Source: https://www.uia.no/en/student/examinations/linkeblokksamling/under-eksamen/procedures-in-the-case-of-suspicion-of-cheating-at-the-university-of-agder
Timestamp: 2020-08-05 11:08:32
Document Index: 432094354

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 4', '§ 31', '§ 31', '§ 4', '§ 4', '§ 12', '§ 4', '§ 31', '§ 4']

Procedures in the case of suspicion of cheating at the University of Agder - Universitetet i Agder
Procedures in the case of suspicion of cheating at the University of Agder
Established 14.01.2009 by the University Director, with amendments by the same on 22.01.2016 and 08.06.2018.
Contact: Turid Høgetveit, turid.hogetveit@uia.no or Ragnhild Klungreseth Skomedal, ragnhild.skomedal@uia.no.
Students at the University of Agder shall, as part of their education, be trained in active, critical and ethical source usage. In all written work, what each student has gleaned from sources and what comprises the student’s own analyses, interpretations and reasoning shall always be made clear.
The University of Agder has a duty to react to cheating and attempts at cheating. Cheating in itself is a gross breach of the university’s trust and an act of disloyalty to other students. Considerations related to general and specific deterrents call for strict and consistent reaction.
This document describes what cheating is and gives examples of it in different forms of assessment. Further, the consequences of cheating are outlined, what shall be done when the suspicion of cheating arises, and case handling in situations in which there is a suspicion of cheating.
Procedures shall be applied when there is suspicion of cheating on all exams and tests (“gateway tests”, obligatory submissions etc) up to and including at master’s level, and tests during the training phase of PhD programmes.
In order to prevent cheating, it is important that the students gain clear and easily accessible information about which rules apply in the case of different forms of assessment.
Permitted resources and references must be written up clearly in connection with exams and tests with invigilation.
General information concerning source usage and references is important in consideration of students’ work with different assignments and home examinations. The university’s website about source use and the webpage kildekompasset.no provide important information about correct source usage/referencing in academic writing.
The departments are responsible for providing supplementary information concerning source use/referencing for their programmes and subjects insofar as it is necessary. Subject or programme-specific information shall be easily accessible for students, preferably via Canvas .
In connection with “Orientation Day”, which the International Office arranges for international students at the start of every semester, the Examination Office provides information about where the students can find relevant information about rules for source use/referencing, as well as the consequences of cheating.
In the case of home examinations, the assignment instructions must be clear as to whether papers are to be delivered individually or as a group submission.
Students are obligated to acquaint themselves with the rules for source use, for permitted resources and references and any other regulations concerning the exam in question. Lacking knowledge as to the rules concerning cheating/attempts at cheating, about permitted resources and references and rules for referencing do not nullify responsibility, provided that necessary information has been made available for the students.
The University uses text recognition tools in order to uncover cases of plagiarism.
The Act relating to universities and university colleges § 4-7 (1) stipulates that
(1) The board itself or the board’s Appeals Committee, cf. section 5-1, may annul an examination or test or recognition of a course if the student
by using a false diploma or by other dishonest means, has gained admission to the examination or test or to attend the course concerned, or
has attempted to cheat or has cheated wilfully or through gross negligence in the course of, or prior to, the final assessment of the examination or test concerned, or while taking the course in question.
Cheating is not defined in this Act. The regulations concerning studies and examinations at the University of Agder contain the following stipulations about what counts as cheating or attempts at cheating (§ 31.2):
to have unauthorised resources and references available during the exam
to present the work of other people as one’s own
to cite sources or to use sources in other ways in one’s written work without referencing those sources properly
to submit an examination answer without referencing the source properly
to have satisfied the examination requirements by cheating on tests or their equivalent which are listed as examination requirements
to engage in unauthorised collaboration with other examinees or groups
to act in conflict with the examination regulations or guidelines for the exam in question.
Cheating, during both exams and tests, is covered by the stipulations of the Act.
Examples of cheating in the context of different forms of assessment
a) Examples of cheating during an examination or test with invigilation:
The student has unauthorised resources and references on the examination premises (loose crib sheets, reading list books and similar if these are not authorised as resources and references, memory sticks, mobile telephones, calculators or computers of another kind/with other content than that which is permitted, etc)
The student has unauthorised resources and references available outside the examination premises (eg. in the toilet)
The student has written in authorised resources and references
The student communicates with other students during the examination, either directly or via mobile phone or computer
Another person takes the examination in the student’s place
The student has unauthorised resources and references available during an oral examination or a test, or during “organised” preparations for the oral examination or test
b) Examples of cheating during an examination or test without invigilation:
The student makes use of material from other sources, quoted directly or paraphrased, without referring to the original source(s) and/or direct quotes are not marked as such (through the use of inverted commas, italics etc)
The student submits an answer/product that is completely or partly written or made by others
The student submits an answer that he/she has submitted previously as an examination answer without providing a source
Unauthorised collaboration whereby students or groups submit completely or partly identical answers
Both fully-fledged cheating and attempts at cheating are subject to the provisions of the Act. Having unauthorised resources and references available during the examination can be counted as fully-fledged cheating even if it cannot be proved that the student has actually used them.
