Plagiarism is perceived as a serious academic breach in academic institutions. Educational institutions in developing countries as they become intent on building an international reputation, have become more aware of the seriousness of plagiarism. Aiming to explore the academic staff's understanding of plagiarism in an Indonesian higher education institution, a case study was conducted in a university in Indonesia. It examined whether the staff were aware of the plagiaristic behaviour in their classrooms and of the policies surrounding the issues. A series of focus group discussions and interviews with lecturers, management, and students were conducted to explore how important their perceptions of plagiarism were for the institution. The study yielded somewhat contradictary findings, demonstrating that there was a discrepancy of understanding of plagiarism between the staff. The staff perception that anti-plagiarism principles had been factored in their teaching, learning and assessment activities was not fully supported.