Academic Irregularities Appeal FAQs
The Academic Irregularities regulations refer to the NTU Quality Handbook Section 17C: Academic Irregularities.
If you have any queries regarding Academic Irregularities or School Academic Irregularities Panels, please contact your School Office in the first instance.
If you have a query regarding your Appeal against the decision of a School Academic Irregularities Panel, please contact the Policy and Regulations Team in the Academic Registry.
For independent advice you can contact the Nottingham Trent Students' Union Information & Advice Service.
For additional support you can contact the University's Student Support Services. A wide range of services, including Health and Wellbeing support, is available to all students.
Impact of Cheating (Academic Irregularity) on Safety Net
The academic integrity of NTU’s awards is very important, and we have strict processes for considering cheating and plagiarism. These are not changing because of Covid-19, although we have extra measures to help detect attempts to gain advantage such as contract cheating.
NTU does reserve the right that if an academic irregularity is proven, this may invalidate the safety net score and an examination board may impose a penalty that could result in a worse outcome than the safety net score.
Submitting an Academic Irregularity Appeal
You may submit an Academic Irregularity Appeal via the Appeals Portal:
Academic Irregularities Procedures FAQs
These FAQs are not the procedure and have no legal standing. It is important that you download and read the Quality Handbook Section 17C: Academic Irregularities.
- What is an Academic Irregularity?
- Where can I find guidance on academic referencing, study skills and avoiding academic irregularity?
- What is Turnitin?
- What is a SAIP?
- I've been invited to a SAIP. What should I do?
- How do I appeal the SAIP decision?
- I need some advice about academic irregularities. Who can I contact?
- I submitted an Academic Irregularities Appeal. What happens next?
What is an Academic Irregularity?
According to the University’s regulations, an ‘Academic Irregularity occurs when there is cause to consider that work submitted by a student is not wholly sound in terms of its academic integrity’. (QHS 17C, 3.1).
The University has three categories of Academic Irregularity within its taught programmes:
- Poor Academic Practice - Cases of inadequate and poor scholarship
- Academic Misconduct - Minor/limited cases
- Academic Offence - Substantial cases, multiple minor cases
The three types of Academic Irregularity are defined within the regulations.
Examples of Academic Irregularities can be found in detail in Appendix 1 of the regulations. These include but are not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying data, personation, contract cheating, unreasonable conduct and dishonest practice.
Where can I find guidance on academic referencing, study skills and avoiding academic irregularity?
You can get support and guidance on using sources appropriately (i.e. academic referencing and citation practices, study skills and avoiding academic irregularities) from the Library's Skills for Success section.
You will also find guides on NOW covering referencing, plagiarism, a Turnitin Guide for Students and other study skills such as academic writing and revision. Log in to NOW to access these guides in the Student Help area.
What is Turnitin?
Turnitin is plagiarism detection software. The University normally runs student assessments through Turnitin or other plagiarism detection software.
There is information on Turnitin and how to use it at the Library, and in the Student Help area of NOW.
What is a SAIP?
A SAIP is a School Academic Irregularities Panel. A SAIP meeting is held where a Head of Department has decided that there are reasonable grounds for inviting a student to discuss an allegation of academic irregularity against their work.
I've been invited to a SAIP. What should I do?
If you have been invited to a SAIP to discuss an allegation of academic irregularity against your work, and you would like more information on the process, please contact your School in the first instance. The appropriate person to advise you might be your Course Leader, Personal Tutor, or School Administrator.
For independent advice you can contact the Nottingham Trent Students' Union Information & Advice Service.
For additional support you can contact the University's Student Support Services. A wide range of services, including Health and Wellbeing support, is available to all students.
How do I appeal the SAIP decision?
You can appeal the decision of the SAIP but you will need to be clear on:
- The grounds on which you are appealing
- The outcome you are seeking
There are three grounds for appeal. You can select one or more:
- If new and relevant material or evidence has become available which was not previously available for consideration by the SAIP;
- if you believe that there was a material procedural error at the SAIP meeting or
- if you believe that the decision of the SAIP did not align with the Penalty Framework
There are no other grounds on which an Academic Irregularity Appeal will be considered.
Please submit your appeal via the Academic Irregularity Appeals tab of the Appeals Portal. You have five working days from the date on your SAIP outcome letter to submit an appeal.
Please state clearly your reasons for appealing the SAIP decision. If you have new and relevant material or evidence you must attach it with your submission. If you believe that there was a material procedural error at the SAIP meeting or that the decision of the SAIP did not align with the Penalty Framework, you must explain why.
I need some advice about academic irregularities. Who can I contact?
If an allegation of academic irregularity has been made against you and you have been invited to a SAIP, or if you would like to appeal the SAIP decision and you would like more information on the process, please contact your School in the first instance. The appropriate person to advise you might be your Course Leader, Personal Tutor, or School Administrator.
For independent advice you can contact the Nottingham Trent Students' Union Information & Advice Service.
For additional support you can contact the University's Student Support Services. A wide range of services, including Health and Wellbeing support, is available to all students.
I submitted an Academic Irregularities Appeal. What happens next?
Your application will be investigated by the PVC (Student Affairs) or nominee in the Academic Registry (previously the Academic Office). The Academic Registry is a central department in the University which operates independently of your School.
During the investigation, we may contact you if we need further information from you. If this occurs, please note that your appeal will be on hold until we receive a response from you.
