II. The Student Commitment (The "Agreement")

To ensure the authenticity of the Personal Project, students must commit to a transparent "work-in-progress" model.

Process Management 

• Direct Entry: Students must type directly into their shared Google Doc Personal Project Notebook. This allows mentors to see the version history and the evolution of the project over time.

• Mentor Meetings: Students are required to meet at least three times with their assigned supervisor to discuss their progress and show evidence of their work. A short summary of what was discussed during each meeting must be provided on the Personal Project Academic Honesty Form.

• Timeline Adherence: Strict adherence to the Personal Project Coordinator’s timeline is mandatory to prevent "last-minute" work that often leads to integrity risks.

Verification

• The Oral Defence (Viva Voce): Every student can be asked to have an oral interview regarding their project. This interview, usually by the Personal Project Coordinator or MYP Coordinator, may serve as a final check to ensure the student possesses the knowledge and skills they claim to have used.

• Authenticity Statement (Academic Honesty Form): Together with the Personal Project Report and Bibliography, the student has to provide a signed Academic Honesty Form. This form records evidence of the mentor meetings and is used by both student and mentor to explicitly confirm that the work is original and has not been submitted for any other assessment (avoiding self-plagiarism). Both student and mentor sign this form.

III. Behavioural Expectations: Do’s and Don’ts

The Academically Honest Student DOES:

• Acknowledge all sources: Give credit for quotes, data, music, and images using MLA format.

• Use Citation Tools: Utilize NoodleTools or other school-approved software to keep track of research.

• Ensure transparency: Ensure that involved faculty have access to their work at all times by using their shared Google Doc Personal Project Notebook and shared Google Drive Folder. Keep records of all evidence of learning, such as handwritten notes, artwork, product and/or process photography in the shared Google Drive Folder to show how their ideas grew.

• Seek Help Early: Talk to the Personal Project mentor, coordinator or  or librarian if they are struggling with how to cite a difficult source.

The Academically Honest Student DOES NOT:

• Allow Collusion: Give others access to their documents or "help" a friend by letting them copy.

• Misrepresent Effort: Claim to have completed work that was never actually done or fabricate data.

• Use Third-Party Help: Use tutors, family members, or outside services to write or complete the project.

• Borrow Work: Use a previous student's project or their own work from a different subject.

IV. Specialized Guidelines: AI and Technology

As digital tools evolve, UNIS Hanoi maintains clear boundaries on the use of Generative AI (e.g., Gemini, SchoolAI).

• General Rule: AI is prohibited for writing, revising, or generating content for the Personal Project unless explicit, written permission is granted in task instructions.

• Transparency Requirement: If AI is used for brainstorming or research (where permitted), it must be disclosed either through a reference in the bibliography or through an explicit disclosure statement in the section where AI was used:

  • Citing a conversation with an AI chatbot:

    • "[Starting Prompt]" prompt. [Bot name], [AI Provider]. [link to chat conversation]. [Date of conversation]

    • "Summarize the history of sustainable architecture". Prompt. SchoolAI, 12 Oct 2023. app.schoolai.com/spaces/cm4jdiywh002c13kwibt7jc8t. 

  • AI Use Disclosure

    • AI Use Disclosure: Parts of this section were composed using AI. Parts were paraphrased from a conversation with ToddleAI on September 12, 2025. 

V. Accountability: Investigations & Consequences

When academic misconduct is suspected, UNIS follows a formal process to maintain fairness for all students.

The Investigation:

• • If a mentor or coordinator suspects misconduct, a Veracross Alert is created, and the Deputy Principal is notified.

  • Burden of Proof: The student is responsible for proving that the work is theirs. If "process evidence" (Notebook history, drafts, mentor meetings) is missing, work may not be authenticated.

School Consequences:

• • The student will receive an "NA" (Not Assessed) for the relevant criteria.

  • Because the Personal Project is a graduation requirement, the student will be required to redo the work in their own time.

  • A record of the incident will be kept in the student's file and may be reported to future schools or universities.

• IB: "The school must not submit any work that includes any known, suspected or confirmed instances of academic misconduct. If a candidate does submit work that is not authentic to the teacher, the school must follow its internal policy for dealing with academic honesty issues." (MYP Assessment Procedures)

• IB: If the work cannot be authenticated according to internal means, the student will not be awarded a grade for the PP. 

• IB: If a student receives an "N" for the PP, they do not receive the IB MYP Certificate. 

• UNIS: Because the PP is a graduation requirement (Student Handbook p.20), a student involved would have to complete the PP again.

IB Consequences:

• • If UNIS cannot authenticate the work, it cannot be submitted to the IB.

  • Without a Personal Project grade, the student is ineligible for the IB MYP Certificate.