate that either:

• There is insufficient evidence that an offence has been committed and that the Panel recommends that the case is dismissed, and that no further action should be taken; or
• An offence has been committed and that the Panel recommends a penalty from among the list of penalties for major offences, as set out in 7.3 and 7.4.

The Chair of the Board of Examiners/Chair of the School Postgraduate Research Committee (or nominee) shall consider the Panel’s report and shall consult as necessary, including consulting other relevant members of the Board of Examiners/School Postgraduate Research Committee, in order to reach a decision on your case. 

The decision of the Chair of the Board of Examiners/School Postgraduate Research Committee will be communicated to you in writing, normally within eight working days of the decision being made. You will be advised should there be a delay.

The Chair of the Board of Examiners/Chair of the School Postgraduate Research Committee (or nominee) may:

• Dismiss the case, notwithstanding the finding and recommendation(s) of the Panel; or

• Dismiss the case where there is evidence of poor academic practice but not of an academic offence and signpost you to advice, guidance and additional learning resources; or
• Confirm the finding and the penalty recommended by the Panel; or
• Confirm the finding and impose a different penalty from among those set out in the list of penalties; or

• Refer the case for consideration under the  Conduct Regulations or the Fitness to Practise Regulations.

You may not appeal against a referral to the Academic Offences Committee, to the Conduct Regulations or to the Fitness to Practise Regulations.

1. A written warning;
2. Declare the relevant work submitted as null and void and permit you to re-do the component with no further penalty (i.e. the full mark obtained is allowed to stand);
3. Declare the relevant work submitted as null and void and permit you to re-do the component (for that attempt) for a maximum of the pass mark;
4. Award a mark of zero for the component but not permit the student to re-do it for that attempt. The offer of a resit attempt will be considered in line with relevant study regulations (including programme specific regulations). If a resit is granted, the resit attempt will be capped at the pass mark, for degree classification purposes; or
5. Refer the matter to the Academic Offences Committee.

The following penalty may be imposed in addition, in respect of Postgraduate Research Students:

1. Direct that the offending material be removed from the work submitted and that the student carry out such further work as is necessary to replace it

If you withdraw from your course after you have been notified that you have been suspected of an academic offence, the University may either:

1. Continue with the investigation and hear the allegation in your absence without further notice; or
2. Suspend the investigation and recommence it if you apply for re-admission to the University--any offer of a place will be conditional on completion of the investigation and your compliance with any penalty applied (in addition to any other applicable conditions e.g. academic conditions)

All academic offence cases will be treated with the appropriate level of confidentiality, with information being released only to those who need to see it (for example, for the School’s response).

All information submitted by you and by the School will be shared with the members of the Committee.  You and the School will be sent copies of all the information which the Committee members will see.  You should not include any information in any documentation you submit that you do not want your School or the Committee to see.  You should also ensure that your documentation does not contain any information relating to third parties and that the information complies with the University Guidance on Data Protection. The names or any information by which a third party could be identified must be redacted, unless the third party consents to the information being shared.) It is your responsibility to ensure that such information is redacted or that you have the consent of the third party to share the information.

If your case has been referred to the Academic Offences Committee, you will be advised that your case has been referred to an Academic Offences Committee and you will be given at least five working days’ notice of the date, time and venue of the meeting. You will be sent copies of all the documents which the Committee members will see.

An Academic Offences Committee (Referral) meeting considers serious cases referred by your School.

The Committee will be chaired by a senior member of University staff and will, normally, comprise three members of University staff representing each Faculty within the University. 

You will be invited to attend this Academic Offences Committee meeting to present your case. You will receive copies of all the paperwork and supporting evidence ahead of the meeting.

The Relevant Chair will also be invited to the Academic Offences Committee meeting to explain the reasons for their decision to refer your case to the Academic Offences Committee.

You must attend the meeting of the Academic Offences Committee, unless you have a good reason not to (e.g. scheduled medical procedure, examination, funeral etc.). Work commitments or holiday arrangements will not be considered good cause. It is your responsibility to establish good cause to the satisfaction of the Committee. If you are absent without good cause, the Committee may consider your case in your absence and on the paperwork alone.

The meeting will run as follows:

• The Chair will:
• Introduce the Committee, and other persons present;
• Explain the purpose of the hearing and the possible outcomes;
• Explain that students are expected to be truthful and honest;
• Explain that you are not permitted to record the meeting; and
• Detail the allegation(s) raised against you.
• The Relevant Chair will present the case against you.
• You will then be invited to respond to the allegations.
• Committee members may then ask you and the Relevant Chair questions for clarification.
• You will then be invited to provide any final comments.
• The Relevant Chair will be invited to provide any final comments.
• Once the Committee is satisfied that all relevant information has been submitted, everyone, except the members of the Committee making the decision and the Secretariat, will leave the meeting.

The Committee will consider your case, and their decision will be sent to your QUB email address within eight working days of the decision being made.

The Committee will consider the case and allegation(s) against you, and come to a decision, taking account of the following criteria:

• The extent of the plagiarism or other academic offence;
• The degree of intent;
• Your level of study and previous educational background;
• Any previous history of having committed an academic offence;
• The extent of your knowledge and understanding of the concept of academic misconduct and of the correct procedures for referencing in your discipline; and
• The impact of the penalty on your progress or award.

