What happens at a Major Malpractice Panel of Inquiry?
A Malpractice Panel of Inquiry is a formal process where you are invited to a meeting in order to discuss the circumstances surrounding the suspected malpractice.
Following the discussions and notification from the programme team you will next be contacted by the Assessment team by email to confirm the date you will be asked to attend the Malpractice Panel of inquiry.
- In this email you will receive confirmation of the date and time, panels are held over teams.
- You will receive a teams invitation
- You will receive details of the concern and any documentation that the panel will be provided with.
The panel is made up of two academic members of staff who are independent and therefore objective. This means that they have not previously been involved with the setting of the assessment or the marking for the piece of work which you have submitted.
An officer from the Assessment & Awards Team will facilitate the meeting arrangement and documents, take the notes of the meeting and advise on procedural/regulatory matters. They may record the panel meeting to help with the report writing but this is for admin use only, it will not be shared and will be destroyed as soon as the notes are complete.
If you do not wish for the recording to be taken then you must state this at the start of the panel discussion.
You are permitted to bring someone with you to the meeting for support. This person will normally be a member of the University, for example, a Students' Union Union Advisor who can accompany you at the panel. If you do not attend, the decision may be made in your absence on the evidence presented to the panel. We strongly encourage students to engage with the process.
Before the panel in your invitation email You will be asked to respond to the allegation of malpractice and to either accept that malpractice has occurred or to contest the claim. The relevant Programme Leader (or their representative) may also be asked to attend the meeting if it is deemed necessary by the panel and particularly where there may be an issue relating to Fitness_to_Practice_Policy.
Before the meeting you will be given opportunity to make a written statement or provide any evidence in mitigation or you may choose to do this at the meeting is self.
During the meeting with the panel you will be asked a series of questions by the panel members in order to ascertain if malpractice has occurred. You will also be given the opportunity to ask questions.
The meeting will adjourn for deliberations and will end after the panel has deliberated and agreed upon a recommendation to the Assessment Board.
A provisional outcome should be provided to you on the day if all evidence has been considered. The secretary will explain the procedures that follow this meeting and this will also be communicated to you formally in writing and confirmation of any Mitigation period available to you.
If you note in the panel discussion that feel you have mitigating circumstances the panel may consider this but may also ask for you to provide supporting evidence which may mean a delay to your outcome , may be offered 5 working days to provide these to the Assessment team to allow them to present the information back to the panel for consideration as to any material impact on their findings. You will be advised of the outcome.
If it is deemed necessary, the panel have the right to request either a viva or exam conditions test to examine your knowledge of the assessment item in question. If the panel decide it is appropriate to ask for a viva or exam conditions test to be undertaken the outcome of this activity will be fed back to the malpractice panel in order for them to make a final decision in the case.