Overview
This unit will develop your knowledge of the application of cardiac ultrasound in the assessment of valvular heart disease, preparing you for competent practise in the health workplace as a graduate cardiac sonographer. Knowledge presented will elaborate on the aetiology, pathophysiology and clinical presentation of aortic, mitral, tricuspid and pulmonic heart disease. You will identify the role echocardiography and other cardiac imaging modalities (including cardiac catheterisation, transoesophageal, 3D and stress echo) play in the clinical assessment and management of valvular heart disease, including surgical repair, replacement and prosthetic options. You will analyse diagnostic data, clinical scenarios and case studies, performing qualitative and quantitative haemodynamic assessment. You will identify discordant data and provide differential diagnoses within an ethical framework of best practice and patient safety.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite: ECHO28002 Assessment of Cardiac Function
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2022
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE form
Students liked tutorial format.
Continue the same format for tutorials where the initial component reviews important information covered in the weeks' lectures and reading material. The second component then involves a case study discussion of real world examples which incorporate the weeks' learnings.
Feedback from In class tutorial discussion.
More direction required for Assessment Item 1 - Case Study.
An exemplar of a case study will be uploaded to Moodle at the beginning of term for students to use as a guide.
- Differentiate between the aetiology, pathophysiology and echocardiographic assessment processes associated with a variety of valvular heart diseases
- Critically analyse case-based clinical information to formulate differential diagnoses and plan patient management
- Perform advanced haemodynamic calculations applied to 2D, colour and spectral Doppler derived echocardiographic data, excluding discordant data with justification
- Articulate the role of echocardiography in mechanical and bio-prosthetic valve assessment and interventional strategies
- Compare and contrast assessment data acquired from a variety of alternate imaging modalities, including cardiac catheterisation, transoesophageal, 3D, and stress echocardiography
- Engage in cardiac ultrasound practice as per external accreditation requirements (Australasian Sonographer Accreditation Registry).
Linked to the Australian Sonographers Accreditation Registry (ASAR) Accreditation Standards for Cardiac Sonography:
Foundation Units of Competence
- Unit 1: Deliver safe, patient centred service
- Unit 2: Practice within professional and ethical frameworks
- Unit 3: Locate, analyse and synthesise information to support evidence based practice
- Unit 4: Contribute to workplace health and safety and quality assurance
- Unit 5: Communicate effectively
Critical Practice Unit of Competence
-
Unit 8: Cardiac
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Case Study - 0% | ||||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | ||||||
| 3 - Online Test - 60% | ||||||
| 4 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 0% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||||
| 4 - Research | ||||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||||
| 8 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||||
| 9 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| 1 - Case Study - 0% | |||||||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | |||||||||
| 3 - Online Test - 60% | |||||||||
| 4 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 0% | |||||||||
Textbooks
A SONOGRAPHER'S GUIDE TO THE ASSESSMENT OF HEART DISEASE
Edition: 1st (2014)
Authors: Bonita Anderson
Echotext
Brisbane Brisbane , Queensland , Australia
ISBN: 978-0-9923222-0-5
Binding: Hardcover
BASIC to ADVANCED Clinical Echocardiography: A Self-Assessment Tool for the Cardiac Sonographer
Edition: 1st (2021)
Authors: Bonita Anderson, Margaret Park
Wolters Kluwer
Philadelphia Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , United States of America
ISBN: 978-1-975136-27-7
Binding: eBook
Additional Textbook Information
Prescribed Echocardiography textbooks will be utilised across multiple units within the Graduate Diploma of Cardiac Ultrasound program.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Vancouver
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
m.osman@cqu.edu.au
p.boucaut@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to valvular pathology
Chapter
Anderson B. A Sonographer's Guide to the Assessment of Heart Disease. 1st ed. Brisbane: MGA Graphics; 2014. Chapter 1, pp. 9-16.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Rheumatic heart disease
Chapter
Resources specified in eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Aortic valve stenosis
Chapter
Anderson B. A Sonographer's Guide to the Assessment of Heart Disease. 1st ed. Brisbane: MGA Graphics; 2014. Chapter 7, pp. 177-195. Chapter 15, pp. 452-455.
