Cheating, Plagiarism and Unfair Practice

Franchise Delivery

Quality Assurance Services

Session outline

• Academic Integrity• University procedures • Distinct stages of the process• Roles and responsibilities • Penalties• Further guidance

Introduction Academic Integrity = good academic practiceSupport for students:

Student induction Course Handbook Academic skills

sessionsQuote Unquote

Little Book of Plagiarism Ongoing

support..........

• Is the substantial, unacknowledged, incorporation in a student’s work of material derived from the work (published or unpublished) of another.

• “Work” includes internet sources. • (C9.1.8 Leeds Beckett University

Academic Principles and Regulations)

Plagiarism

• The inclusion in a student’s work of extracts from another person’s work without the use of quotation marks and/or acknowledgement of the source(s)

• The summarising of another person’s work without acknowledgement

• The substantial and unauthorised use of the ideas of another person without acknowledgement

Examples of plagiarism include:

Self-plagiarism

• Occurs when a student submits work for credit which has been submitted elsewhere for credit.

• This may be part of a piece of work or the entire piece of work.

• It may have been submitted to this University or another institution.

• (C9.1.9 Leeds Beckett University Academic Principles and Regulations)

Collusion

• Occurs when a student collaborates with another student in the completion of work which is then submitted as unaided work by either student (C9.1.10 Leeds Beckett University Academic Principles and Regulations)

Cheating

• Cheating is unfair behaviour relating to an examination

• More details are available (Leeds Beckett University Academic Principles and Regulations C9.1.7) http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/about/academic-regulations.htm

Other Forms of Unfair Practice Include:

• Offering a bribe or inducement,• Falsifying data in any piece of work,• Submitting copies of another person’s

work stored on an electronic device,• Ghostwriting, i.e. paying someone else

to do some or all of a piece of work

University procedures • Stage 1: Investigatory Interview• Stage 2: Assessment Enquiry Panel • Stage 3: Assessment Appeal Panel

Stage 1 and 2 will take place at the Partner with Stage 3 taking place via virtual means with a senior member of University staff chairing the meeting.

N.B In the formative years of a partnership, the University may also support Stage 1 and 2.

Key roles

• Academic Integrity Lead (partner-based Franchise Coordinator) – chair Stage 2 Assessment Enquiry Panel– oversight of staff development – Compliance with C9 of Academic Principles and

Regulations and procedures • Academic Integrity Coordinators

– Trained academic staff who can chair Stage 1 meetings

– Department/ School based

Stage 1A suspected case of unfair practice will provoke Stage 1: an Initial Investigatory Interview:

Panel

Chair: Academic Integrity Coordinator

Partner based internal examiner / invigilator (if found during moderation stage, it is still the responsibility of the local tutor to present the case)

In attendance

Student

Student’s friend / representative (optional) (observer)

*A University member of staff may attend to support or even Chair in the early stages of the partnership. This provides a developmental opportunity for partner-based staff

Stage 2A lack of resolution through Stage 1, prompts Stage 2: an Assessment Inquiry Panel

Panel

Chair: Academic Integrity Lead

Partner- based academic from the same subject area but who has not taught the student in the module (s) being investigated

Partner -based academic independent to the subject area

In attendance

Internal Examiner – The member of staff making the allegation

Student

Student’s friend (optional) (observer)

Partner based Secretary

Formal minutes will be taken of a Stage 2 Inquiry Panel – training req.

Stage 3A student’s desire to appeal the decision of the Assessment Inquiry Panel provokes Stage 3 an: Assessment Appeal Panel

Panel

Chair: University- based Dean of the Faculty of nominee (not the student’s HoS or Chair of the EC/BoE)

Experienced member of University-based academic staff from a different faculty

Experienced member of partner-based academic staff from the student’s faculty, who has not taught the student

In attendance

Student

Student’s friend (optional) (observer)

University based secretary

Formal minutes will be taken of a Stage 3 Appeal Panel

Unfair Practice Board• Established in April 2009

• To consider admitted or found cases of cheating, plagiarism and other forms of unfair practice

• To ensure transparent, fair and consistent procedures for penalising proven cases of unfair practices

Membership of the Board

• An Academic representative from each Faculty and a substitute member (both appointed by the Dean of Faculty)

• A Representative from Quality Assurance Services

• A Chair, as determined by Quality Assurance Services

• A Secretary from Quality Assurance Services

Purpose

• To refer-back to the Partner any outcomes which showed procedural or other deficiencies which rendered the admission or finding unsound;

• To determine penalties for proven cases of unfair practice;

• To receive any extenuating circumstances submitted in relation to unfair practice and consider these prior to the determination of penalty;

Penalties

Take account of level, previous offences, gravity and circumstances• A – the student may be awarded the full range of marks

for the resubmitted work (Letter of Advice)• B – the mark for the reassessed work will be a maximum

of 40% (Letter of Warning)• C – the mark for the reassessed work will be a maximum

of 30% (Letter of Final Warning)• D - the student has failed the level and is required to

withdraw from the programme of study (Letter of Withdrawal)

Tariff

DocumentationThe Partner is responsible for ensuring the following:

Stage 1 forms require some completion by hand, signed by all stakeholders

Invitation letter is sent to the student re: Stage 1

Outcome letter is sent to the student re: Stage 1

Outcome letter is sent to the student re: Stage 2

Outcome letter is sent to the student re: Stage 3

Reporting all outcomes to the University on the Franchise UPB submission template

Forwarding on the outcomes of the Unfair Practice Board to the student

The University (Faculty) is responsible for:

reporting all cases to the Unfair Practice Board via the relevant Faculty

sending the outcome of the Unfair Practice Board to the Partner and the Franchise Coordinator / Link Tutor

All templates are available in the Operational Guidance for Franchise Delivery

Further guidance

• Section C9• Guidance on Cheating, Plagiarism and other

forms of unfair practice• Developing Excellent Academic Practice

module available to Associate Staff• Conduct of the Invigilation of Written

Examinations handbook• Skills for Learning • Operational Guidance for Franchise Delivery

Further guidance• Quote, Unquote / Little Book of Plagiarism

Questions

collaborations@leedsbeckett.ac.uk