Academic Misconduct
The University have two sets of regulations that deal with assessment and academic offences depending on the level you are studying at.
These regulations apply if you are on an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Taught programme
These regulations apply if you are a Research Student
What are academic offences’?
The regulations cover a number of offences, the most common are:
the copying of others' work without proper citation,
taking unauthorised material into an exam
working with others when you were not allowed
submitting another person's work
the unauthorised or unattributed use of AI
ethics breaches
Getting advice
The outcome of assessment offences investigations can be serious.
We'd recommend getting in touch with our independent advisers in advance of any meeting you might have with the university.
Investigation
At both undergraduate and postgraduate levels you will be invited to a meeting or panel to start the process. This is your opportunity to discuss the allegations. Just because your work is being investigated does not mean they are convinced you have committed an assessment or research conduct offence.
For taught students, you may be asked for an informal meeting to discuss your work before an investigation is launched. We'd still recommend seeking advice before this meeting as anything said in this meeting can be used in the next stage of the process.
Preparing for a Meeting
We'd recommend you take some time to prepare before you meet with the university to discuss your work.
In some cases, you might want to prepare a written statement and compile evidence before you meet to discuss the allegations. This could be for your own reference or might be something you want to share with the university before you meet with them.
We've compiled a short guide on preparing for an investigatory meeting which you can read here - Preparing for an Academic Misconduct Meeting Guide.
Potential Outcomes
If the university finds that you have committed an academic offence, the penalties range from failing the assignment and needing to repeat it, to being dismissed from the course – and in extreme cases, losing any academic credit gained during your studies at Greenwich.
You'll find a full list of potential outcomes in the regulations above.
Avoiding Offences in future
If you’re finding your course of study difficult, or personal problems have left you too little time to do your work, contact your Course Tutors, Personal Tutor or Supervisory team for guidance.
If you’re struggling to complete work on time due to personal reasons or illness the extenuating circumstances can grant you more time or the opportunity to undertake the assignment again. You can read more about the process here
You can also get practical support from the University’s Academic Study Skills Team: Academic Skills | University of Greenwich.
What can the GSU Advice Service do for me during the process?
- Advise you on the process.
- Read over any evidence and suggest how to present your case.
- Attend meetings with you.
- Guide you through the appeals process if you don’t agree with the outcome.
Get in touch
If you need any further help and support, please get in touch with the advice service by completing our contact form here.
Correct as of April 2025