Academic Integrity Meeting FAQs
A DUSA Advocate can provide you with free, confidential advice and support relevant to the specific allegation you have received and your individual needs. Please also see the DUSA Advocacy Academic Integrity Breaches page for further information about responding to an allegation of Academic Integrity breach, and how a DUSA Advocate can support you. Contact us today to arrange a free appointment. Please note that at times we experience a high volume of inquires. If you would like Advocacy support, it is important that you contact us as soon as possible.
What is an academic integrity review meeting?
- Students who receive an allegation of academic integrity breach and do not wish to accept the proposed standard outcome are given the option of attending a review meeting. This is a meeting between a student and member/s of an Academic Integrity Committee in which the academic integrity allegation is discussed.
Should I attend the review meeting?
- If you are not accepting the proposed standard outcome, attending a review meeting is usually an important part of your response to the Committee. The meeting allows you to share further information about your case and for you to answer any questions the committee may have.
What should I wear to the review meeting?
- Most students wear the kind of clothes they usually wear to university. Neat casual clothes are fine.
Who will be at the review meeting?
- Academic integrity review meetings are attended by either a one-member Committee (i.e. one academic from your faculty) or a four-member Committee (i.e. four academics from across Deakin’s faculties). In a four-member Committee, one of the members will act as the chairperson. A Committee secretariat also attends and takes notes throughout. You can have a support person attend too.
Will my unit chair be present at the review meeting?
- The unit chair (or teaching staff in the same unit) who may have referred the matter to the Academic Integrity Committee will not be at the meeting. This could be a conflict of interest. As the Committee is made up of Deakin academic staff, it is possible that a previous or current lecturer you know from another unit may happen to be sitting on the Committee for your review meeting.
Can I bring someone to the review meeting with me?
- Yes, you can take a support person to your meeting. DUSA Advocates often accompany students to review meetings. If you want an Advocate at your meeting, please ask your Advocate as soon as you are informed of the meeting details.
My allegation involves other students. Will the Committee meet with us together?
- You will have a separate review meeting to the other students. If the other students also decide to attend review meetings with the Committee, those meetings are likely to happen immediately before/after your meeting.
How can I prepare for the review meeting?
This depends somewhat on the details of the allegation and whether you have admitted or not admitted to the alleged breach. A DUSA Advocate can give you advice on how to best prepare in your individual case. Generally, it can be helpful to:
- Read over the written response and supporting documents you provided to the Committee and consider the main points you want to highlight in the meeting,
- Work out if there is any further/new information that you want to provide in the meeting.
- Talk to your Advocate shortly before the meeting (if pre-arranged with the Advocate).
- Have all the relevant documents in front of you during the meeting (e.g. the allegation documents, your written response to the Committee), and;
- Allow some time to gather your thoughts before the meeting.
What will happen at the review meeting?
- When you first enter the meeting, you may be asked your Deakin Student ID number and/or to confirm your full name and address.
- The Committee will introduce themselves. The chairperson will explain the meeting process. It is likely they will then give you the opportunity to add to the information you provided in your written response and supporting documents (i.e. showing that either there were mitigating circumstances that impacted your decision making or that a breach has not occurred).
- The Committee may ask you some questions to clarify the facts of the situation. You will be given time to answer the Committee’s questions.
- When the Committee believe they have all the information needed to make a decision they usually place you (and your Advocate) in the virtual Zoom waiting room or in a Zoom breakout room whilst they deliberate. You (and your Advocate) will then be invited back into the main room, and you may be informed of the outcome at this time. However, in some cases the Committee won’t provide the outcome at the end of the meeting.
- The Committee will email you the outcome within 5 university working days of deciding the outcome.
What sort of questions will I be asked?
- The questions asked will vary depending on the details of the case and what you stated in your written response to the Committee.
- In general, the range of questions likely to covered are: what happened, why this happened, your understanding of academic integrity, whether or not you have breached academic integrity in this instance and in what way, whether there were any mitigating circumstances impacting you at the time, and how you will avoid breaching academic integrity in the future (if relevant).
- A DUSA Advocate can advise you on the kinds of questions you may possibly be asked in your individual case.
What support can my DUSA Advocate provide during the review meeting?
- The Advocate will listen carefully to the questions the Committee asks and the answers you provide. The Advocate may prompt you to share relevant information, or they may add information that it is in your best interests for the Committee to hear. An Advocate is there to support you and they only share positive details that are in your favour.
I’m worried I won’t be able to express myself clearly. What happens then?
- It can be stressful to talk about an allegation and it is OK to cry or feel emotional during the meeting. You can take time within the meeting to take a few deep breaths before you feel able to speak again, or you can ask for a break during the meeting if needed. It can be helpful to have a glass of water or tissues with you. If you have a DUSA Advocate present as your support person, they can also speak on your behalf for part of the meeting if you wish.
Will it be like a legal court hearing?
- An academic integrity review meeting at Deakin is different to a court hearing. The university staff present at the meeting are required to determine whether you have breached Deakin’s student academic integrity standards, not whether you have broken a law.
Will the Committee try to make me admit to the allegation?
- If you believe you have not breached academic integrity, you will have the opportunity to explain this to the Committee. The Committee’s aim is to get to the truth of what has happened, not to make you admit to things you have not done.
How long will the review meeting go for?
- The duration of academic integrity review meetings varies, but they commonly go for around 20 minutes. The duration depends on a number of factors such as how much information you have to share, how much information you’ve already provided in a written response, how many questions the committee has, and how long the committee deliberates for.
- Sometimes review meetings run late so we recommend you set aside time beyond the scheduled meeting time in case this is needed.
