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Academic Integrity at Ulster University
Academic Integrity is about ownership and honesty in academic work. It is fundamental to universities being able to issue and quality assure their degree qualifications.
Academic Integrity at Ulster University
Academic Integrity is about ownership and honesty in academic work. It is fundamental to universities being able to issue and quality assure their degree qualifications.
Protecting Academic Standards and Reputation
Ulster is very proud of its reputation for academic excellence and, in order to maintain our academic standards, ensure students have a valuable learning experience, and protect our reputation, we must be certain that all work submitted to and assessed by the University has been undertaken in line with academic integrity standards. That is to say that the work must be the student’s own work, appropriately referenced, and completed in accordance with the instructions provided in the assessment brief.
Commitment to the QAA Charter
As a signatory to the Quality Assurance Agency’s (QAA) Academic Integrity Charter, Ulster University seeks to empower all students to achieve academic excellence and expects that students will not in any way attempt to gain an unfair advantage in the process or outcome of assessment.
Student Responsibilities
All students are expected to understand and appreciate the value of academic integrity, familiarise themselves with and meet the University’s standards of academic integrity by acquiring the necessary knowledge of academic writing, citing, referencing, and appropriately use and cite Artificial Intelligence tools, where relevant.
Understanding Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct occurs where the University’s standards of Academic Integrity are not met, examples are listed below.
Students should understand the different forms of academic misconduct and their consequences.
Examples of misconduct
Plagiarism the act of taking or copying someone else’s work and presenting it as if it were one’s own, either unintentionally or deliberately.
Plagiarism occurs when items such as, but not limited to, ideas, texts, theories, data, created artistic artefacts or other materials are present ed without appropriate acknowledgement.
This means that the person considering this work is given the impression they are viewing the student’s own original work when this is not the case.
Unintentional plagiarism may occur where a student’s academic practice is poor, for example, by incorrect or incomplete referencing or citation or the improper use of directly quoted material.
The re-presentation of a student’s own work without proper acknowledgement or authorisation.
Generative AI tools deployed for assessment purposes without authorisation or beyond that permitted in the assessment instructions.
This includes submitting AI-generated content without acknowledgement, or presenting AI-generated work as original, even if acknowledged. More information on the appropriate use of AI is contained later in this procedure.
The unauthorised collaboration of students on a piece of assessment that should represent individual effort.
Both a student who provides their work to another student, and a student who receives another student’s work, may be found to have colluded.
Academic judgement will apply as to whether the level of concern is the same or different for each of the parties.
Where a student is in possession of unauthorised material which has not been approved for use in the assessment in an examination-type setting, such as an exam, class test or similar assessment, or the acts of copying, impersonation, or collusion in an examination-type setting.
Academic misconduct in written examinations will be addressed under section 4.5 of Instructions to Invigilators.
Someone assuming the identity of a student during a piece of assessment and assisting with or completing the work on behalf of the student.
A student engaging with and contracting a third party (either paid or unpaid) to complete all or part of an assessment on their behalf.
The unauthorised creation of false information/data, or the alteration of information/data within a piece of assessment and the presentation of this information as genuine.
Making sure Academic Integrity standards are met at Ulster University
Early in your Ulster career, you will receive information about what is expected of you in terms of academic integrity, and you will be deemed to have understood these expectations. I
f you need further clarification, please ask your course team for more information, or get in touch with the Student Success Centre or University Library Team.
Lecturers are very familiar with marking and standardising the work that comprises their modules, and they become familiar with a student’s work and can often spot changes in a student’s writing style, tone, font, format, and level of complexity.
Lecturers will also be able to see where there are unexplained similarities between their work and that of other students, as well as missing or inaccurate references, different referencing conventions, and other inconsistencies.
Plagiarism detection software
The University uses plagiarism detection software, which can be a useful tool in highlighting similarities between the submitted work and the work of other students, researchers and authors.
What happens if you are suspected of breaching academic integrity standards
If you are suspected of academic misconduct, you should contact the Students’ Union Advice Bureau and/or the Student Wellbeing team for support.
In most cases, academic misconduct may initially be suspected by the marker of the work being assessed or reviewed, although there are instances where reports are made through other channels such as directly to the Student Academic Affairs Team. Where there is a suspicion that academic misconduct has taken place, the University will take action in line with the Student Academic Misconduct Procedure. You can access the Procedure here.
In most cases of suspected academic misconduct, you will be invited to meet with a School or Faculty Academic Misconduct Panel to enable them to carry out an investigation. You can choose to be accompanied to this meeting by another member of the University community. The Panel will subsequently make a decision on whether academic misconduct has occurred and will determine the appropriate action or penalty. You will normally be informed of the outcome within ten working days of the Panel’s decision being made.
Penalties for breaching academic integrity standards
If you have been found to have breached academic integrity standards, the outcomes range from advice and guidance through a range of penalties which may include a written warning, capping your marks, receiving a mark of zero, and in the most serious cases, suspension or expulsion.
Finally, if your course is what is known as a ‘regulated’ course under a Professional, Statutory, or Regulatory Body, the consequences of academic misconduct can be even more severe. In such cases, academic misconduct may result in a Fitness to Practise investigation, which again can have serious and significant consequences.
It is important that you are aware of the impact that academic misconduct can have on your University career, potential qualification and classification, and your future.
Support Available
We want you to succeed at Ulster. Committing academic misconduct is never a good idea. If you are struggling academically, please reach out to your course team for support.
If you do not understand how to reference correctly, or if you need help with planning your study schedule, please link in with our Student Success Centre.
If you are experiencing difficult personal circumstances which are affecting your ability to study, you should reach out to your course team and/or the Student Wellbeing Team.
You can also have a look at other support available including support available for mental and physical health in your local area.
Advice and guidance is also available from the Student’s Union Advice Bureau.
If you would like to discuss the Academic Misconduct Procedure further, please get in touch with the Student Academic Affairs Team (saat@ulster.ac.uk).
Links to Key Documents
Links to Student Support Sites
- Link to Student Wellbeing
- Link to UUSU Advice
- Link to Student external support agency list
- Link to HSCZ-cards (mental and sexual health contacts)
- Link to NIPSO
For more information or support please contact the Student Academic Affairs Team (SAAT) on saat@ulster.ac.uk
