The reputation of the University depends on our being able to assure ourselves, and the outside world, that our staff and students observe the very highest standards of ethical behaviour in their work. We call this academic integrity. It’s about avoiding or preventing academic misconduct, especially in assessment.
In a comprehensive University such as Griffith, we recognise that there are important differences between disciplines, but there are also some principles that apply across the board.
Firstly, in an academic culture it is essential to acknowledge the work of others.
Secondly, students need to be given opportunities to learn about scholarly ways of working. Your teachers will model appropriate academic conventions, and will coach students in how they can appropriately demonstrate their knowledge, expertise and skills in an academic environment. It’s important that staff create the opportunities for students to learn these behaviours.
Thirdly, students need to take responsibility for their own actions, especially in group or collaborative work, to develop their own professional values and ways of working. It is particularly important for students to develop personal strategies to resist practices that may interfere with honest and fair assessment.
At Griffith, we recognise that cases of apparent academic misconduct may be the result of many different factors. For example, we understand that our students may be inadvertently negligent or unaware early in their academic careers as they develop their skills. So our processes for dealing with academic misconduct allow for incremental responses, starting in the early stages with guidance to learn from mistakes. However, in the interests of preserving the standard and value of Griffith’s degrees, serious and persistent breaches of academic integrity guidelines will not be tolerated.
I recommend that you read the University's framework for promoting academic integrity which explains our core values. It also explains why plagiarism and other forms of misconduct are unacceptable, and outlines the penalty systems.
I also commend to you the learning support available to you across the University to help you with academic writing, study skills and research practices.
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Professor Sue Spence