UQ plagiarism, cheating or AI misconduct notice: next steps

Read the notice and document bundle first

The first practical step is to read the allegation notice and document bundle carefully. UQ's procedure says the Misconduct Body will allow at least 10 business days between the date the allegation notice and document bundle are provided to you and the scheduled hearing date. That is a minimum gap before the hearing. The official pages we read do not state a separate deadline for a written response before the hearing. Confirm any response date in your allegation notice or by asking the Associate Director or an Integrity Officer.

Keep copies of the notice, the bundle and anything you submit. Note the hearing date and any date stated for a response. Do not alter documents. If you have questions about what a document means, ask Student Advocacy & Support (SAS) or UQ Union for free help.

Know what UQ is alleging

At UQ, using AI outputs without attribution, contrary to any direction by teaching staff, is plagiarism and constitutes academic misconduct. If someone teaching a course sees indications of misconduct, including inappropriate AI outputs, they may ask an integrity officer to investigate. The allegation notice may not be limited to the original report: the Associate Director or an Integrity Officer is not confined to the conduct in the original report when preparing the allegation notice or the document bundle.

The procedure also allows the Associate Director or an Integrity Officer, after a report, to take no further action, offer conduct counselling, issue a conduct notice, or refer the allegation to a misconduct hearing. Read the notice to identify the assessment and the conduct described. If the description is unclear, ask for an explanation through the contact named in the notice.

Who decides and what penalties are possible

Allegations are decided by a Misconduct Committee or the University Misconduct Board. The Associate Director or an Integrity Officer must refer an allegation to the University Misconduct Board if a penalty may include refusing or cancelling course credit, revoking an award, suspension for more than 2 weeks, or expulsion.

For academic misconduct, a Misconduct Committee may, among other penalties, direct a nil mark for the affected assessment item. The University Misconduct Board may also impose suspension for up to 5 years or expulsion. These are possible penalties set out in the procedure. Read the notice to see which body is dealing with your matter.

Prepare for the hearing

If you request an oral hearing, you may be accompanied by a support person. If you do not appear within 15 minutes of the scheduled start, the hearing may proceed without you.

A practical order is:

1. Read the allegation notice and document bundle. Note the hearing date, any response date and the body dealing with the matter.
2. Decide whether to request an oral hearing and whether to bring a support person.
3. Collect true evidence you want considered. Do not create new records of past events or change existing documents.
4. Keep copies of everything you send and receive.
5. Contact Student Advocacy & Support (SAS) or UQ Union for free help before the hearing.

If the decision goes against you

If you receive a decision you want to appeal, the procedure says to lodge an appeal application with the Associate Director within 20 business days of being given written notice of the decision. That is 20 business days. The clock starts when you are given written notice of the decision.

Read the decision notice carefully and keep a copy. Ask the Associate Director or the contact named in the decision notice if you are unsure what to include. You can also ask Student Advocacy & Support (SAS) or UQ Union for free help with the process.