Additional resources specified in eReading list.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Aortic valve regurgitation
Chapter
Anderson B. A Sonographer's Guide to the Assessment of Heart Disease. 1st ed. Brisbane: MGA Graphics; 2014. Chapter 7, pp. 196-214.
Additional resources specified in eReading list.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Mitral valve stenosis
Chapter
Anderson B. A Sonographer's Guide to the Assessment of Heart Disease. 1st ed. Brisbane: MGA Graphics; 2014. Chapter 7, pp. 215-235.
Additional resources specified in eReading list.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz Opens:
Tuesday 12th April 2022 8:00am (AEST)
Online Quiz Closes:
Thursday 14th April 2022 8:00pm (AEST)
Module/Topic
Mitral valve regurgitation
Chapter
Anderson B. A Sonographer's Guide to the Assessment of Heart Disease. 1st ed. Brisbane: MGA Graphics; 2014. Chapter 7, pp. 235-254.
Additional resources specified in eReading list.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Tricuspid valve pathology
Chapter
Anderson B. A Sonographer's Guide to the Assessment of Heart Disease. 1st ed. Brisbane: MGA Graphics; 2014. Chapter 7, pp. 255-275.
Additional resources specified in eReading list.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Pulmonary valve pathology
Chapter
Anderson B. A Sonographer's Guide to the Assessment of Heart Disease. 1st ed. Brisbane: MGA Graphics; 2014. Chapter 7, pp. 275-292.
Additional resources specified in eReading list.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Prosthetic valves 1
Chapter
Resources specified in eReading list.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Case Study Due:
Friday 13th May 2022 8:00pm (AEST)
Module/Topic
Prosthetic valves 2
Chapter
Resources specified in eReading list.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Advancements in valvular assessment
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Revision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Clinical Case Log Book Due:
Friday 10th of June 2022 8:00pm (AEST)
Online Test Opens:
Friday 10th June 2022 8:00am (AEST)
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Test Closes:
Tuesday 14th June 2022 8:00pm (AEST)
Unit Coordinator and Contact details
The unit coordinator for ECHO28003 Valvular Heart Disease is Mahomed Osman. The most efficient and preferred method of contacting Mahomed and other staff involved in the running of this unit is via the Q&A forum located on the unit Moodle site. If your query is of a personal nature, please contact Mahomed directly via email (m.osman@cqu.edu.au) or phone (07 3023 4160).
Unit Delivery Details
Weekly revision material will be provided. Attempting all provided revision material will help you prepare for your online quiz and test. No new lecture material will be presented during week 12 of term. This week will be used to prepare for the final online test assessment.
Tutorials for this unit will be delivered 'live' online using ZOOM (the links required for accessing the tutorials are provided on the Moodle site under the weekly tile). The tutorials will focus on answering the weekly revision questions and contextualisation of key concepts in preparation for related assessments.
Lectures are used to present the central information for the week’s study, outlining the main theories and principles of the topic under consideration. Tutorials provide an opportunity for discussion and interaction with other students and your tutor. It is important students make the most of these interactive sessions and participate fully in order to broaden knowledge and experience with the course material.
To help staff prepare weekly tutorials, please post to the Q&A forum or email the unit coordinator any questions that you might have in relation to the learning material.
Note: Tutorials are recorded for educational purposes. Recordings of Zoom tutorials may be uploaded and appear on Moodle. If you have any concerns about being recorded please turn off your webcam, audio, or both, during the session. Your participation will signify your consent to the recording and publication for educational purposes.
Please ensure you complete all activities listed under the Orientation tile on the Moodle site, including viewing the 'Welcome video', for further unit specific information.
1 Case Study
- Provide the unit coordinator with an opportunity to critically evaluate student technical performance on a case that they have performed as part of their clinical workload.
- Facilitate the continued development of student clinical reasoning.
