1. Introduction
Zone School of Business Studies London (“the College”) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and academic honesty in all teaching, learning, and assessment activities. This policy sets out how the College identifies, prevents, and responds to cases of learner malpractice to safeguard the credibility of its programmes, learners, and awarding bodies.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all: – Learners enrolled at the College. – Staff members involved in teaching, assessment, or administration. – Agents or third parties acting on behalf of learners or the College. It covers all types of academic work including assignments, projects, assessments, examinations, and any coursework submitted for credit or certification.
3. Definition of Malpractice
Malpractice is defined as any deliberate action that gives a learner an unfair advantage, compromises the integrity of assessment, or breaches the College’s academic standards. Examples include, but are not limited to: – Submitting assignments written or prepared by others (e.g. ghost-writing, essay mills, AI tools, or unauthorised external support). – Collusion or unauthorised collaboration with other learners. – Plagiarism, copying, or presenting the work of others as one’s own. – Falsifying documents, records, or data. – Any act of dishonesty that undermines the credibility of the College or its awarding bodies.
4. Preventive Measures
– Learners will be briefed on this policy during induction. – Plagiarism detection and authenticity checks will be conducted on all submissions. – Tutors and assessors will be trained to identify potential malpractice. – Clear guidance will be issued to learners about acceptable academic support and referencing practices.
5. Investigation Procedure
If malpractice is suspected: 1. Identification – Concerns may be raised by staff, assessors, awarding bodies, or through internal checks. 2. Notification – The learner will be informed in writing of the allegation. 3. Evidence Collection – The College will request drafts, notes, communications, or other supporting documents from the learner. 4. Investigation – An internal investigation panel will review all available evidence. 5. Decision – A conclusion will be reached based on the evidence gathered. If the learner fails to cooperate with the investigation, the College reserves the right to proceed with appropriate actions, including legal measures and immediate termination of enrolment.
6. Consequences of Malpractice
Where malpractice is proven: – The College reserves the full right to terminate the learner’s enrolment immediately. – The awarding body will be notified directly of the termination and cancellation of registration. – All fees paid will be strictly non-refundable. – The malpractice incident will be formally recorded in the learner’s file. – Where necessary, the College may escalate the matter to legal authorities for further action.
7. Review of Policy
This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure compliance with awarding body requirements and regulatory best practices.