Training provisions for Academic Integrity
Dear University of Hertfordshire,
With colleagues, I am carrying out research into the academic misconduct / integrity support provision of higher education institutions. Please respond to the following questions about your provision for students.
1). In the academic year 2022-2023:
A) How many students (institution wide) were enrolled at your institution?
B) How many academic misconduct referrals were there? (Where it is known that a student had more than one referral, please count them only once).
C) How many academic misconduct cases were substantiated? (Where it is known that a student had more than one offence, please count them only once).
2). In terms of your centralised academic success/learning enhancement services (available to all students at your institution):
Which of these descriptions best match your provision?
A) A service which is embedded within other student support services (such as international student support and disability services or ‘one-stop shop’).
B) Stand-alone provision, separate from other student support services.
C) Another method. Please specify.
3). Regarding your academic integrity / misconduct support and training for students:
Is this offered
A) In pre-arrival information?
B) During course induction following arrival?
C) Provided by individual programmes of study? If yes, approximately when do these take place in the academic year?
D) Only to students who have had an academic misconduct case proven / substantiated?
Please indicate all that apply.
4). Is there specialist academic integrity / misconduct support provided for:
A) Students completing longer form academic assignments (e.g. Final Year dissertations and extended projects)?
B) Students with a declared disability?
C) Students studying in English as an additional language?
D) International students?
Please indicate all that apply.
5). In the academic year 2022—23, how many group level academic integrity training sessions were available?
6). Is service evaluation data recorded on how many 1-1 support sessions given to students relate to issues of academic misconduct / integrity?
7). About your institution’s use of Turnitin.
A) Is Turnitin used as a pedagogical tool as part of academic integrity / misconduct training for students?
B) Do students have access to Turnitin similarity reports before final submission of work?
8). Please provide us with any examples of best practice or relevant information you would like to share on the delivery of academic misconduct / integrity support for your students.
Yours faithfully,
Rob Keasley
Dear Rob,
Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of
Information Act, which I acknowledge.
I will endeavour to obtain a response for you by 14 June 2024 as required
by the Act.
Kind regards,
Aneeka
____________________________________________
Information Compliance Team
Legal & Compliance Services, Office of the Vice-Chancellor
University of Hertfordshire, B204, College Lane,
Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB
Ref: UHRFI003715
Dear Rob,
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Following your request for information on 16 May 2024 regarding training
provisions for academic integrity, please see below for the University’s
response.
For your ease of reference, our answers are set out following your
original questions as shown below:
1). In the academic year 2022-2023:
1A) How many students (institution wide) were enrolled at your
institution?
The HESA Student Return total students figure for 2022-23 is: 34,284.
1B) How many academic misconduct referrals were there? (Where it is known
that a student had more than one referral, please count them only once).
For Stage 1 – we do not hold this data centrally as this is currently sits
within each School. Collating this information (in addition to the
information requested in Q5) would exceed the cost limit set by section 12
(1) of the FOIA.
For Stage 2 - we have had 726 cases in total. This number represent the
number of students and does not consider the number of allegations each
student has received.
For Stage 3 – we have had 46 cases.
N.B. At the University of Hertfordshire, academic misconduct is dealt at
three different stages:
• Stage 1 - More minor cases and/or students who are new to the
University and are dealt with Academic Penalty and undergoing
education about Academic Integrity. Stage 1 is not a disciplinary
process.
• Stage 2 -Proceedings under Stage 2 are dealt within each School and
involve disciplinary action.
• Stage 3 - Regarded as a serious disciplinary matter which is dealt
with by central panel.
1C) How many academic misconduct cases were substantiated? (Where it is
known that a student had more than one offence, please count them only
once).
For Stage 2, there were total of 589 out of 726 cases which were
substantiated. This number represent the number of students and does not
consider the number of allegations each student has received.
For Stage 3, there were total of 42 out of 46 cases which were
substantiated.
2). In terms of your centralised academic success/learning enhancement
services (available to all students at your institution):
Which of these descriptions best match your provision?
2A) A service which is embedded within other student support services
(such as international student support and disability services or
‘one-stop shop’).
2B) Stand-alone provision, separate from other student support services.
2C) Another method. Please specify.
2B
3). Regarding your academic integrity / misconduct support and training
for students:
Is this offered
3A) In pre-arrival information?
3B) During course induction following arrival?
3C) Provided by individual programmes of study? If yes, approximately when
do these take place in the academic year?
3D) Only to students who have had an academic misconduct case proven /
substantiated?
Please indicate all that apply.
3A, 3B, 3C (during induction and transition activities as well as
throughout all years of study especially prior to assessments)
4). Is there specialist academic integrity / misconduct support provided
for:
4A) Students completing longer form academic assignments (e.g. Final Year
dissertations and extended projects)?
4B) Students with a declared disability?
4C) Students studying in English as an additional language?
4D) International students?
Please indicate all that apply.
No- we provide academic integrity/misconduct support for all students.
5). In the academic year 2022—23, how many group level academic integrity
training sessions were available?
This information is not held centrally as it would be held in all
programmes within the University. As mentioned above, collating this
information (in addition to the information requested in Q1) would exceed
the cost limit set by section 12 (1) of the FOIA.
6). Is service evaluation data recorded on how many 1-1 support sessions
given to students relate to issues of academic misconduct / integrity?
No, not at the moment.
7). About your institution’s use of Turnitin.
7A) Is Turnitin used as a pedagogical tool as part of academic integrity /
misconduct training for students?
Yes
7B) Do students have access to Turnitin similarity reports before final
submission of work?
Yes
8). Please provide us with any examples of best practice or relevant
information you would like to share on the delivery of academic misconduct
/ integrity support for your students.
Please see the following link which is available to students at
[1]https://ask.herts.ac.uk/assessment-offen....
We trust that this sufficiently answers your information request. If you
have any queries about the above, please get back to me.
If you are not satisfied with the response to your Freedom of Information
Act 2000 enquiry, we encourage requesters to email
[2][University of Hertfordshire request email] in the first instance to see if your concerns
can be addressed informally. Following this, if you are still dissatisfied
with the response you received, you can request an internal review into
the handling of your request by emailing [3][email address]. Internal
reviews will be conducted in accordance with the University’s Freedom of
Information Policy. We will provide you with the outcome of the internal
review within 20 working days. In exceptional circumstances, this may be
increased to 40 working days but if this is the case, we will inform you
within the initial 20 working days. In accordance with the Freedom of
Information Code of Practice, requests for an internal review should be
made within 40 working days of receiving the response. The University will
not consider a request for an internal review made after 40 working days.
Should you wish to appeal about the way your request was handled,
including any internal review, you can contact the Information
Commissioner at [4]https://ico.org.uk/concerns or write to: FOI/EIR
Complaints Resolution, Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Information released in response to a Freedom of Information Act 2000
enquiry is protected by copyright in accordance with the Copyright, Design
and Patents Act 1988. Therefore, it may not be used by third parties for
any purpose not permitted by copyright law and the University of
Hertfordshire.
Kind regards,
Aneeka
____________________________________________
Information Compliance Team
Legal & Compliance Services, Office of the Vice-Chancellor
University of Hertfordshire, B204, College Lane,
Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now