Academic integrity: when working with or copying others can land you in trouble 

Here’s what to do if you receive a Notice of a Suspected Breach for collusion or plagiarism

Elena is enrolled at Monash. Her housemate is Sadie and she is also doing the same course.

Sadie is experiencing personal and financial problems. She must complete the degree as soon as possible, but she can't focus on her studies and is falling behind.

They both have an assignment due soon. Elena finishes her work early and offers it to Sadie so she can get an idea of what she has to do. Sadie completes her assignment and is very grateful for Elena's support.

However, after submitting, both students receive a Notice of a Suspected Breach of academic integrity from their Chief Examiner.

So, what exactly does this mean?

This means that the teaching team suspects that Elena and/or Sadie may be in breach of academic integrity. At Monash, there are two types of breaches:

1. Minor breaches: This is where the breach is considered neither intentional nor reckless. This only applies to students with no previous record of breaches.

2. More serious breaches: These can have serious consequences and might lead to a finding of academic misconduct. This also will apply to students who have been found in breach of academic integrity in previous instances.

What kind of breach are Elena and Sadie suspected of?

The Notice of a Suspected Breach means that the Chief Examiner is investigating whether there is a breach and whether that breach is serious. Here are the next steps:

1. The Chief Examiner may ask to meet with Elena and/or Sadie to discuss the suspected breach.
2. Elena and Sadie will have five business days to respond to the notice.
3. The Chief Examiner will decide based on their responses whether an academic integrity breach has occurred and if it has, what type of breach it is.
4. If the breach is serious, the Chief Examiner will refer the case for further investigation. If the breach is minor, the chief examiner may give a warning and/or deduct marks.

What should Sadie and Elena do?

The very first thing each student should do is to contact the MGA advocacy service. An MGA advocate can help them to prepare a response within the five-day period and can provide further advice going forward, especially if they meet with the Chief Examiner.

If you’ve received a Notice of a Suspected Breach of academic integrity, get in touch with an MGA advocate today. 

Do you have more questions?

Our advocates are here to guide you through all of the options above. If you are unsure about anything else to do with academic integrity or special consideration, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at mga-advocacy@monash.edu. Our advocacy service is free, confidential and independent from the University.