ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND PLAGIARISM PROCEDURES

Name of the Policy	Policy Number	Version	Issue Date	Review Date
Academic Appeals Procedure	THD -POL 002	B	July, 2022	Jan, 2025

Purpose

This policy aims to define what constitutes academic misconduct and plagiarism, outline the procedures for
handling allegations, and specify consequences for violations.

Scope

This policy applies to all THD learners , faculty, and staff of THD, as well as to any individuals participating in activities under the institution’s jurisdiction. It encompasses all forms of academic work, including but not limited to:

Coursework Assignments: Essays, reports, projects, and homework.
Examinations and Assessments: Formal examinations, quizzes, and in-class assessments.
Research Activities: research papers.
Collaborative Work: Group projects and team assignments.
Creative Work: Artwork, designs, and multimedia projects.
Online Submissions: Any digital or electronic work submitted through institutional platforms.
Externally-Assessed Work: Any work subject to external examination organizations but undertaken under the institution’s guidance.

Roles and Responsibilities

Admin ,Trainers and Training Manager

Process

THD considers the following as examples of offences under academic misconduct:

Disciplinary proceedings are invoked against the learnerand the matter will be referred to the Centre Head who will interview the learneron this matter.

The learnerwill be asked to submit a written report, accompanied by any supporting material. Depending on the extent of the offence committed, penalties could include a reprimand, a warning, a decision to disallow submission of coursework or attending examinations, zero mark for the assignment/unit concerned, or that the learnerbe required to discontinue the course.

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is an unprofessional and dishonest practice which refers to the stealing of ideas or work of another person. This could include:

cutting and pasting
copying or closely paraphrasing materials like ideas, paragraphs and other material from books, articles, internet sites or any other source and presenting them for assessment without acknowledgement them appropriately
Unconscious plagiarism: Sometimes a learnermakes extensive notes on a source to which they do refer to some extent. However, they use words that are very similar to the original, as they are working from notes which are very familiar to them.

Plagiarism Allowance: 15 % Plagiarism is allowed as per THD policy

Penalities

THD has set out the following plagiarism penalties at various stages of the offence committed which us as follows:

FIRST OFFENCE	SECOND OFFENCE	THIRD OFFENCE	FOURTH OFFENCE
First offence leads to:	Second offence leads to:	Third offence leads to:	Fourth offence leads to:
Reduction in overall marks/grade without including the plagiarised work.	Zero marks/fail grade awarded for assignment containing plagiarism.	Mark of zero/fail grade awarded for the assignment containing plagiarism borderline grade or marks awarded (whichever applicable)	Mark of zero/fail grade awarded to the unit.
Interview with assessor/Internal Verifier.	Interview with Course Coordinator.	Case will be referred to the Centre Head who will interview the student.	Case referred to the LearnerDisciplinary Committee which may lead to discontinuation of the course at THD.
	Formal warning letter from Programme Coordinator.	Formal warning letter from Centre Head.
	Copy placed on learnerfile	Copy placed on learnerfile.	Outcome recorded on learnerfile.

Appeal Process

Learners have the right to appeal the decision. The appeal must be submitted in writing within 5 days after the decision is communicated. The appeal will be reviewed by an independent committee, and a final decision will be made.

Unethical use of Artificial Intelligence

Establishing Ethical Guidelines: THD is in process to develop and enforce ethical guidelines for the use of AI. These guidelines should cover areas such as data privacy, bias mitigation, transparency, and accountability1. For example, Harvard DCE emphasizes the importance of understanding AI’s ethical dimensions and mitigating biases to ensure ethical integrity
Training and Education: Providing training and education for staff and learners on the ethical use of AI can raise awareness and promote responsible behavior. This can include workshops, seminars, and online courses that cover topics such as AI ethics, data privacy, and bias detection2.
Collaboration with Experts: Collaborating with AI ethics experts and organizations will help THD stay updated on best practices and emerging issues. This can also provide access to resources and tools for managing AI ethically
Plagiarism Detection Misuse: Use AI-powered plagiarism detection tools to monitor learners’ work

Prevention and Education

THD is committed to preventing academic misconduct and plagiarism through:

Education: Providing resources and training on academic integrity and proper citation practices.
Support: Offering support services such as writing centers and academic advisors to assist students in meeting academic standards.

Maintaining academic integrity is a shared responsibility. By adhering to this policy, we ensure a fair, honest, and reputable academic environment for all members of our community

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