Academic Integrity
Honesty is part of your qualification
When you graduate from TheFCA, your certificate represents more than the hours you spent in a kitchen or a classroom. It represents a verified standard. It tells every employer, every venue, and every colleague who reads it that you have been assessed against nationally recognized competency benchmarks — and that you met them. That standard only means something if it is earned honestly. Academic integrity is how we protect it.
What academic integrity means at The FCA
Academic integrity is your commitment to submitting work that is genuinely your own, completing assessments under the conditions they were designed for, and representing your skills and knowledge honestly at every stage of your training.
At TheFCA, this applies to everything you are asked to produce or perform — written assignments, practical assessments, online tasks, logbooks, reflective journals, workplace observation records, and any other evidence you submit as part of your qualification. It applies equally in the classroom, in our training kitchens, and in your industry placement venue.
Integrity is not simply about avoiding dishonesty. It is about taking ownership of your own learning. When you cut corners on an assessment, you are not just breaking a rule — you are depriving yourself of the skill or knowledge that assessment was designed to develop. In an industry where what you know and what you can do has direct consequences for the people you serve, that matters.
Your responsibilities as a student
- Submitting work that is your own, produced independently unless collaboration has been explicitly permitted by your assessor.
- Accurately representing your contribution to any group or collaborative task.
- Using references, sources, and the work of others only in ways that are permitted and properly acknowledged.
- Completing assessments under the conditions specified by your assessor, including any time limits, permitted materials, or restrictions on assistance.
- Being honest about your performance during practical assessments and not misrepresenting your competency to an assessor.
- Maintaining accurate and truthful records in any logbook, workplace journal, or third-party evidence document you are asked to complete.
- Reporting concerns honestly, including if you have witnessed or been pressured to participate in dishonest conduct.
What constitutes a breach of academic integrity
The following behaviours constitute a breach of academic integrity at TheFCA. They are not exhaustive — any conduct that undermines the honest and fair assessment of competency falls within the spirit of this policy.
Plagiarism
Presenting someone else's words, ideas, or work as your own without appropriate acknowledgement. This includes copying text from online sources, published materials, or another student's work without citation, and submitting work that has been substantially written by another person, including the use of AI-generated content submitted as your own assessed work.
Collusion
Working with another student to produce an assessment that is intended to be completed individually, without the assessor's knowledge or permission. This includes sharing your completed work with another student who then submits a version of it as their own.
Fabrication
Inventing or falsifying data, evidence, observations, or results in any assessment item. In the context of a hospitality and cookery qualification, this includes falsifying logbook entries, workplace journal records, or third-party evidence such as supervisor observation reports.
Cheating
Using unauthorised materials, devices, or assistance during a supervised assessment. This includes accessing notes, phones, or other resources during a closed-book task, and receiving or providing assistance to another student during an individually assessed practical session.
Impersonation
Having another person complete an assessment on your behalf, or completing an assessment on behalf of another student. This applies to both written and practical assessments.
Contract cheating
Paying or engaging a third party — including online services, tutoring agencies, or other individuals — to complete an assessment on your behalf and submitting that work as your own. This is a serious breach regardless of the platform or arrangement used
Misrepresentation in practical assessment
Claiming competency in a skill you did not demonstrate, providing false information during an assessor interview, or attempting to perform at a level beyond your actual current ability in a way that misleads the assessor about your genuine competency.
Misconductin the workplace
Falsifying placement records, asking a supervisor to sign off on hours or activities that did not occur, or misrepresenting the nature of your role or tasks in your placement documentation.
Artificial intelligence and assessment
AI writing and content generation tools are widely available and rapidly evolving. At TheFCA, the use of AI tools in your assessed work is governed by the specific instructions provided by your assessor for each task.
Where an assessment requires you to demonstrate your own knowledge, analysis, or professional judgement — such as a written reflection, a menu development task, or a business planning exercise — submitting AI-generated content as your own response is a form of plagiarism and will be treated as an academic integrity breach.
Where an assessor explicitly permits the use of AI tools as part of a task — for example, to research, generate a starting point, or assist with formatting — the specific conditions of that permission must be followed, and you must declare how AI was used in your submission.
If you are unsure whether AI use is permitted for a specific task, ask your assessor before you begin. Submitting work and claiming uncertainty afterward is not a valid defence.
