Cheating and Plagiarism
If you are a student or a candidate on any educational or professional assessment or programme, you are covered by this policy.
Definition – Cheating
Cheating is an attempt to deceive the assessors or examiners. It may include, but is not limited to, situations when a student:
- communicates or attempts to communicate by any means with a fellow candidate or individual who is neither an invigilator nor member of staff during an examination.
- attempts to introduce or consult during the examination or assessment any unauthorised printed or, written material, or electronic, calculating or information storage devices.
- impersonates another or allows themselves to be impersonated.
Definition – Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs whenever students or candidates present as their own for assessment, the results of another person, this could be in any medium (text, written or electronic, computer programmes, data sets, visual images whether still or moving).
All work submitted for assessment including examinations, assignments and assessments must be the student’s own work and must acknowledge assistance given (including from fellow students, lecturers or teaching assistants) and the detailed input into the work from the major sources involved eg books, journals, internet sites etc. Any quotation from published or unpublished works of other persons including other candidates must be acknowledged (the College prefers the Harvard System)
Guidance for teaching staff or invigilators
What should you do if you suspect a learner of cheating in an examination?
If you suspect a candidate of cheating during an examination, you should make a note of the suspicion.
Request that the student remains behind at the end of the examination to arrange, within one working day, an interview by a member of staff from the College. If after this preliminary interview it is clear that no offence has taken place, then take no further action.
If you decide that there is a case, then set in place a formal investigation, although the candidate will normally be allowed to continue with his/her outstanding examinations. See College policy on conduct within exams.
Confiscate any evidence of this case.
The College will write a report of the outcome of the investigation, giving full details of the alleged offence and enclosing any material evidence relevant to the case.
Inform the awarding organisation as appropriate and inform the student of this.
What should you do if you suspect plagiarism?
Report the incident to the course leader or programme manager
The College will implement the normal investigative procedure, giving the student a chance to respond and explain. If the explanation resolves the situation, no further action should be taken.
If there is a case of plagiarism the College’s disciplinary procedure will be invoked.