Attempts at cheating will, for example, be considered in cases where a student places an unauthorised resource or reference with the intention that it should be available during the exam, but this is discovered before the exam starts. Cheating which is revealed during book inspection prior to the start of the exam is, however, to be regarded as fully-fledged cheating, cf. the regulations concerning studies and examinations at the University of Agder § 31 (3).
In order to determine the reaction to cheating, cheating must have occurred, seen objectively, and there must be subjective fault in the sense that the student has acted wilfully or with gross negligence.
The requirement that there be gross negligence means that there is a qualified instance of blameworthy behaviour which provides the basis for a strong reproach for a lack of due care, whilst wilful intent is evident in cases where a person has acted deliberately. It is, nonetheless, unnecessary to establish a motive if it is to be defined as wilful intent.
4. Aiding and abetting cheating
If a student has aided and abetted cheating, they can themselves be excluded, cf. Act relating to universities and university colleges § 4-8 (3). The criterion of guilt for aiding and abetting cheating is wilful intent, and this is applied more strictly than in cases where students cheat on their own examination answers. Aiding and abetting cheating could, for example, involve a case in which a student sends his/her own answer to a fellow student in order to contribute to that student’s answer.
5. Consequences of cheating and aiding and abetting cheating
In addition to the annulment of the examination or test, cheating can also result in exclusion from the institution for up to one year and loss of the right to sit examinations at the University of Agder and other Norwegian universities and university colleges for the duration of the period of exclusion, cf. Act relating to universities and university colleges § 4-8 (3):
A student who has behaved as described in section 4-7, first or second paragraph, if the board itself or the institution’s Appeals Committee so decides, cf. section 5-1, may be excluded from the institution and deprived of the right to sit examinations at institutions under this Act for up to one year. The Ministry issues specific provisions concerning information routines, etc.
A condition of the resolution regarding annulment and exclusion is that the student has acted wilfully, or with gross negligence. Attempts at cheating and aiding and abetting cheating mean that the conditions have been met with regard to whether or not the student has acted wilfully.
The usual reaction in cases of grossly negligent cheating is the annulment of the exam/test and exclusion for one semester. The usual reaction for wilful cheating is the annulment of the exam/test and exclusion for two semesters.
Permission to annul the examination does not expire.
Aiding and abetting cheating does not result in the annulment of an examination/test unless the individual in question has cheated him/herself. Aiding and abetting cheating can lead to suspension for up to two semesters.
6. Procedures in the case of suspicion of cheating
a) Examination/test with invigilation
In cases where there is a suspicion of cheating during examinations or tests, the Examination Office must be contacted immediately. Any unauthorised resources or references (crib sheets and the like) are to be confiscated if this is possible. Any unauthorised mobile telephones are to be confiscated for the rest of the student’s exam time. Contact with the student is to be of such a nature as to result in as little disturbance for the student and fellow students as possible. The student is to be given the opportunity to complete the examination/test. The invigilator/Examination Office will write a short memorandum in which the course of events is described. All case documents are to be sent over to a case worker for the Appeals Committee.
If, during the marking of the written examination or test, suspicion arises regarding cheating, for example if two answers are completely or partly identical, or if there are quotes from unauthorised resources and references, the case is to be handled as described under point 6b.
The paper is to be marked as usual, except in cases where unauthorised resources and references have been confiscated and it is obvious that these are relevant to the exam in question. On the grading sheet, it will be noted that there is a suspicion of cheating, and the grade will not be awarded until the case has been concluded. If the examination is annulled, the student will not receive a grade.
b) Examination/test without invigilation
In cases such as these, there is often doubt as to whether cheating is apparent or not. The doubt might, for example, concern whether the reference list is sufficient, and if the scope of the text without referencing is large enough to warrant a report regarding suspicion of cheating. If the subject teacher/examiner believes that the referencing is insufficient, the case will be sent on in the system unless the scope of the text without sufficient referencing is insignificant. The case can also be discussed with the persons with course or programme responsibility or the head of department before it is taken further.
It is not possible to determine absolute boundaries with regard to scope since an overall evaluation must always be carried out where factors other than the scope of the plagiarised text alone might be of significance.
If the suspicion applies to two answers where there is the suspicion that a fellow student’s work has been submitted, or that unauthorised cooperation has taken place, then the normal course of action is that suspicion of cheating is reported for both candidates.
When reporting cases pertaining to cheating, the following must be sent:
A short memorandum with a description detailing why there is a suspicion of cheating and how information has been provided regarding source use/referencing.
Copy of the student’s answer with plagiarised text marked.
