Plagiarism is defined in the Regulations Governing Conduct at Examinations – “as the unacknowledged use, as one’s own, of work of another person, whether or not such work has been published”. In this University, plagiarism is a disciplinary offence. Any student who commits the offence is liable to disciplinary action.
Handling of Plagiarism Cases
Academically, the teachers will report plagiarism cases to the Chief Examiner/Head of Department and submit a recommendation to the Board of Examiners on whether the plagiarized work will receive a failed grade. There may also be disciplinary action against the student who commits the offence of plagiarism. A warning letter will be issued in cases of minor plagiarism. For more serious cases, the students concerned will be referred to the Vice-Chancellor for referral to the University Disciplinary Committee for disciplinary action. The Disciplinary Committee will investigate the complaint and may impose a wide range of penalties once a student is found guilty of this disciplinary offence. These penalties include a published reprimand, suspension of study for a period of time, and even expulsion from the University.
Students are strongly advised to read “What is Plagiarism” and “How to Avoid Plagiarism” and to consult your teachers if you have any questions about how to avoid plagiarism.
More information on plagiarism are available at https://tl.hku.hk/plagiarism/