I have been invited to an Academic Misconduct Panel hearing about suspected academic misconduct, what should I expect?

If you have been notified of an Academic Administration Review or you have been invited to a Formal Discussion, please consult these pages.If you have been invited to an Academic Misconduct Panel hearing, you are required to attend. If you require reasonable adjustments to the process, you should raise this as soon as possible.The invitation letter will contain details on how to request a postponement if you cannot attend. You will be required to provide evidence of a need for the postponement.Please note, if you do not attend an Academic Misconduct Panel hearing, the case could be considered in your absence.An Academic Misconduct Panel hearing is arranged to consider cases of the highest severity or complexity and potential third offences. Examples of cases that are deemed to be of the highest severity are:

• personation or impersonation at assessment;
• contract plagiarism;
• failure to store unauthorised materials and/or devices in the designated spaces within an assessment venue or ancillary area;
• breach of agreed ethical protocol.

The invitation letter will contain an allegation or a reason why you are suspected of academic misconduct and a list of the evidence that has been sent to you alongside the letter (known as the dossier of evidence). You are encouraged to read the letter and review the dossier of evidence.At the Academic Misconduct Panel hearing will be three academic staff members, who are the decision makers. Two of these people will be Academic Integrity Officers (AIOs). Also present will be a member of the Academic Administration team who will act as the secretary. Other people, known as witnesses, may be called to advise the Panel and answer its questions. The burden of proof at an Academic Misconduct Panel hearing is for the University to show, on the balance of probabilities, that academic misconduct has occurred. The Panel members will have no knowledge of any previous cases of academic misconduct you may have been involved in.During the Academic Misconduct Panel hearing you may be asked questions about your submission to gain a better understanding of your knowledge of the subject. The Panel will then take some time to consider the facts of the case without you or any witnesses present. Once the Panel have determined the outcome of the case, they will be told by the Secretary of any previous instances of academic misconduct and, if applicable, whether Special Circumstances should be considered. The Panel will then determine the penalty, if applicable. The Panel may then invite you back in to hear the outcome.During the Academic Misconduct Panel hearing process, you will also have the opportunity to raise any previously undisclosed Special Circumstances that may have impacted on your ability to make a rational choice at the time that the work was produced or that the misconduct occurred.After the meeting, you will receive an outcome letter detailing the Panel's decision and, if applicable, the penalty that has been applied. Accompanying the letter will be a copy of the Academic Misconduct Panel hearing notes, which provide a summary of the meeting and a summary of the Panel's reasons for their decision.You have the right to appeal this decision provided you do so within 10 University working days of the date you were notified of the outcome.For more information on the academic misconduct process, visit our academic misconduct page.