Responsibilities for implementing the Academic Misconduct Policy
At La Trobe University:
- it is the responsibility of the academic staff to conduct research according to ethical standards of scholarship, and to teach their students ethical learning and research practices;
- it is the responsibility of the students to acquire a clear understanding of how to avoid unethical practices, and to employ this knowledge in their work submitted for assessment.
(Academic Misconduct Policy 2008, p. 1 [PDF 50kb])
Full details of academic staff responsibilities are in the Academic Misconduct Policy, Section 3.1, ‘Responsibility of the University’.
Preparing subject guides
- Every subject guide requires a reference to the definition of plagiarism, its forms, and the measures the University is using to reduce its incidence.
- Students require a referencing guide.
- Students need information about how to avoid plagiarism. A set of resources has been developed for students.
- Prepare the subject guide and any handouts according to the same standard of referencing demanded of students.
- Student workloads need to be commensurate with subject credit point values. Students' perceptions of a heavy workload have been linked to poor approaches to learning. See the Credit Points, Student Workload & Assessment for Subjects policy [PDF 30kb].
- Assessment requirements need to be clearly stated.
See the La Trobe University Assessment policy [PDF 45kb]. (Further advice about assessment is available on the assessment page of this website). - Major assessment tasks, essay topics and examinations must vary from year to year. For examples and ideas go to ‘Strategies for reducing plagiarism’ on this site.
- Direct students to the statement of authorship which must signed and attached to work for assessment.
- Provide students with advice on how to use effective text matching software. Turnitin is the text-matching software used as an educational tool to reduce student plagiarism.
Preparing to teach
- In line with your Faculty and Program, Department and/or School implementation approach decide when and how students will be taught about academic acknowledgment and how to avoid plagiarism.
- Participate in workshops to support your teaching.
- Refer to the Turnitin website for information on using the Turnitin software and availability of training courses.
Dealing with academic misconduct
If you receive student work that could be plagiarised consider the following points.
- Is the unacknowledged text an example of an error of convention?
- Does the student need education about the conventions of acknowledgment and how to reference?
- Is the unacknowledged text an example of cheating – an intent to deceive?
- Who did the work? Has the student constructed their own response and selected evidence or was this work made by someone else?
- Was the work done by the student, but already submitted for another subject?
Examiners and lecturers are required to report alleged cases of academic misconduct ASAP to the Head of School or delegate.
For a chart showing the reporting process go to Academic Misconduct Procedure for:
- Coursework [pdf 19b]
- Research [pdf 17kb]