How breaches are identified
TheFCA assessors are trained to identify work that does not reflect a student's demonstrated ability or typical output. Methods for identifying potential breaches include:
- Direct comparison between submitted written work and a student's observed performance and in-class contributions.
- Similarity between submissions across the same student cohort, which may indicate collusion.
- Use of text matching and detection tools for written assessment submissions.
- Inconsistencies between logbook entries and the placement schedule or supervisor records.
- Assessor interviews and follow-up questioning, where a student may be asked to explain or expand on submitted work in person.
- Concerns raised by placement supervisors, other students, or staff.
TheFCA does not presume guilt when a concern is identified. All concerns are assessed through a fair and documented process before any finding is made.
What happens when a breach is suspected
If an assessor or staff member suspects an academic integrity breach, the following process applies.
1 Most landlords and PBSA providers will ask for some or all of the following:
- Be 18 years or older at course commencement
- Enrolment confirmation (your Letter of Offer or CoE from The Future Culinary Academy)
- Evidence of funds (bank statement showing ability to cover rent and bond)
- A reference (contact details for a person who can speak to your character or prior tenancy)
- Australian mobile number and email address
The student is notified in writing of the specific concern. The notification will describe the nature of the suspected breach, the relevant assessment item, and the student's right to respond.
3 Most landlords and PBSA providers will ask for some or all of the following:
- Be 18 years or older at course commencement
- Enrolment confirmation (your Letter of Offer or CoE from The Future Culinary Academy)
- Evidence of funds (bank statement showing ability to cover rent and bond)
- A reference (contact details for a person who can speak to your character or prior tenancy)
- Australian mobile number and email address
4 Most landlords and PBSA providers will ask for some or all of the following:
- Be 18 years or older at course commencement
- Enrolment confirmation (your Letter of Offer or CoE from The Future Culinary Academy)
- Evidence of funds (bank statement showing ability to cover rent and bond)
- A reference (contact details for a person who can speak to your character or prior tenancy)
- Australian mobile number and email address
5 Most landlords and PBSA providers will ask for some or all of the following:
- Be 18 years or older at course commencement
- Enrolment confirmation (your Letter of Offer or CoE from The Future Culinary Academy)
- Evidence of funds (bank statement showing ability to cover rent and bond)
- A reference (contact details for a person who can speak to your character or prior tenancy)
- Australian mobile number and email address
Supporting your integrity — what TheFCA provides
If you disagree with a finding of academic integrity breach or the outcome applied, you have the right to appeal. Appeals must be submitted in writing within 20 working days of receiving the outcome notification.
Your appeal should set out clearly why you believe the finding or the outcome is incorrect, and include any supporting evidence you wish to have considered. Appeals are assessed independently of the original decision-maker.
TheFCA's full appeals process is set out in the Complaints and Appeals Policy, available on request from Student Services.
20 WORKING DAYS
TO APPEAL
What constitutes a breach of academic integrity
The following behaviours constitute a breach of academic integrity at TheFCA. They are not exhaustive — any conduct that undermines the honest and fair assessment of competency falls within the spirit of this policy.
Clear assessment instructions
Every assessment task includes explicit instructions about what is required, what is permitted, and what is not. If instructions are unclear, ask before you submit.
Referencing guidance
Where written assessments require you to draw on sources or reference external material, TheFCA will provide guidance on the referencing style required and how to apply it correctly.
Academic support
If you are struggling with an assessment — whether because of language, time pressure, or difficulty understanding the content — our Student Services team can refer you to appropriate academic support. Seeking help is never a breach of integrity. Submitting someone else's work instead of seeking help is.
Assessor availability
Your assessors are available during scheduled consultation times to clarify task requirements, discuss your approach, and provide formative feedback before submission. Use this access. It exists precisely so that you do not feel the need to find shortcuts.
A note for students from non-English speaking backgrounds
TheFCA recognises that students completing their qualification in a second or third language may face genuine difficulties when producing written assessments. These challenges are understood and support is available.
You are encouraged to seek support from your assessor, Student Services, language support programs, or peers who can assist you in expressing your ideas more clearly.
There is an important difference between receiving help with language and having someone else provide the ideas, content, or completed assessment on your behalf.
NEED SUPPORT WITH WRITTEN ASSESSMENTS?
If language is affecting your ability to complete an assessment, speak with your assessor or Student Services before the submission deadline.
The FCA can provide support and reasonable adjustments where appropriate, provided they do not compromise the required assessment standard.