Global Utilities

La Trobe University
University Handbook 2013

Academic matters

Academic integrity and academic misconduct

Academic integrity means being honest in academic work and taking responsibility for learning the conventions of scholarship. Scholarship involves research which builds on the work of others and requires appropriate acknowledgment of this work.

La Trobe University regards academic honesty as the foundation of teaching, learning, and research. Academic staff and students must observe the highest ethical standards in all aspects of academic work. Proven cases of academic misconduct can attract a broad range of penalties.

The University’s framework for academic integrity includes:

Students should also visit the Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism website at www.latrobe.edu.au/students/learning. This site includes information about the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) that teaches students about La Trobe's values and academic integrity guidelines to minimise the chances of academic misconduct. All commencing undergraduate students will be enrolled in the AIM, which they can access in their Learning Management System (LMS). The AIM result will be recorded on students' academic records and will be taken into account when assessing students' academic progress.

When submitting work for assessment, students are required to complete a declaration that the work is their own work or the work of the group (if a group assignment) and that they understand and agree to the academic integrity rules of the University. It also includes an agreement for the University to reproduce and/or communicate (make available online or electronically transmit) the work they have submitted. Students also grant to the University or to the third party authorised by the University, Turnitin (see www.latrobe.edu.au/text-match/), the right to reproduce and/or communicate (make available online or electronically transmit) the work they have submitted.

Students found guilty of academic misconduct may receive penalties ranging from a requirement to participate in academic counselling or a reduction in marks for an individual piece of assessment for minor cases, through to a zero grade for the subject in serious cases or for repeat offences. These penalties are currently under review. It is expected that additional penalties, including suspension or exclusion, will be added in 2013.

Students who are found guilty of academic misconduct by a Head of School or a Faculty Academic Misconduct Officer (FAMO) may, in some circumstances, appeal to the University Appeals Committee. The same is true of students found guilty of general misconduct (see 'General Misconduct' section below) by a University General Misconduct Officer (GMO). All students found guilty of misconduct will receive written notification of the grounds for appeal and the steps to follow.

Types of academic misconduct

Some common types of academic misconduct include:

  • Plagiarism: reproducing someone else’s words, ideas or findings and presenting them as one’s own without proper acknowledgment. For more information about plagiarism, see www.latrobe.edu.au/students/learning/academic-integrity.
  • Self-plagiarism: re-using work that one has previously submitted for assessment or publication. (In some cases, it can be appropriate to re-use one's own work, but this should be done only with the written permission of the subject coordinator. The re-used work must be properly referenced.) 
  • Inappropriate collaboration (collusion): working together with one or more other students to produce the same piece of work while pretending it was done independently.
  • Assisting another person to engage in academic misconduct: for example, giving or selling an essay or examination paper to another person, sitting an examination on behalf of another person.
  • Violating examination rules or taking unauthorised material into examinations: for example, taking 'cheat sheets' (notes) or mobile phones into an examination, Allowable materials are listed on the examination timetable, at the entrance to the examination  venue and on the cover of the examination paper. For more information on examination rules see www.latrobe.edu.au/students/exams/sitting/rules.
  • Falsifying data: for example, changing or making up the results of an experiment, misrepresenting in a clinical diary the number of hours actually spent on placement, forging a medical certificate (e.g. when submitted in support of an application for special consideration).

General misconduct

Students are required to observe appropriate standards of behaviour while at the University and while on workplace-based placements associated with their courses. Inappropriate behaviour may constitute general misconduct, for which various penalties apply.

The General Misconduct Statute 2009 available from www.latrobe.edu.au/legalservices/legislation/university-statutes defines general misconduct quite broadly. It includes behaviours such as disrupting classes or examinations; contravening the intellectual property rules of the University; breaching the criminal law; interfering with, or damaging, the facilities or property of the University; attacking, abusing or harassing other persons; misusing computer facilities; attempting to bribe University staff, and so on.

Academic staff have the power to exclude disruptive students from lectures for a period of up to four weeks. Similarly, University staff and invigilators have the power to exclude from examinations students who are disruptive or who breach examination rules. Refusal to comply with an exclusion is itself general misconduct.

General misconduct must be reported to a General Misconduct Officer (GMO) appointed by the Vice-Chancellor. The GMO conducts a hearing and determines the outcome. The penalty for general misconduct may range from a reprimand or financial penalty (fine, reparative damages) through to suspension or exclusion from the University. A student may, on certain grounds, appeal against the decision of the GMO to the University Appeals Committee. Information on how and where to appeal is provided when the student is notified of the outcome of their hearing.

