Releasing Potential Institute Marking & Plagiarism Policy

Releasing Potential is committed to ensuring that all work is marked fairly and reliably.

• The marking process:

1.1 Unit work submitted via the online training portal will be marked within 14 working days and returned via email to learners. Formative feedback is only supplied if learners request feedback on specific elements of the course.

1.2 Portfolios submitted via the online training portal will be marked within 20 working days and your result will be communicated to you within this time frame.

1.3 Sometimes evidence does not meet the minimum threshold for the level of the award or qualifictaion. This can happen when the evidence submitted is not  sufficient (in word length, scope or content), not valid (it does not meet the specified criteria), or has not been drawn from current or reliable sources. If this happens, learners will be given the opportunity to amend/develop/rectify the evidence and resubmit after formative feedback has been supplied.

1.4 Sometimes evidence may be found to breach confidentiality, or the learner may have used inappropriate materials or methods of assessment. If this happens, learners will be informed and the necessary steps will be taken to secure confidentiality; this may in extreme cases involve the destruction of evidence. Learners will be asked to resubmit more appropriate evidence.

1.5 Where the learner feels the decision not to pass a portfolio or other evidence is unfair, the learner must seek redress via the appeals process outlined in the ‘Policy on Appeals Against Internally Assessed Marks’.

• Plagiarism:

2.1 All work submitted must be the original and authentic work of the registered learner.

2.2 Work found not to be the original and authentic work of the learner will be considered as plagiarism.  Plagiarism includes:

• Copying material from any source and trying to pass it off as your own work.
• Paraphrasing material without appropriate acknowledgement.
• Collusion, where the assessment artefact is prepared by someone else and presented as your own work.
• Purchase of essays/ reflective statements/portfolio written by someone else.
• Submission of essays/ reflective statements/ portfolio written by someone else.
• Submission of another student’s work with or without that student’s knowledge or consent.
• Submission of witness statements that have been falsified or written by the learner themselves.

2.3 Any evidence submitted by the learner that is suspected to have been plagiarised will be subject to the following plagiarism investigation process:

• Tutors will ensure that the work has been evaluated by all available resources including both the first and second marker.
• Learners will receive an email to inform them that there is a plagiarism concern which needs to be discussed and resolved; learners will also receive a copy of the assessed work bringing to their attention where the issues have occurred.
• Learners will be asked to respond, outlining your position and explaining any concerns or mitigating circumstances; learners will have the opportunity to explain your version of events.
• Having reviewed the evidence, including the learner’s response, the Internal Verifier will determine whether the matter should be dealt with as minor or major misconduct, and whether you are guilty or not guilty of plagiarism.
• The outcome of the investigation will be communicated to the learner in writing within 14 working days of the decision having been made by the Internal Verifier.

For questions about any of the above, please contact the Institute via institute@releasingpotential.com.