STUDENT DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE
Academic Misconduct (Plagiarism)
If you have received an allegation of academic misconduct, please contact us and we can help you with the next steps. We can explain what to expect, how you can respond to the allegation, and we can attend the hearing with you.
The University takes academic integrity very seriously. Academic integrity requires that all of your assessments are your own work and are properly sourced. Plagiarism is when you use someone else’s ideas, research, or written work without saying where it came from and/or saying it is your own (even when you paraphrase it). Referencing your work is so important. Yes, it takes a really long time, but it will save you a lot of grief.
You must reference and acknowledge any work from any source that is not your own, in any assessment you do. Plagiarism includes copying from your friends, reusing past assessments, getting help from a third party (and not referencing it), and using commercial information you found on the Internet. If you are ever unsure, lecturers and tutors are generally happy to check your work for correct referencing. The Library is also full of resources and helpful staff that can assist you. When in doubt, just reference it.
Plagiarism is taken very seriously, and the University sees it as a very serious form of misconduct. If you are accused of plagiarism, then you can find yourself facing a Student Discipline Hearing. Again, the key is referencing properly. The Library is always there to help and do not be afraid to ask your tutors to double check that you have done it right. You can also book an appointment with Student Learning where someone can help you by checking your assessments or teaching you how to reference. You can learn more about Student Learning here: Student Learning :: University of Waikato.
Behavioural Misconduct
If you have received an allegation of misconduct, please contact us and we can help you with the next steps. We can explain what to expect, how you can respond to the allegation, and we can attend the hearing with you.
Students and staff at the University are expected to uphold a standard of conduct. The University does not tolerate physically aggressive behavior, any forms of violence, intimation, coercion, bullying, discrimination, harassment, or threatening behavior.
Behavioural Misconduct encompasses many things, essentially it is any misconduct that is not academic. If you have any questions about this, please contact us and we can help.
Appeals Process
We can help you to appeal a decision from the Student Discipline Committee if you believe you meet one (or more) of the grounds to appeal. These include:
- That the process used for addressing the alleged misconduct was unfair
- That the decision reached was manifestly at odds with the evidence
- That the remedy imposed was manifestly at odds with the misconduct
- That significant new evidence has become available that could not reasonably have been obtained and presented during the initial process and that could have a material effect on the outcome.
If you are unsure if the above grounds apply to your situation, please contact us and we can talk you through it.
It is very important to remember that you only have 14 days from the date of the outcome letter to make an appeal.