Academic Misconduct Policy

Academic Misconduct Policy
  Version Number  IBS/AMP/2026Apr/V001
  Member of Staff Responsible  Ege Cakir
  Record of Revisions to Policy
  Date  Details  Approved by
Apr 2026PublishedBoard of Directors
Apr 2026ReviewedBoard of Directors
   
  Date of Current Policy  April 2026
  
  Next Review Date  April 2027
  Review to be approved by  Board of Directors

1. Introduction and Policy Statement

International Business School (IBS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism, cheating, collusion, and any attempt to obtain an unfair academic advantage constitute academic misconduct and are unacceptable.

In line with the expectations of the Office for Students (OfS), this policy supports the integrity of IBS academic awards, ensures fairness and transparency in assessment, and protects the value of qualifications awarded to students.

All allegations of academic misconduct are considered carefully, proportionately, and on their individual merits. Students are provided with an opportunity to respond to allegations, in accordance with principles of natural justice and procedural fairness.

2. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to:

  • Define academic misconduct clearly and consistently
  • Protect the academic standards and reputation of IBS awards
  • Ensure fair treatment of all students
  • Provide clarity on expectations, offences, and consequences
  • Support compliance with OfS regulatory conditions and awarding‑body requirements

3. Scope

This policy applies to:

  • All students enrolled on IBS programmes
  • All IBS‑assessed coursework, assignments, portfolios, essays, projects and dissertations

This policy applies outside awarding‑body controlled examinations, where awarding‑body disciplinary procedures take precedence. However, it includes IBS‑assessed work contributing towards external examination marks.

All IBS programmes are covered by this policy.

4. Definition of Academic Misconduct

4.1 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as presenting another person’s work, ideas, words, images, data, opinions, or discoveries—published or unpublished—as one’s own, without proper acknowledgement. This includes written, artistic, digital, and computer‑generated work, regardless of permission status.

Plagiarism most commonly occurs in coursework rather than in unseen examinations.

Examples include:

  • Copying text, images or data without acknowledging the source
  • Paraphrasing another person’s work without referencing the source

4.2 Other Forms of Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct also includes, but is not limited to:

  • Getting another person to produce part or all of submitted work
  • Colluding with others and submitting joint work as individual work
  • Copying another student’s work, with or without consent
  • Allowing another student to copy one’s own work
  • Re‑submitting previously assessed work (self‑plagiarism)
  • Using unauthorised notes, books, or materials
  • Fabrication or falsification of data, results, interviews or research
  • Attempting to gain an unfair academic advantage

5. Academic Governance and Disciplinary Framework

All cases of suspected academic misconduct are managed in accordance with:

  • The IBS Disciplinary Policy and Procedure
  • Relevant awarding‑body regulations where applicable

More serious cases may be categorised as gross misconduct, which may result in exclusion.

IBS reserves the right to seek legal advice in complex or high‑risk cases.

6. Gross Academic Misconduct

Examples of gross academic misconduct include:

  1. Extensive copying of textbooks or academic sources
  2. Extensive plagiarism of professional work (e.g. more than 100 words)
  3. Use of past candidates’ work
  4. Repeated or systematic misuse of internet sources or model answers
  5. Buying, selling, or stealing academic work
  6. Undue assistance from third parties
  7. Repeated instances of academic misconduct

7. Reporting and External Notification

In confirmed cases of academic misconduct, IBS may:

  • Notify the relevant examining or awarding body
  • Inform external examiners or verifiers, in line with awarding‑body requirements

8. Staff Responsibilities and Preventative Measures

To reduce academic misconduct, IBS staff must:

  1. Clearly explain academic integrity expectations at induction
  2. Include academic misconduct guidance in course and module handbooks
  3. Inform students early of penalties for misconduct
  4. Provide guidance on referencing and citation
  5. Clarify permitted collaboration limits
  6. Implement appropriate supervision and access controls when using IT facilities
  7. Design assessments to reduce opportunities for misconduct, including:
    • Combining coursework with supervised assessments
    • Refreshing assignment briefs regularly
    • Using tailored or contextualised tasks
    • Becoming familiar with students’ writing styles
    • Investigating all suspected cases appropriately

9. Student Responsibilities

Students are required to:

  1. Submit only their own original work for assessment
  2. Clearly acknowledge all sources using appropriate referencing
  3. Indicate when information is sourced from the internet
  4. Avoid using or submitting another person’s digital or physical work
  5. Avoid sharing work that could be copied by others

Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action.

10. Investigations and Sanctions

All suspected academic misconduct will be investigated using IBS disciplinary procedures. Outcomes may include:

  • Academic penalties
  • Formal warnings
  • Failure of assessment components
  • Exclusion from the programme

Students will be informed of allegations and given an opportunity to respond.

11. Data Protection and Confidentiality

All disciplinary investigations are conducted in compliance with:

  • Data protection legislation
  • IBS Data Protection Policy

Information is shared strictly on a need‑to‑know basis.

12. Student Declaration

Students are required to confirm acknowledgement of this policy.

Declaration Statement

I confirm that I have read and understood the IBS Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct Policy. I understand that submitting work that is not my own or failing to acknowledge sources may result in disciplinary action. I confirm that all work submitted during my studies will be my own unless clearly stated otherwise.

Signed:

Full Name:

Date:

13. Review and Amendment

This policy is reviewed annually and updated as necessary to ensure:

  • Continued regulatory compliance
  • Alignment with awarding‑body expectations
  • Effectiveness and clarity

Any issues relating to the monitoring or review of this policy should be directed to:
admin@theibs.uk