- Encourage student reflection and self-improvement, of both technical and research skills, pathology knowledge and assessment strategies.
There are two components to this case study submission:
- Written case study report
- Accompanying echocardiographic study (DICOM Images)
- Patient history & clinical indications.
- Discussion of assessment strategy.
- Interpretation and supporting rationale.
- Scanning technique.
- Measurement Technique.
- A copy of the anonymised provisional or final echocardiographic report.
- Clear identification of any supervisor assistance provided to complete the examination.
- Use of the PEDHOF non-imaging probe.
The written case study report and accompanying echocardiographic DICOM images will be critiqued using the Case Study Marking Rubric, please refer to this document for details.
The echocardiographic case study presented must be accompanied by the submission of de-identified digital images in DICOM format.
- All clinical information must be de-identified to protect patient privacy and confidentiality.
- Time and date stamp along with technical information should be retained on the echocardiographic image, to facilitate marking.
If all attempts to de-identify the echocardiography images have failed, the student must request permission from the patient to provide their images to CQUniversity for educational purposes.
- The patient must provide written consent by completing the form provided on the unit Moodle site.
- The patient consent form must be submitted with the case study.
The case study can be submitted anytime prior to the due date, 8:00 pm (AEST) Friday 13th May 2022.
Results will be made available within two weeks of assessment due date.
This is a PASS/FAIL assessment. Both components of the case study submission must be passed, to PASS this assessment task overall. To pass each component, all associated criteria detailed in the Case Study Marking Rubric must be successfully demonstrated.
The written case study and accompanying echocardiography DICOM images will be critiqued using the detailed marking rubric which can be found on the Moodle site. This rubric will evaluate the following criteria:
Patient history and clinical indications
- Appropriate description of relevant past and current clinical history, including identification of cardiovascular risk factors through patient interaction.
- Appropriate interpretation of clinical indications, identification of differential hypotheses and expected echocardiographic findings.
Assessment strategy
- Provision of a rational outline for protocol extension based on echocardiographic findings and/or clinical indication.
- Performance of relevant quantitative and qualitative measures where appropriate.
- Interpretation of echocardiographic findings with reference to relevant guidelines, including severity of pathology.
- Objective discussion of scan and measurement limitations, detailing the overall impact on the outcome of the examination.
Interpretation and supporting rationale
- Appropriate clinical reasoning, discussion of aetiology, pathophysiology, secondary cardiac complications and expected patient management.
- Demonstrates appropriate understanding of patient's condition as well as understanding of anatomy and physiology relevant to the examination.
Referencing and academic writing
- Use of Vancouver reference style with all cited literature current (<5 years old unless seminal works), and provision of at least 8 references.
- Appropriate use of tables, images, academic language, scientific terminology, grammar and consistent formatting.
- Commitment to academic integrity and word count within appropriate limits (1500-2000 words).
Scanning and measurement technique
- Demonstrates a systematic and logical scanning protocol, completed within an appropriate time frame.
- Appropriate optimisation of 2D imaging, colour Doppler and spectral Doppler throughout the scan.
- Correct application of continuous-wave Doppler, pulsed-wave Doppler and use of the non-imaging continuous-wave probe where indicated.
- Appropriate measurements performed suited to the complexity of the study and student competency level.
- Satisfactory measurement technique demonstrated, consistent with American Society of Echocardiography best practice guidelines.
Documentation
- Appropriately de-identified DICOM images and labelled images (where acquired by student supervisor).
- Appropriate annotations and body markers used where applicable.
Case studies submitted without accompanying echocardiographic DICOM images will not be marked, and will automatically be awarded a FAIL grade.
Submissions not up to standard, will be returned to the student with appropriate feedback. Only one opportunity for re-submission will be provided if the first submission is deemed a FAIL.
- From the time of feedback provision, failing students will be provided with 2 weeks to resubmit case study.
- Failed students may be asked to resubmit further imaging exemplars and/or an amended written submission, dependent upon deficits identified in the first submission.