Copy of/reference to copied texts or sources to which the student has failed to refer/refer sufficiently in his/her answer.
If plagiarised text is uncovered with the help of digital tools for plagiarism control, the result of this should be attached.
All case documents are to be sent to the case officer for the Appeals Committee.
The paper is to be marked as usual. The examiner(s) must provide a professional assessment in order to decide if, and in which case how much, the student shall be penalised for a lack of independence and/or referencing. This could form the basis of a fail, but this is not to be an automatic assumption.
The examiner is to inform the Examination Office if there is any suspicion of cheating so that the grade can be suspended and this is to remain the case until the cheating case has been concluded. If the examination is annulled, the student will not receive a grade.
7. Further case handling in cases pertaining to the suspicion of cheating
Case officers, lecturers, examiners, invigilators and any others involved in the case of suspected cheating have the duty of confidentiality.
After the case documents have been sent, the case officer on the Appeals Committee has responsibility for the further processing of the case, including all contact with the student. There will, in the first stage, be an assessment of the case on the basis of previously handled cases before a decision will be made regarding whether it will be pursued further.
If the decision is indeed to pursue the case further, the student will be contacted in writing and asked to provide an explanation. The student will also be invited to a dialogue meeting and oriented about his/her right to the representation of a lawyer or another authorised agent, cf. Public Administration Act § 12. If there are grounds to suspend the student, then a legal case pertaining to a suspension will be opened, and the student will be notified of his/her right to the representation of a lawyer, paid for by the university, cf. the Act relating to universities and university colleges § 4-8 (5).
8. Treatment of cases pertaining to cheating by the university’s Appeals Committee
The decision-making authority regarding annulment and suspension is delegated from the Board to the university’s Appeals Committee.
The student alone, or together with his/her lawyer, has the opportunity to meet in the Appeals Committee to put forward his/her case. The possibility to participate in the Appeals Committee’s treatment of the case is not, however, open.
During the consideration of the case, the Appeals Committee will assess to what extent cheating is deemed to have taken place, viewed objectively, to what extent the student has acted wilfully or with gross negligence, and to what extent there can be some excuse connected to ignorance of the regulations.
The usual reaction in the case of grossly negligent cheating is the annulment of the examination/test in question, and suspension for one semester. For wilful cheating, the reaction is the annulment of the examination/test in question, and suspension for two semesters.
Decisions regarding annulment are made with a common majority. Decisions regarding suspensions require a 2/3 majority.
If the case in question applies to group work, the Appeals Committee must assess whether and to what extent one or several students are to be deemed responsible for the part of the work containing cheating, cf. the regulations concerning studies and examinations at the University of Agder (§ 31.5):
Suspicion of cheating or attempted cheating during group examinations where the same grade is awarded the entire group, is assessed individually for each group member. The set grade will continue to apply for students who have not cheated or attempted to cheat.
Any complaints regarding decisions pertaining to annulment and suspension are to be discussed first by the university’s Appeals Committee. If the decision is upheld, the complaint is to be sent on for treatment by the Joint Appeals Committee appointed by the Ministry.
9. Administrative follow-up of decisions regarding annulment and suspension
The case officer for the Appeals Committee will send the committee’s decision to the student, and a copy to the Examination Office, relevant Faculty and the individual who brought the case. If the case applies to a teaching student, a copy is also to be sent to the Teacher Education Unit. The International Office is to be informed about the decision if the case applies to an exchange or quota student.
The Faculty/department is responsible for providing necessary information to the various academic personnel that might require this (for example practicum coordinators, supervisors etc).
The Examination Office is responsible for registering necessary information in FS and on the grade sheets.
The case officer for the Appeals Committee contacts the student regarding the return of certificates if this is relevant. If this does not occur on a voluntary basis, the execution and enforcement commissioner is to be contacted for the enforcement of this pursuant to the Act relating to universities and university colleges § 4-7 (5).
The Examination Office is to ensure that the student card is deactivated for the duration of the period of suspension.
The case officer for the Appeals Committee registers the decision concerning the suspension in RUST (the register of excluded students).
Relevant regulations – follow-up of cheating cases
The following stipulations in the regulations concerning studies and examinations at the University of Agder are also relevant in following up cheating cases:
Examination candidates who have had an examination or test annulled as a result of cheating or attempted cheating, can at the earliest be admitted to the next ordinary examination or test.
An examination candidate who has had a bachelor’s thesis, master’s thesis or another large assignment annulled as a result of cheating, cannot deliver an improved version of the assignment with the same thesis statement. In particular circumstances, the Faculty Board might allow the candidate to make use of data material that has been collected as the basis for a new thesis with a new thesis statement.
In the case of complaints regarding the marking of group hand-ins where the grade awarded has been annulled for one or more of the group members as a result of cheating or attempted cheating, those responsible for the reassessment of the examination grade are to be informed as to the basis of the annulment.