On the rare occasions where a student engages in conduct that endangers the health and wellbeing of others, or that causes or threatens to cause significant damage to the property or facilities of the University, the Vice-Chancellor has the power to suspend or exclude the student with immediate effect. A decision by the Vice-Chancellor cannot be appealed to the University Appeals Committee. See 'Academic Integrity' section for a description of appeal provisions.

Academic progress monitoring and intervention requirements

IMPORTANT: International students should also read the section on 'Academic Progress requirements' in the International section of this Handbook.

The University recognises that early identification and support of students who may be at risk gives them their best chance of academic success. Every student is entitled to monitoring of their academic progress and supportive intervention where the student is at risk of unsatisfactory academic progress.

At the completion of each progression period, each faculty will take intervention action in accordance with the Academic Progress Monitoring and Intervention Procedures. The intervention action will apply to each student whose progress is at risk or is deemed to be unsatisfactory. Appropriate notices of intervention action will be sent to affected students.

Students who do not satisfy academic progress requirements over at least two progression periods may be required to make a case ('show cause') why their enrolment should be allowed to continue. In this situation, students have the right to make a written submission to the Faculty Academic Progress Officer (FAPO). They may also be invited to appear in person before the FAPO, to explain why they should be permitted to continue their enrolment.

For full information, students should read the Academic Progress Statute 2010 available from www.latrobe.edu.au/legalservices/legislation/university-statutes and the Academic Progress Monitoring and Intervention Policy and Procedures available from www.latrobe.edu.au/policy (look under Academic Policies/Teaching and Learning/Assessment).  

Research students should consult the Information for HDR Students available at www.latrobe.edu.au/research-services/HDRinformation/index.htm.

Students who, after a hearing by the Faculty Academic Progress Officer, are not permitted to re-enrol or have conditions placed on subsequent enrolment, may have a right of appeal. Affected students will receive written notification of the grounds for appeal and the steps to follow.

Academic advice

Advisers of studies

In each faculty there are advisers of studies who help students plan their courses. Consult your School or Faculty office for a list of advisers of studies.

Academic Language and Learning (ALL) staff

The Academic Language and Learning unit works closely with teaching staff in all Faculties and on all campuses to ensure that all La Trobe students – including those from non-English-speaking backgrounds – receive the support they need to develop core academic skills required to succeed. Those high-level, core academic success skills include speaking and writing in English, numeracy, and study strategies. The Academic Language and Learning staff provide workshops and drop in sessions on all campuses of the University. The Academic Language and Learning unit also produces online learning resources available at: www.latrobe.edu.au/students/learning. The Unit is the home base for the Student to Student Learning Advisor Program and the Succeed at La Trobe initiative.

Class timetables

Class timetables are administered by Academic Services Division for the University. Timetabled subjects offered by all campuses of La Trobe University are available by subject, department, or student ID selections via: www.latrobe.edu.au/timetable/.

Students have the opportunity to view their own personal timetable by entering their student ID number and password.

Examinations and assessment

2013 official examination/assessment dates

 
Supplementary/special examination period (for Semester 2 2012) 7 January - 11 January 2013
Summer examination period 19 February - 22 February 2013
Semester 1 mid-year examination period 14 June – 4 July 2013
Mid-year supplementary/special examination period 5 August - 9 August 2013
Semester 2 end of year examination period 8 November - 28 November 2013

Students are required to make themselves available for the entire duration of all formal examination periods. Students should also note that they may be required by Faculties, to undertake examinations that are not conducted within the formal examination period.

Examination timetables

Official examination timetables for centrally administered examinations are published approximately five weeks prior to the examination period commencing for mid-year and end of year examinations and approximately two weeks prior for supplementary hurdle/special examinations. Timetables are published on the web via the University’s homepage and on noticeboards (regional campuses only), together with formal examination rules and other important information regarding examination conduct. The University provides no information regarding examination dates, time and/or locations over the telephone.

In the event of a student being unable to be present for an examination, the candidate must notify the relevant course authority within 72 hours of the examination, and in the case of medical incapacity, a medical certificate must be supplied. See 'Special Consideration' below.

If a candidate has two examinations set down for the same examination session, they will be contacted by their local Student Administration Centre approximately two weeks prior to the commencement of the examination period with details of their alternate examination arrangements.

