Higher Education - Academic Integrity Policy

1. Purpose

This policy describes the academic integrity framework used by CIT to promote and uphold academic integrity and honesty in the delivery of its higher education courses. It also outlines the role, rights and responsibilities of students and staff of CIT with respect to academic integrity.

2. Scope

All students enrolled in higher education courses of study at CIT.

CIT staff teaching higher education courses of study at CIT.

3. Principles

3.1  Academic integrity is the practice of honest behaviour in an academic setting including ensuring that all assessment items are the student's own work.

3.2  It is every student's responsibility to learn and to act with honesty and integrity in relation to their study at CIT. In particular, this means:

• presenting only their own work for assessment
• fully referencing work to acknowledge others' work.

3.3  CIT is committed to supporting students in their learning and to adopting policies and practices that promote and uphold academic honesty and integrity.

3.4  This policy also applies to teachers who are also required to adhere to academic integrity principles and practices in their own work, for example, by the appropriate use of referencing, attribution of work and contributions.

How CIT promotes academic integrity

3.5  CIT Higher education teaching staff promote academic integrity by:

• Fostering a culture of scholarship, which is based on mutual trust and respect for, discussion, enquiry, valuing creativity, originality of ideas and critical thinking
• Developing and adopting assessment tasks which encourage academic integrity for example, by requiring practical demonstrations, explanations, group work, contextualisation and context-specific responses, formative assessments. In some cases, the specific industry or other regulatory body's requirements dictate specific assessment conditions
• Providing adequate scaffolding for students' learning and assessment by explaining assessment requirements clearly, allowing sufficient time for assessments, and ensuring student access to adequate academic and language support
• Providing clear guidance for group work
• Adhering to academic integrity principles and practices in their own work, for example, by the appropriate use of referencing, attribution of work and contributions
• Where necessary, following the CIT Higher Education Academic Misconduct Policy to deal with academic misconduct incidents

Student Responsibilities

3.6  Become familiar with and develop good practices in maintaining academic and research integrity by:

• independently completing all of their work
• acknowledging the work of others where appropriate
• communicating their ideas in an honest and responsible manner (TEQSA Toolkit)

3.7  Know the standards of behaviour expected from students and the disciplinary procedures CIT will take for academic and research misconduct.

3.8  Always act with academic and research integrity during any kind of assessment activity, industry placement and collaborative activities.

Teacher Responsibilities

3.9  Explain the meaning of 'academic integrity' and provide guidance to students on how to maintain academic and research integrity, giving relevant practical examples.

3.10  Communicate the ethical dimension of academic integrity and misconduct. Provide guidance on the meaning and examples of 'academic misconduct'.

3.11  Provide guidance on intellectual property (IP) rights and responsibilities.

3.12  Create a learning environment and assessments tasks that reduce the likelihood of instances of academic misconduct, for example by encouraging questions, providing revision opportunities and practice tasks, the use of drafts, constructive feedback

3.13  Ensure all students have access to equal and consistent learning and assessment.

3.14  Where appropriate, use anti-plagiarism and invigilating software (such as Turn-it-in) to help the detection of academic misconduct

Head of Department/Learning Manager responsibilities

3.15  Provide appropriate professional development opportunities for teachers to ensure teachers have a thorough understanding of the expected standards of academic integrity and the consequences of academic misconduct and to ensure related Department messaging to students is consistent.

3.16  Raise student awareness of relevant CIT resources, particularly:

• Copyright and Plagiarism information for CIT students on LibGuides
• CIT Intellectual Property Policy

3.17  Raise staff awareness of Copyright Information for staff on the intranet.

College Director responsibilities

3.18  Ensure academic integrity is consistently maintained throughout the College

Provide regular reports to the Higher Education Committee on academic integrity and academic misconduct matters in the College, in particular on underlying causes of misconduct and on strategies to promote academic integrity and mitigate misconduct

Director, Education Services responsibilities

3.20  Analyse academic integrity breach data and advise the Higher Education Committee on academic integrity and academic misconduct matters, including underlying causes of misconduct and strategies to promote academic integrity and mitigate misconduct.

3.21  Ensure the dissemination of information to CIT staff and the provision of adequate teacher training in relation to academic integrity and course and assessment design principles

4. Documentation

Higher Education Support Act 2003

Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021

CIT Student Code of Conduct

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) (2017)

TEQSA Guidance Note: Academic Integrity 28 March 2019 version 1.2

TEQSA Good Practice Note: Addressing contract cheating to safeguard academic integrity - October 2017

TEQSA Toolkit to support quality assurance agencies to address academic integrity and contract cheating - 17 July 2020.

CIT Policies available on website

Academic Appeals Policy

Higher Education Assessment Policy

Higher Education Academic Misconduct Policy

5. Definitions

All terminology used in this policy is consistent with definitions in the CIT Definitions of Terms.

6. Policy Contact Officer

Director, Education Services.

Contact CIT Student Services on (02) 6207 3188 or email infoline@cit.edu.au for further information.