Do you understand academic integrity? Don’t compromise your marks by breaking the rules
Now that you’re busy completing final assignments and preparing for your T1/S1 exam replacement tasks, it is crucial that you understand the rules, and your rights and responsibilities, in upholding Deakin’s values concerning academic integrity.
What is academic integrity?
Academic integrity is one of the foundations of our University culture. It relates to creating and submitting your work in an honest and fair way, acting and communicating ethically, and showing respect for the work of others. It also involves taking responsibility for supporting your fellow students to do the right thing.
Breaches of academic integrity can include, but are not limited to, instances in which you fail to:
- Acknowledge others’ work. You can avoid accusations of plagiarism and copyright breaches by referencing correctly.
- Produce your own work. Contract cheating, as defined by Deakin, is when you ask someone else to do all or part of your assessment task and you pass the work off as your own. You must also not submit work that you produced with someone else – this is not considered receiving legitimate help, this is defined as collusion.
- Act in an honest way. You should not seek an unfair advantage in your work by behaving dishonestly. If you are approached with any offers of help (regardless of whether it is free or incurs payment), it is your responsibility to reject such offers to on the basis of acting fairly and honestly.
- Take responsibility for knowing the rules. It is your responsibility to know the rules and instructions for completing your final assignments and off-campus exam replacement tasks in a correct and fair manner, which includes not using unauthorised resources in an exam situation.
You can learn more via Deakin’s academic integrity site.
What happens if I breach academic integrity?
The consequences for breaching academic integrity can be severe. If you are found to have broken the rules, you can expect to face formal penalties from the University that can affect your grades, your enrolment and in some cases hinder your future career. You cannot afford to be ignorant about what is expected of you in upholding Deakin’s academic integrity standards.
How can I make sure I don’t break the rules?
- If you’re a commencing student in T1, complete your mandatory Academic Integrity unit now. You will have been automatically enrolled in this compulsory unit, which will help you develop knowledge, skills and good practice principles during your study, so that you avoid allegations such as plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. The unit will take about two hours to complete and you’ll find it in the My Units tab of DeakinSync.
- Make sure you are across all the various aspects of academic integrity and the University’s expectations of you. Visit Deakin’s academic integrity website which explains how to uphold these standards and gives you helpful advice and resources, and make sure you’re adhering to the expectations of Deakin’s Student Code of Conduct and Student Academic Integrity Policy.
Who can I turn to if I have questions or need more help?
Lean on your Deakin University Student Association (DUSA)
- If you have a question about academic integrity, and you feel a bit uncomfortable asking someone directly, you can use DUSA’s Ask an Advocate form to post an anonymous question. Your question, along with a response, will be posted on DUSA’s own academic integrity webpage within three business days so that other students can also benefit from this information.
- DUSA’s academic integrity webpage also hosts more information about contract cheating and other types of academic integrity breaches.
- Have you received an allegation of a breach of academic integrity? You can contact DUSA’s Student Advocacy and Support Service (SASS) for a free confidential appointment with an advocate who can assess your situation and discuss possible courses of action with you.
Remember genuine study support services are available at Deakin
While we understand that the transition to online study has been complex and at times difficult, you shouldn’t feel like you need to cut corners or breach ethical standards to succeed. If you need help with your assignments or preparation for your exam replacement tasks, use the help that is provided by Deakin – this way, you know it’s legitimate.
- Check out Unistart for advice on managing your study time and space
- A guide to organising your studies is available on the Study Support webpage
- Learn more about how to communicate with other students online.
- Check out the full range of study support available at Deakin and remember that the best source of help is your Unit Chair or teaching team. They’re here to answer your questions and point you in the right direction.
Remember Deakin is here to support you throughout your degree to learn more about academic integrity, but as a Deakin student it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that you are properly informed, and that you act with and promote academic integrity.
Enjoy the final weeks of T1 and we wish you all the very best in your final assessments.