Further information for all campuses is available at www.latrobe.edu.au/students/exams

Alternative examination arrangements

Alternative examination arrangements may be made for semester or supplementary hurdle/special examinations for students who have:

Medical Reasons: Students with a permanent or long-term disability, mental health issue and/or temporary or ongoing medical condition should consult the Equality and Diversity Centre in the first instance.

Non-Medical Reasons: Students who are not able to sit their exam on the officially timetabled day due to any of the following non-medical reasons should contact their Student Administration Office to obtain an Examination Clash or Alternate Exam Application Form.

  • Armed services duty
  • Jury duty or court appearance
  • Emergency services employee/volunteer
  • Observation of a sacred holy day or religious event
  • Representation of your country in an international event
  • Elite athlete (registered)
  • Cross institutional exam clash
  • Request to sit exam at a campus closer to home address.

Travel plans are not considered grounds for alternate exam arrangements.

Requests for alternative examination arrangements must be submitted to Student Administration Offices at least three weeks prior to the commencement of the examination period.

Special consideration

Special consideration may be granted to students on the basis of extenuating circumstances that may have adversely affected their studies. Further information is available from local Student Administration Offices.

Applications relating to special consideration for performance at an examination must be submitted to the relevant Student Administration Office within 72 hours after the commencement of the examination. In some instances it may be appropriate to discuss the matter with an adviser of studies in the relevant Faculty or School before lodging an application.

Applications for special consideration relating to performance during an academic period must be submitted to the relevant Student Administration Office prior to any of the assessment to which such application relates. It is important that you communicate with your lecturer as early as possible for assistance with issues related to missed work.

For further information about submitting an application for special consideration, contact your local Student Administration Office. Inquiries regarding the outcome of an application for special consideration should be directed to your School Office.

Throughout the year valuable teaching support services are also available to you at various campus locations. For further information, see:

Note: At the time of publishing this Handbook a new policy and procedures on special consideration were under development. These are expected to come into effect in 2013. Queries about special consideration policy should be directed to academic_policy@latrobe.edu.au.

Examination results

Examination results will be emailed to all students via their official La Trobe student email account as results are finalised. Examination results are also available via StudentOnLine. Scheduled result release dates are established each year and generally occur mid-July for first semester results and the second week in December for second semester. Results from non-standard teaching periods will be released progressively throughout the year. Personal records are available from local Student Administration Offices. A charge applies for personal records. Official academic transcripts can be ordered through local Student Administration Offices. Students can print an unofficial transcript from StudentOnLine free of charge.

Assessment procedures for coursework subjects

Work presented by students during their studies is assessed in a variety of ways. It is important to understand the methods used and the expectations of the examiners. Students who have queries relating to assessment for a particular subject first should approach the examiner for clarification.

The most commonly used methods of assessment at La Trobe are described briefly below – in almost every case, a student’s performance in each method is measured and contributes to the final mark and grade awarded at the end of the year.

The expectations of examiners will reflect the nature of the subject and the method of assessment. The general principle, however, is that the student is expected to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the topic being examined rather than an ability for rote learning, although there are many occasions on which the latter is also necessary.

Written examinations

Written examinations are normally of one to three hours’ duration. They may consist of multiple-choice questions requiring minimal response, many questions requiring brief response or a few questions requiring extensive response. Frequently they are set in formal examination periods (end of semester one (mid-year) and end of semester two (end-of-year)), but this is not always the case.

Essays

These are normally a few hundred to several thousand words in length, and may be set at any time of the year.

Clinical and social work placements

Most Education and Health Sciences students and some other groups of students are required to undertake placements for various periods of time in relevant practical environments which test their skills and knowledge and impart new skills.

Work experience

Students in agriculture, engineering and some science courses are required to undertake up to 12 weeks of relevant work experience during their courses, which does not always contribute to the final mark.

Projects

Projects may be specified or left to the student’s choice – they range from minor to major.

Practical classes

Normally of one or more hours’ duration, these are generally task-oriented, supervised and conducted at regular intervals (e.g. weekly).

Continuous assessment

This combines some of the above methods and may be an alternative to end-of-semester or end-of-year written examinations. The marks for many individual pieces of work are aggregated to give a final mark.

Class attendance and submission of written work

Attendance at lectures is not normally recorded, but may be recorded at tutorials and is often monitored for practical classes. In many subjects satisfactory attendance at tutorials or practical classes is compulsory and essential for a pass in the subject.

The submission of essays, assignments and other written work is recorded, and failure to submit without an acceptable reason may lead to the award of a fail grade.

