Our annual reporting underlines our commitment to transparency, ensuring academic integrity and our focus on prevention.
UNSW Conduct & Integrity (C&I) has published UNSW’s 2024 annual report on Student Conduct and Complaints. The report provides an insight into the incidence of plagiarism, breaches of the UNSW Code of Conduct and Values, and student complaints. Our annual reporting underscores our commitment to transparency and ensuring the integrity of UNSW degrees and highlights our focus on prevention through education, and improvements in the detection of misconduct.
“At UNSW we are committed to fostering a culture of respect and academic integrity, with a focus on educating students about ethical behaviour,” said Professor Sarah Maddison, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education & Student Experience). “While all universities continue to see new challenges emerge in this space, it is encouraging that, overall, misconduct remains very low across our student community.”
Key findings on student conduct
In 2024, there were 2274 cases recorded, a 43% increase from 2023, representing approximately 2.8% of the student population. The bulk of this increase represents low-level plagiarism and poor scholarship, the reporting of which more than doubled compared to 2023, likely due to increased detection and recording. Despite the rise in reported cases, misconduct remains very low across the student population. The University continues to take an educative approach, focusing on early intervention, restorative outcomes and building a culture of respect and integrity.
This has been the second year that unauthorised use of generative AI, such as ChatGPT and similar tools, has been included as a category. There has been a significant rise in cases of misuse detected and reported, with 530 cases in 2024, compared to 166 in 2023. Almost one-third of all substantiated misconduct cases involved AI misuse. Two-thirds of substantiated cases involving unauthorised use of generative AI and similar tools were detected and managed by schools as low-level plagiarism.
There has also been a substantial increase in non-academic misconduct, with 101 matters referred for investigation, compared to 46 in 2023. Examples include antisocial behaviour, verbal aggression towards staff and inappropriate use of IT resources.
The most common penalties issued as the result of substantiated misconduct matters were 0% fail grades for an assessment (735 issued) and 551 course fails (551 issued). For more serious academic and behavioural misconduct matters, 13 students faced suspensions of up to two years, and 35 students were permanently excluded.
Conduct & Integrity remains focused on prevention and detection of academic misconduct, as well as educating staff and students on academic integrity. This has included working closely with schools, facilitating training sessions, development of resources and presenting to student cohorts.
Key findings on student complaints
The number of student complaints fell by 12% to 628 in 2024. The largest proportion of complaints related to the behaviour of other students, with 86 complaints recorded. Other key areas of concern included staff conduct, student fees, examinations and admissions. Of the 533 complaints closed during 2024, most were resolved locally, 87 were formally investigated, with 26 substantiated or partially substantiated.
Complaints about Special Consideration dropped by 23%, likely reflecting the introduction of short extensions for minor disruptions. Complaints about other academic matters, including assessment marking and design, fell substantially.
UNSW fosters a ‘Speak Up’ culture, where members of our community are encouraged to raise their concerns, both big and small, and can be confident that these will be managed effectively, safely and confidentially.
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