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TasTAFEPlagiarism Procedure

1.  Procedure Scope

This Procedure outlines the principles and steps to inform students of the Plagiarism Policy and steps to ensure it is enforced. The Plagiarism Policy applies to all students enrolled with TasTAFE and is to be enforced by all TasTAFE teaching staff.

2.  Procedure Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to explain the importance of students’ acknowledging their sources of information & to assist them to lodge authentic work that acknowledges information, ideas and images used from specific sources.

3.  Procedure Details

The Plagiarism Policy is available to all staff via INFOcus and is to be widely communicated via new teacher inductions and team meetings. Students are informed of the Policy during the orientation process and it is referred to in the Student Induction Book and the TasTAFE website.

What is plagiarism?

“the stealing or passing off as one's own (the idea or words of another); use (a created production) without crediting the source; to commit literary theft; present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source” (Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged, p. 1728).

4.  Responsibilities

Teachers

Teachers are responsible for:

·  Ensuring all students are made aware of the Plagiarism Policy at the commencement of their course and at relevant times throughout it.

·  Applying the Student Plagiarism Policy.

·  Establishing clear requirements for each and every assessment task. This should include reference to collaboration with other students, requirements for “citations” and a bibliography or reference list.

·  Being alert to the possibility of breaches of the Plagiarism Policy when assessing submitted work.

·  Discussing concerns regarding possible plagiarism with the student and providing them with an opportunity to respond to them.

·  Highlighting possible plagiarism and collaborating with Education Managers to determine whether corrective or disciplinary action is appropriate when plagiarism breaches occur.

·  Recording breaches in student notes.

·  Arranging support services such as counselling, tutoring and library sessions to assist students to achieve competence in information literacy.

·  Advising students that support is available from the Student Support team during disciplinary or appeals processes.

·  A discussion of strategies on how to avoid plagiarising e.g. rephrasing, appropriate referencing, will assist them to overcome the problem. A useful website for students to seek further information is http://www.plagiarism.org/

·  Providing students with an opportunity to resubmit.

If the plagiarism re-occurs the matter is referred to the relevant Education Manager.

Education Managers (EMs)

EMs have leadership responsibility for the application of the Student Plagiarism Policy by:

·  Outlining to Teachers their responsibility under the Student Plagiarism Policy.

·  Informing students about TasTAFE expectations regarding the submission of assessments, breach of practice and possible penalties.

·  Ensuring each student is provided with an information/orientation session which includes information on plagiarism, including reference to the Student Induction Book

·  Counselling students and collaborating with Division Managers to determine whether corrective or disciplinary action is appropriate when plagiarism breaches occur.

·  Making an initial assessment regarding the likelihood that plagiarism has occurred.

Library Services

Library staff provide referencing support and information for teachers and students by providing Library orientation and specialist referencing and research information sessions and guidance under the Australian and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework: principles, standards and practice.

http://www.caul.edu.au/content/upload/files/info-literacy/InfoLiteracyFramework.pdf

Division Managers
Division Managers will:

·  provide leadership and management, and communicate the policy and procedure to Education Managers and all staff

·  ensure the policy is included in the Teacher Induction package

·  ensure that the policy is discussed at team meetings by the Education Manager

·  ensure that students are informed of the policy by teachers, at induction

·  conduct reviews upon the request of students, where Education Managers or Teachers report alleged discipline breaches related to plagiarism.

If the plagiarism incidents are assessed to be serious, the Education Manager prepares a report for the relevant Division Manager, for adjudication.


Students

Students are required to:

·  Be aware of their responsibility in regard to Plagiarism as per the Student Induction Book

·  Reference all assignments appropriately (where required).

·  Seek advice and support from TasTAFE staff regarding source information and referencing.

Students may appeal any decision regarding plagiarism determinations as per the Assessment Appeals Policy.

If plagiarism has occurred, one of the following actions may be taken or penalties imposed:

Remedial Actions / May be determined by:
Clarifying with the student what constitutes plagiarism. / Teacher/EM
Renegotiate an alternate assessment format with the teacher / EM / DM
A “Not Competent” result in the unit of competency / DM


If not resolved the student is advised they may lodge an appeal using the Assessment Appeals Student Procedure.

5.  Legislative/Statutory Requirements

·  Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015

·  Office of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards & Certification – Academic Integrity: A Guide. Version 3.1 – August 2015 http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au/4DCGI/_WWW_doc/047444/RND01/Academic_Integrity_Guide.pdf

6.  Associated Documents

·  Plagiarism Policy

·  Assessment Appeals Policy

·  Assessment Appeals Procedure

·  Assessment Appeals Form

·  Plagiarism Guideline for Teachers

Useful resources

·  TasTAFE 2016, Study help: plagiarism & referencing, TasTAFE Libraries, accessed 8 August 2016 http://library.tastafe.tas.edu.au/help/referencing

·  Australia and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework 2004
http://www.caul.edu.au/content/upload/files/info-literacy/InfoLiteracyFramework.pdf

·  University of Technology Sydney – How well do you know plagiarism Quiz

http://en.writecheck.com/plagiarism-quiz

Sources:

·  Channock, Kate. ‘Considerations relevant to plagiarism policy and practices to support it.’ Humanities Academic Skills Unit, La Trobe University, Unilearn Web Discussion Group.

·  ‘Acknowledging Sources in Academic Writing’, http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/course/view.php?id=2101

7.  Measure of Procedure Effectiveness

·  Instances of Plagiarism

·  Instances of appeals against claims of Plagiarism

Version History

Procedure Reviewed Every: 12 Months

/ Next Review Date: 2 September 2017

Version

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Date

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Changes - section and description

1 / 02.09.2016 / Initial Procedure
Document Control Number: TASTAFE-5-5032 / Uncontrolled when printed, check the intranet for the latest version of this document
Date Procedure Approved by SLG: 26 September 2016 / Last printed: 8/08/2016 2:28 PM
Responsible Team: Student Experience & Compliance / Page 2 of 5