Examination grades

The Schedule of Current Assessment Grades and Administrative Codes  used by the University is available from the University's policy website www.latrobe.edu.au/policy (look under Academic Policies/Teaching and Learning/Assessment/Assessment Grades and Administrative Codes Schedule).

Additional assessment for failed hurdle requirements

An eligible student who has obtained 50 per cent or more in a subject but who has failed to meet a compulsory (hurdle) requirement will be offered additional assessment. If the additional assessment is passed, then the maximum mark possible will be the total of the marks achieved for all assessment tasks for the subject. This total will include the pass mark achieved for the hurdle requirement. Further information is available from www.latrobe.edu.au/policy/ (look under Academic Policies/Teaching and Learning/Assessment/Hurdles Procedures - Additional Assessment).

Conceded passes

A conceded pass will be awarded in an eligible undergraduate or postgraduate coursework subject where:

  • the mark obtained in the subject is at least 47% but less than 50%; and
  • the Weighted Average Mark (WAM) for the progression period is at least 50%.

For details, including information about subjects that are not eligible for a conceded pass, refer to the Conceded Passes Policy and Procedures available from www.latrobe.edu.au/policy (look under Academic Policies/Teaching and Learning/Assessment).

Additional assessment for failed last subject

The Faculty will offer an additional assessment to a student who, in their final progression period, fails the subject that would be the last subject required to complete their course of study. The result for that final subject must fall within a certain range of marks which is under review for 2013. To be eligible for the additional assessment:

  • the subject concerned cannot be workplace-based; and
  • the student must have completed all the required assessment tasks; and
  • the student does not qualify for a conceded pass for the subject concerned (see above).

For more information, refer to section 4 of the Conceded Passes Procedures available from www.latrobe.edu.au/policy (look under Academic Policies/Teaching and Learning/Assessment).

Review and re-mark of students’ academic work

The University's Policy and Procedures for the Review and Re-mark of Students' Academic Work are available from www.latrobe.edu.au/policy (look under Academic Policies/Teaching and Learning/Assessment). These contain full details, including provisions for appeals where students are dissatisfied with decisions.

Reviews: All students have the right to request a review of individual pieces of assessment worth 20% or more of the final result for a subject. The request is directed first to the examiner concerned. Except where there are extenuating circumstances, the request for a review must be made within the following time lines:

  • assessment tasks returned to students with a grade - within ten working days of the release of the result for that assessment task;
  • assessment tasks not returned to the student with a grade (e.g. final examinations) - within ten working days of the release of the final results for the subject for which the task was completed.

Re-marks: Students who are dissatisfied with the result of a review may request a re-mark by applying to the Head of School. Re-marks may be requested only on the grounds that the original assessment was biased or failed to follow the published assessment criteria or grading scheme for the assessment task. A student may have no more than one review and one re-mark of any individual piece of assessment or subject result.

Access to examined material

The Access to Assessed Material Retained by the University Policy and Procedures for student access to examined material are available from Schools or from www.latrobe.edu.au/policy (look under Academic Policies/Teaching and Learning/Assessment). Requests should be made as soon as possible after the release of the results, though students may access their script books anytime within six months of the examination. Students must view the examined material in the presence of a staff member and may not take the material away.

Graduations

The Graduations Office will send graduation information packs to students who are eligible to graduate. It is a student's responsibility to keep all contact details up-to-date with the University.

For further information and ceremony dates go to www.latrobe.edu.au/students/graduations.

International students who require an official document from the University for visa purposes can apply to Student Administration using an ‘Application for a To Whom It May Concern Letter’ form and pay the corresponding fee. See www.latrobe.edu.au/students/forms/letters.

Working with Children Check (WWC Check)

The University has a policy and associated guidelines on practices to be followed by faculties and academic administration which ensure that all students who are involved in child-related work as part of their course of study comply with the Working with Children Act 2005. The Act affects students who undertake practical training in clinical or professional placements (for example, a student teacher). The Department of Justice does not impose a charge for students applying for a WWC Check.

Full information on the Working with Children Act 2005 is available from the Victorian Department of Justice website at www.justice.vic.gov.au/workingwithchildren/.

The Working with Children Policy and the Students Working with Children Guidelines can be accessed at the La Trobe University policies website at: www.latrobe.edu.au/policy/ (use the alphabetical index facility under 'W').

Each faculty conducting courses which have a component of child-related work includes statements of the working with children requirements in faculty and course publications.