Birmingham academic misconduct: meeting, deadline and next steps

The first step is to read the letter and identify which process it names. The pages we read describe the process for a plagiarism allegation: the Academic Integrity Officer (AIO) investigates, and if there is a reasonable suspicion of plagiarism, you are invited to an Academic Integrity Meeting. The letter should tell you the concerns and the meeting. If your letter uses different words, such as cheating or unauthorised AI use, ask Guild Advice which process applies. The pages we read do not state how every kind of allegation is handled.

Check the meeting notice and your attendance

The AIO will write to you notifying you of the concerns and inviting you to the Academic Integrity Meeting. The pages we read say you should normally be given at least five working days' notice of the meeting. The meeting can be held online or by other means where the AIO considers it appropriate. You can be accompanied by a Friend, as defined in University Regulation 1. If you fail to confirm your attendance, or confirm you will attend but fail to do so, the meeting may proceed in your absence. Confirm your attendance in the way your letter asks, and check who you want to bring as your Friend.

The pages we read do not state a separate deadline for a written response before the meeting. Check your invitation letter and confirm with the university or Guild Advice. Keep copies of what you send and receive. Read the evidence and the allegation carefully. If you rely on evidence, it must be true. Do not write up new records of past events for the meeting.

Prepare for the Academic Integrity Meeting

At the meeting you have the chance to respond to the allegation. The AIO decides after the meeting whether plagiarism has occurred and, if so, the category and sanction. The pages we read say mitigating factors will normally be considered in determining the sanction only, not whether plagiarism occurred or the category. Where issues affected you, you will normally be expected to request an extension to your submission deadline in advance of the submission. Check that point in your own case and discuss it with Guild Advice, but do not invent or exaggerate a reason.

The pages we read say generative AI or other editorial help is permitted only where it is limited to technical or presentational support, such as correcting spelling and punctuation or improving grammar. If your case concerns AI use, read those examples and your letter, and ask Guild Advice if your use is not clearly within them.

What the outcome letter should tell you

After the meeting, the AIO's outcome should be communicated to you in writing, normally within five working days of the Academic Integrity Meeting. If the AIO has asked you to provide further information to assist with the decision, the outcome letter will normally be issued within five working days of the deadline for providing that information. Read the outcome letter carefully. It is the document that records the decision and sanction for your case.

The pages we read list one possible sanction for a moderate plagiarism finding on a taught module: a reduced mark, including zero, with no opportunity to resit. The pages we read do not set out every possible sanction for every category. Do not treat that example as a statement of what will happen in your case.

If you disagree with the outcome

If you do not agree with the outcome of an Academic Integrity Meeting, you can request that the case be considered by a College Misconduct and Fitness to Practise Committee. The request is due within 10 working days of the Outcome Letter. Requests received after the 10 working day deadline will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. The pages we read say a student may not normally use other processes, such as the Code of Practice on Extenuating Circumstances or the Code of Practice on Academic Appeals, to request an outcome that would change the outcome of an Academic Integrity Meeting. Check the date on your Outcome Letter and speak to Guild Advice if you are considering a request.

Guild Advice is listed under Free help at this university. You can talk to Guild Advice by name about the letter, the meeting, evidence and the outcome. The pages we read do not say that Guild Advice can change the decision.