The Academic Offences Committee have the following options available to them. They may:

• Find that there is insufficient evidence that an academic offence has been committed and dismiss the case against you; or
• Find that an academic offence has been committed and impose any penalties from the list of those set out below (see 7.3-7.5 of the Procedures for Dealing with Academic Offences).

Penalties – the AOC may:

• Impose a written warning (which will stay on your Student Record until graduation)
• Declare the relevant work submitted as null and void and permit you to re-do the component (for that attempt) with no further penalty (i.e. the full mark obtained will be allowed to stand);
• Declare the relevant work submitted as null and void and permit you to re-do the component (for that attempt) for a maximum of the pass mark;
• Award a mark of zero for the component but not permit you to re-do it for that attempt. The offer of a resit attempt will be considered in line with relevant study regulations (including programme specific regulations).  If a resit is granted, the resit attempt will be capped at the pass mark, for degree classification purposes.
• Declare the relevant work submitted in more than one module as null and void and permit the student to re-do the components (at that attempt) with no further penalty (i.e. the full mark obtained is allowed to stand).
• Declare the relevant work submitted in more than one module as null and void and permit the student to re-do the components (at that attempt) for a maximum of the pass mark.
• Award a mark of zero for the components of the modules and not permit the student to re-do them at that attempt. The offer of a resit attempt will be considered in line with relevant study regulations (including programme specific regulations).  If a resit is granted, the resit attempt will be capped at the pass mark, for degree classification purposes.
• (For postgraduate research students) Refer the matter back to the School to provide you with support and guidance.
• (For postgraduate research students) Direct that the offending material be removed from the work submitted and that you carry out such further work as is necessary to replace it;.
• (For postgraduate research students) Recommend to the examiners that no degree be awarded.
• Suspend you from the University.
• Require you to withdraw from the University.

In addition to imposing one of the penalties above, the Committee may refer your case for consideration under the Conduct Regulations or the Fitness to Practise Regulationswhere it considers this to be appropriate.

Prior to making a decision on your case, the Committee may seek further information or clarification and, if this is the case, you will be advised of any delay.

The decision of the Academic Offences Committee will be communicated to you in writing, normally within eight working days of the decision being made. 

If your case was referred to the Academic Offences Committee by your School, you may appeal the Committee’s decision to an Academic Offences Appeals Committee.  Your appeal must be submitted on the Appeal to the Academic Offences Appeal Committee Form within 10 working days of notification of the decision.

There are specific grounds for appeal and you must clearly demonstrate how your appeal meets those grounds. 

You may appeal on one or more of the following grounds:

• Substantial and relevant new evidence has become available which the student could not have reasonably obtained in time to present for consideration by the AOC, which has had a material effect on the outcome, making it unsound.
• There was a procedural irregularity in the conduct of the investigation and / or the conduct of the AOC proceedings, which has had a clear and demonstrable impact on the outcome.

You cannot appeal the decision of the School to refer your case on to an Academic Offences Committee or against a referral for consideration under the Conduct Regulations or the Fitness to Practise Procedure.

An Academic Offences Appeals Committee considers appeals against the decision of an Academic Offences Committee.

The Committee will be chaired by a Pro-Vice-Chancellor (or nominee) and will, normally, comprise three members of University staff representing each Faculty within the University. 

At all meetings of the AOAC three members shall constitute a quorum.

You will be invited to attend the Academic Offences Appeals Committee to present your appeal. You will receive copies of all the paperwork and supporting evidence ahead of the meeting.

The Chair of the Academic Offences Committee and the Relevant Chair will also be invited to the Academic Offences Appeals Committee to explain the reasons for the decision.

You must attend the meeting of the Academic Offences Appeals Committee, unless you have a good reason not to (e.g. scheduled medical procedure, examination, funeral etc.). Work commitments or holiday arrangements will not be considered good cause.  It is your responsibility to establish good cause to the satisfaction of the Committee. If you are absent without good cause, the Committee may consider your case in your absence and on the paperwork alone.

The meeting will run as follows:

• The Chair will:
• Introduce the Committee, and other persons present;
• Explain the purpose of the hearing and the possible outcomes;
• Explain that students are expected to be truthful and honest; and
• Explain that you are not permitted to record the meeting.
• The Academic Offences Committee Chair (or nominee) will present the case against you.
• You will then be invited to respond to the allegations.
• Committee members may then ask you and the Academic Offences Committee Chair (or nominee) questions for clarification.
• You will then be invited to provide any final comments.
• The Academic Offences Committee Chair (or nominee) will be invited to provide any final comments.
• Once the Committee is satisfied that all relevant information has been submitted, everyone, except the members of the Committee making the decision and the Secretariat, will leave the meeting.

The Committee will consider your case, and the decision will be sent to your QUB email address within eight working days of the decision being made.

An Academic Offences Appeals Committee may:

i.   Uphold the appeal and rescind the penalty imposed by the Academic Offences Committee.

ii.  Confirm the penalty imposed by the Academic Offences Committee

iii. Impose a different penalty from that of the original penalty imposed by the Academic Offences Committee.  The penalty imposed will not be more severe than the original penalty imposed. 

The decision of the Academic Offences Appeals Committee is final, and there is no further internal right of appeal. However, you may submit a complaint about maladministration to the Office of the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman.  Complaints to the Ombudsman must be made within six months of notification of the decision of the Academic Offences Appeals Committee.