Student conduct

As a student, you have a responsibility to treat others with respect and fairness. You have a responsibility not to engage in conduct that impacts the freedom of any person to pursue their studies, research or work at TAFE NSW.

This includes when participating in activities associated with TAFE NSW on campus, online or on digital platforms, or in activities harmful to the management of TAFE NSW. If another student’s behaviour is interfering with your studies or breaching the TAFE NSW Student Conduct and Discipline Policy, you should feel comfortable reporting it.

Talk to your teacher or a TAFE NSW Counsellor about this.

A breach of student conduct leading to student discipline includes, but is not limited to the following:

• assault, both physical and sexual, threatening to assault a person or incite another person to assault
• behaviour that involves a breach of the law
• engaging in any offensive conduct
• sexual behaviour that could cause offence or harm to others
• consuming alcohol in an area where it is not permitted, being under the influence of alcohol, supplying alcohol to a person under 18 years, or consuming alcohol if you are under 18 years of age
• smoking on campus, including e-cigarettes, outside of designated smoking areas or selling and supplying cigarettes to a person under 18 years on campus or during TAFE NSW activities
• removing, damaging or using any property of TAFE NSW without the authority of TAFE NSW or a member of staff
• obstructing a member of staff in the performance of the staff member’s duties
• refusing to give full and accurate information of your identity in response to a direction to do so by a member of staff
• providing false or inaccurate information or failing to produce evidence of your residency status to TAFE NSW when required
• disobeying or disregarding an instruction, order or direction of a member of staff, including an instruction, order or direction made by the staff member to ensure the health, safety or welfare of any person
• entering premises of TAFE NSW or failing to leave a part of TAFE NSW premises, contrary to a direction given by a member of staff
• committing or engaging in any dishonest or unfair act, including plagiarism in exams, assignments or other form of academic assessment
• falsifying or attempting to falsify a testamur (graduation certificate), result notice, employer report or any record relating to the results of an exam or other form of academic assessment
• providing false or inaccurate information to officers of TAFE NSW at any time
• engaging in behaviour that amounts to unlawful harassment or discrimination of another student/s or member of staff encouraging, aiding or assisting another student to commit a breach of student conduct and discipline, and to disobey or disregard a reasonable request by a member of staff when this is directly to ensure the health, safety or welfare of any person
• making inappropriate videos, images or sound recordings (including those made without the permission of the person photographed or recorded) and/or sharing or posting them on websites, whether or not TAFE NSW equipment was used
• preparing, writing, distributing and/or having possession of material adversely targeting individuals or particular groups
• generating graffiti on TAFE NSW property and adversely targeting individuals or particular groups
• aggressive, abusive, threatening, bullying, harassing or intimidating behaviour or language directed to staff, students or others, including in any digital or virtual classroom
• using electronic means of communication or telecommunications, to target, harass or bully individuals or particular groups
• misusing a TAFEcard
• failing to pay any mandatory fee, charge or penalty owing to TAFE NSW failing to return any borrowed TAFE NSW equipment or resources, within the specified period of time
• failing to advise a TAFE NSW Counsellor, Head Teacher, designated officer or delegate of any history of violent behaviour before attending your first class unauthorised use or misuse of TAFE NSW computers or computer systems, including accessing or downloading offensive materials or misuse of the TAFE NSW student user logins
• dangerous driving on or near TAFE NSW premises
• failing to comply with a provision of the Student Conduct and Discipline Policy or with an order or direction given under such a provision
• failing to comply with an order made on a minor breach of discipline.

The designated officer dealing with an alleged breach of discipline will assess the situation. This includes holding discussions with the student, staff and others involved with, or witness to, the possible breach.

The designated officer will inform the student of the process, including their right of appeal, the timeframe for action and completion of the process.

The student may make submissions about the alleged breach of student conduct or discipline matter and lodge an appeal against the penalty.

A TAFE NSW staff member can direct you to leave the premises and/or restrict your access to learning materials for a period of up to 24 hours.

Where a designated officer is satisfied that a student has committed a breach of conduct, any of the following penalties may apply:

• a reprimand
• the payment of a fine not exceeding $200, within a specified time
• the payment of compensation for damage or loss of property
• having conditions placed on the use of specified facilities or equipment
• exclusion from either part of or the whole location for a duration specified at the time of
• exclusion exclusion of online access to any resource of TAFE NSW for a duration specified at the time of exclusion
• exclusion from one or more examinations
• ceasing the ability to borrow library resources or use any services from any or all of the libraries operated by TAFE NSW until items have been returned and fines have been paid
• a delay in the issuing of testamurs (graduation certificates), result notices or employer reports, until the student has complied with the order
• exclusion from any, or all, TAFE NSW establishments (including online digital platforms).

Any breach of the TAFE NSW Student Conduct and Discipline Policy is not permitted. Detection of any of the following activities will be acted on:

• Being under the influence of an illicit drug on campus.
• Using, possessing or supplying a prohibited or illicit drug or substance (this is also against the law).
• Using a phone or computer to communicate about the supply of a prohibited drug (this is also against the law).

TAFE NSW holds a Certificate of Currency issued by the NSW Treasury. In many TAFE NSW courses, some of the learning and assessments occur in the workplace or simulated workplace environment.

Some courses and work placements may require a student to submit a National Criminal Records Check (NCRC) and a Working with Children Check (WWCC).

There are also courses and work placements that require students to have immunisation records of vaccinations. These requirements are provided on the relevant course information pages on the TAFE NSW website.

To help you understand your responsibilities in the workplace, you’ll be given a Code of Conduct which indicates expected standards of behaviour.

TAFE NSW has a responsibility to protect anyone from being harmed by students taking part in workplace or simulated workplace learning. If there is evidence that your skills or behaviour could present a risk to yourself or others, you may not be allowed to participate in a work placement.

Your teacher will explain to you and your workplace supervisor, the range of duties for which you have the skills and knowledge. You must not carry out duties other than those indicated by your teacher.

Students who have committed a breach of student conduct and discipline, or present a significant risk to themselves or others during work placement, may be prevented from undertaking or continuing further work placement.

This may mean the student will not complete the course where successful completion of work placement is required. There are TAFE NSW courses that have a compulsory work placement component.

To meet industry and animal welfare standards, TAFE NSW has a quality assurance process to monitor the care of animals used in teaching. There are serious penalties for animal cruelty or using animals without approval.

If your class uses live animals or animal tissues for learning, you must:

• treat animals with care, respect and kindness
• follow instructions to make sure animals are not in pain, stressed, scared or uncomfortable
• make the most of the learning experience by thinking about why and how animals or their tissues are being used

If you think an animal used in teaching at TAFE NSW is being mistreated or used the wrong way, report it to your teacher or Head Teacher immediately.

For more information, please read the TAFE NSW Animal Welfare Policy.

Reach out to your teacher, TAFE NSW counsellor or call 131 601 if you have any questions.