- Should the imaging component need to be re-submitted, the second submission does not need to be from the same patient.
- Differentiate between the aetiology, pathophysiology and echocardiographic assessment processes associated with a variety of valvular heart diseases
- Critically analyse case-based clinical information to formulate differential diagnoses and plan patient management
- Perform advanced haemodynamic calculations applied to 2D, colour and spectral Doppler derived echocardiographic data, excluding discordant data with justification
- Compare and contrast assessment data acquired from a variety of alternate imaging modalities, including cardiac catheterisation, transoesophageal, 3D, and stress echocardiography
- Engage in cardiac ultrasound practice as per external accreditation requirements (Australasian Sonographer Accreditation Registry).
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
2 Online Quiz(zes)
The quiz will assess your understanding of the content presented within this unit as outlined below. Questions may be drawn from lectures, additional resources provided (e.g. prescribed readings) or tutorial presentations.
- Questions will be drawn from a resource bank, to allow tests to be different for each student.
- Questions may include multiple choice, short answer, or image interpretation format.
- It is recommended that you have a calculator available when sitting a quiz.
Quiz can be accessed through the assessment tab on Moodle at the assigned time.
- Students will have 60 minutes to complete the quiz.
- Open book conditions.
Once started, the quiz cannot be paused or restarted. Only one attempt per quiz is permitted.
Please note:
- It is the student's responsibility to commence the online quiz before 7:00pm Thursday 14th April 2022 (AEST).
- The quiz will automatically close and submit completed student answers once the allocated time has elapsed.
- The duration of the quiz is tailored to promote recall of fact, rather than research of answers unknown.
- In the absence of an approved extension, given there is no opportunity to apply a late penalty, students will receive a mark of zero (or fail for this assessment) if not completed by the scheduled date and time.
Students are reminded that IT support from the university Information and Technology Division (TASAC) is only available during AEST business hours (Monday to Friday).
This assessment is to be undertaken as an individual. Colluding with other students on non-group work tasks is considered academic misconduct, and may lead to action being taken the Deputy Dean of Learning and Teaching HMAS.
Students are advised to refer to the 'Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)' document for additional university guidelines regarding assessments.
1
Other
Quiz will open at 8:00 am (AEST) on Tuesday 12th April and will close at 8:00 pm (AEST) Thursday 14th April 2022. The quiz will assess the topics covered during weeks 1 to 4.
Results will be made available within two weeks of assessment due date. The Online Quiz question pool in its entirety will not be released to students.
Students will be required to answer a variety of online questions.
Question responses will be assessed according to the:
- Use of appropriate terminology and descriptors as well as grammar and spelling.
- Student’s ability to appropriately interpret presented sonographic images and cardiac assessment data.
- Student's ability to succinctly respond with accurate answers.
The number of marks allocated for each question will be indicated within the quiz. Question marks are allocated based on the accuracy, depth and breath of required responses.
- Differentiate between the aetiology, pathophysiology and echocardiographic assessment processes associated with a variety of valvular heart diseases
- Critically analyse case-based clinical information to formulate differential diagnoses and plan patient management
- Perform advanced haemodynamic calculations applied to 2D, colour and spectral Doppler derived echocardiographic data, excluding discordant data with justification
- Compare and contrast assessment data acquired from a variety of alternate imaging modalities, including cardiac catheterisation, transoesophageal, 3D, and stress echocardiography
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
3 Online Test
This online test will assess your understanding of the content presented within this unit. Questions may be drawn from content presented in lectures, additional resources provided (e.g. prescribed readings) and tutorial presentations.
- Perusal time and online test duration will be 130 minutes in total.
- Open book conditions.
- It is recommended that you have a calculator available when sitting the online test.
Once started, the online test cannot be paused or restarted. Only one attempt is permitted.
Please note:
- It is the student's responsibility to commence the online test before 5:50pm Tuesday 14th June 2022 (AEST).
- The online test will automatically close and submit completed student answers once the allocated time has elapsed.
