9. General guidelines for UAP panel/interview to determine authenticity of work: composition and organisation

9.1 Where possible, panel members should not have been involved with previous cases of UAP for the same student.

9.2 A written record of a panel hearing or interview to determine authenticity of work shall be kept by a secretary, normally a member of the Faculty/Registry administrative team; the secretary shall not be a member of the panel.

9.3 Staff who have made the allegation of Unacceptable Academic Practice should not be members of the panel and should take no part in the decision. Staff who made an allegation of Unacceptable Academic Practice are, however, normally members of the interview panel as subject experts.

9.4 The student shall be officially informed of the date, place and time of the panel/interview meeting, and that they have the opportunity to attend the meeting. The student should be notified as to identities of panel members in advance of the meeting and can raise conflicts of interest prior to the meeting. The student should be notified as to of the meeting and can raise conflicts of interest prior to the meeting.

9.5 The student and the panel should be given reasonable notice to prepare for a panel/interview. This would normally be between 5-7 calendar days. Only in rare cases, and with good reason (for example, where progression may be dependent on the outcome of a UAP case), a shorter notice may be given.

9.6 The student shall have the opportunity to submit written evidence in advance of the panel/interview meeting, including evidence of special circumstances. Any evidence and supporting documentation should normally be submitted in one email, no later than 48 hours before the scheduled panel. The University recognises that this may not always be possible (for example, where the file size or collective size of documentation is too large to be included in (or attached to) a single email, or where a student might receive medical evidence less than 48 hours before the panel/interview meeting. Any evidence that is sent after the deadline will be considered by the panel after the panel/interview meeting, not during the meeting.

9.7 The student may be accompanied by an advisor from the Students’ Union. The advisor from the Students’ Union may attend the meeting to support the student but shall not advocate for the student or speak on their behalf. Attendance by any other persons shall be at the discretion of the Chair, and any requests for attendance of persons other than an advisor from the Students’ Union should be made in writing to the Chair in advance of the panel/interview meeting. Legal representation at the meeting will not normally be permitted.

9.8 Where a student, without good reason, fails to attend a panel/interview meeting, the meeting may proceed in their absence.

9.9 Where possible, panel/interview meetings should not be scheduled during examination periods or before a student has completed their examinations. Where a student is aware that there is a pending UAP investigation prior to examinations, they should be given the option to postpone the panel/interview to a period after they have finished their examinations, or for it to be held during the examination period.

9.10 Where necessary, the faculty/university panel may request that a subject expert be present at the meeting. The subject expert shall be a member of the AU staff, normally from the student’s academic department. The subject expert shall not be a member of the panel and shall not be present at the panel deliberation, nor shall they take part in the decision. The role of the subject expert shall be to provide subject-specific information and answer any subject-related questions that the panel may have. Where the student is in attendance, they shall be given the opportunity to raise any issues after the subject expert has left the meeting. This shall give the student the opportunity to speak freely and raise any issues that they may have concerning the subject expert. 

9.11 Following the outcome of the meeting, students registered on professionally accredited courses may be referred to the fitness to practise panel where necessary.