Student Misconduct Rule

The Student Misconduct Rule (opens in a new window) applies to all students of the University and to students registered in a University Affiliate Program (including The College).

The Rule outlines the misconduct process, and clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of staff and students.

What is student misconduct?

The Rule defines student misconduct as being any one or all of the following:

Academic misconduct

Conduct by a student that is in breach of any academic policy of the University or in any way undermines or otherwise puts at risk the academic integrity of any program, subject of study or assessment (including examinations) or the University's academic reputation. Academic misconduct leads to sanctions under the Student Misconduct Rule. See examples of actual sanctions that students have received.

Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:

bringing unauthorised materials or devices into an examination or assessment activity;
working with another person in order to gain an unfair advantage in assessment;
copying another person’s answers or improperly obtaining answers to questions in an examination or other form of assessment;
submitting work for assessment that is not the Student’s own work;
communicating in an examination, or other test, with other students, or bringing into the examination room any textbook, notebook, memorandum, other written material or electronic device or any other item not authorised by the person who set the examination or the examinations supervisor in charge or other supervisor of a test;
writing an examination answer, or consulting another person or materials, for an examination answer, outside the confines of the examination room, without permission to do so;
attempting to read another student’s work in an examination, or, in other circumstances, without their permission;
where individual work is required, making or receiving available notes, papers or answers related to the content of an examination or assignment (in whatever form) to or from another student, without the permission of the teacher of the subject;
not following the directions about seating location and movement about the examination room;
where a student submits work in which ideas, words or other work are taken from a source and presented as if these are the student's own work, without appropriate acknowledgement of the original author, 'Appropriate acknowledgement' being the conventions of citation recognised as acceptable to the University;
a breach of the Student Honour Code (opens in a new window).

General misconduct

Conduct by a student that is contrary to accepted standards of behaviour at the University including conduct that:

places at risk the health, safety or welfare of any person;
places at risk the business or other operations, systems or activities of the University;
disrupts or interferes with another person’s ability to access or enjoy the University’s facilities or services;
any other conduct that is in breach of any policy of the University in relation to acceptable standards of behaviour. See Related Links for relevant guidelines and policies.

Examples of general misconduct include, but are not limited to:

bullying, harassing, vilifying, victimising or threatening another person, including because of that person’s cultural or religious identity, gender, sexual orientation or disability;
behaving in an unreasonably antisocial or offensive manner for any reason;
not following a direction reasonably and lawfully given by a staff member of the University or a University Affiliate, including non-compliance with a Temporary Restriction Order or a Suspension Order;
refusing to produce identification, including a student identification card, when asked lawfully to do so by a University staff member or University Affiliate;
engaging in unprofessional behaviour while undertaking a practicum or placement as part of the student’s program;
engaging in hazing, motting or other unauthorised initiation activities of a similar kind;
unauthorised access to or use of any University property, systems or facilities or those of another organisation or person;
submitting forged or fraudulent medical or other documentation.

Research Misconduct

Conduct by a student in connection with research that breaches the University’s Research Code of Practice and/or other applicable law, regulation or code relating to research, such as the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, including misconduct that occurs during Stage 2 of the Masters of Research.

Further information

If you wish to report a student misconduct matter, please use the Misconduct Reporting Portal.

If you have any questions that are not answered in the information for students or staff, please email studentmisconduct@westernsydney.edu.au.

Who do I contact if I have questions about student misconduct?

Each school has their own misconduct integrity unit and their own governance and compliance officer/s who deal with student misconduct matters at the school level. Please contact the relevant school via email below.

School of Business | Business.Integrity@westernsydney.edu.au

School of Computer, Data and Mathematical Sciences
CDMS-Misconduct@westernsydney.edu.au

School of Education | Education.Integrity@westernsydney.edu.au

School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment
EDBE-Misconduct@westernsydney.edu.au

School of Humanities and Communication Arts
hca.integrity@westernsydney.edu.au

School of Health Sciences | SoHS-Misconduct@westernsydney.edu.au

School of Law | law.integrity@westernsydney.edu.au

School of Medicine | li.harrison@westernsydney.edu.au

School of Nursing and Midwifery | SoNMIntegrity@westernsydney.edu.au

School of Psychology | SoP-misconduct@westernsydney.edu.au

School of Science | SoSC-Misconduct@westernsydney.edu.au

School of Social Sciences | SoSS-Misconduct@westernsydney.edu.au