- The duration of this test is tailored to promote recall of fact, rather than research of answers unknown.
Students will be required to answer a variety of online questions. Questions:
- may include multiple choice, short answer, essay style or image interpretation format.
- will be drawn from a resource bank, to allow tests to be different for each student.
Students will be required to be familiar with both normal and pathological echocardiographic and anatomical images.
Students are reminded that IT support from the university Information and Technology Division (TASAC) is only available during AEST business hours (Monday to Friday).
In the absence of an approved extension, given there is no opportunity to apply a late penalty, students will receive a mark of zero (or fail for this assessment) if not completed by the scheduled date and time.
This assessment is to be undertaken as an individual. Colluding with other students on non-group work tasks is considered academic misconduct and may lead to action being taken the Deputy Dean of Learning and Teaching HMAS.
Students are advised to refer to the 'Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)' document for additional university guidelines regarding assessments.
The online test will open at 8:00 am (AEST) on Friday 10th June, and will close at 8:00 pm (AEST) on Tuesday 14th June 2022.
Results will be made available within two weeks of assessment due date. The Online Test question pool in its entirety will not be released to students.
Question responses will be assessed according to the:
- use of appropriate terminology and descriptors as well as grammar and spelling.
- student’s ability to appropriately interpret presented sonographic images and cardiac assessment data.
- student's ability to succinctly respond with accurate answers.
The number of marks allocated for each question will be indicated within the online test. Question marks are allocated based on the accuracy, depth and breath of required responses.
- Differentiate between the aetiology, pathophysiology and echocardiographic assessment processes associated with a variety of valvular heart diseases
- Critically analyse case-based clinical information to formulate differential diagnoses and plan patient management
- Perform advanced haemodynamic calculations applied to 2D, colour and spectral Doppler derived echocardiographic data, excluding discordant data with justification
- Articulate the role of echocardiography in mechanical and bio-prosthetic valve assessment and interventional strategies
- Compare and contrast assessment data acquired from a variety of alternate imaging modalities, including cardiac catheterisation, transoesophageal, 3D, and stress echocardiography
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
4 Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books
The Clinical Case Log Book is a document designed to track clinical experience. This log book documents all observed, partially or fully completed echocardiography cases that a student is exposed to during clinical employ. It is recommended that you update this logbook daily.
This assessment task requires the submission of a clinical case log book, detailing clinical experience since last requested log book submission.
A template for the Clinical Case Log book is supplied in a word document format on the Moodle site. Students were supplied this same Clinical Case Log Book at the time of course enrolment.
- The word document is designed to facilitate easy electronic submission at various checkpoints throughout unit and course enrolment. The clinical supervisor's digital signature can be used to verify authenticity of entries on the word document.
- Alternatively, the word document can be printed, manually completed and scanned to a digital file format for submission.
A Clinical Case Log book submission can be requested at any point during course enrolment, at the discretion of the university course coordinator.
The 'Clinical Case Log book' incorporates the following data:
- The date of each examination.
- Allocation of a unique identifier for each patient to ensure anonymity.
- Referral indications
- Type of echocardiogram performed (i.e. Adult, Paediatric, Stress/Dobutamine, TOE)
- Student level of scan participation (Observed, partially, or fully completed examination)
- Case Findings
It is recommended that a student participate in an average of 180 echocardiographic studies per 12 week term of course enrolment. (This is an average of 5 scans per day, 3 days per week.)
The Clinical Case Log Book must be submitted by 8:00 pm (AEST) on Friday 10th June 2022.
Results will be made available within two weeks of assessment due date.
To be awarded a PASS, all documentation must be completed and submitted by the corresponding due date and time.
The Clinical Case Log book will be reviewed to ensure that:
- An acceptable volume of clinical work has been achieved.
- Exposure to sufficient case study complexity has been demonstrated to support ongoing knowledge and practical skill development.
- Cases have been documented appropriately.
- Engage in cardiac ultrasound practice as per external accreditation requirements (Australasian Sonographer Accreditation Registry).
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?