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Guidelines for dealing with cheating or attempted cheating at VID Specialized University

Approved by the Vice-Rector for Education on 20 November 2024.

The guidelines are based on Act no. 9 relating to Universities and University Colleges of 8 March 2024 and the Regulation of 4 June 2024 relating to Degrees, Admissions, Studies and Examinations at VID Specialized University.

1. General provisions 

VID takes cheating very seriously. Cheating and attempted cheating represent a form of disloyalty to fellow students, and are viewed as a breach of trust between the student and VID. Cheating also gives an inaccurate picture of the student’s knowledge and competence. VID qualifies its students to work in occupations and professions that require them to be honest and reliable. This is also expected to be reflected in the VID–student relationship and in students’ relationships with their peers. 

Before exams or assessments, students must have access to information on which exam aids are permitted. Students must also have access to information about the rules for citing and using sources on VID’s website. 

In exam and assessment situations, students are subject to a stringent requirement of due care, and they have a duty to familiarize themselves with the information provided in connection with each exam/assessment. Lack of knowledge about this requirement does not absolve students from the duty of due care. 

The guidelines cover all courses at bachelor, master and doctoral level, as well as continuing education at VID Specialized University. The guidelines apply to mandatory coursework and exams, and cover all VID students and external candidates. 

2. What is cheating? The following may constitute cheating or attempted cheating if it is likely to give an unfair advantage: • violating the rules for the examination in question • using or having access to exam aids that are not permitted during the exam • presenting someone else’s work as your own without sufficient citing of or reference to sources • submitting answers that someone else has prepared for the student • use of the student’s own previous work, which has resulted in study credits or the right to take an exam, without indicating this • fabrication or falsification of data • answers where the content is generated by a bot/artificial intelligence, and presented as the student’s own work • answers that are based on false or incorrect data or observations that are fabricated and presented as factual • submitting practical or artistic work produced by someone other than the student • irregular collaboration between students or groups • unfairly gained access to the exam paper before the exam starts

2.1 Collaboration on assessments without an invigilator, such as coursework, home examinations, portfolios, written assignments, bachelor theses and master theses Some forms of examination or assessment allow and require collaboration between students, while others require individual output to be submitted. In connection with assessments without an invigilator, it must be clear from the information provided about the assessment in question whether the answer is to be a group or individual effort. In the case of individual assessments, certain forms of collaboration between students are permitted, such as discussions of issues, interpretation of the assignment question, suggestions for literature or other sources. Discussions during the work are also permitted, but the actual assignment/answer/work must be undertaken by the individual candidate on his/her own. If two or more answers are essentially very similar or identical in terms of, for example, content and structure, language, academic views, misunderstandings or source citations, this may be the result of non-permitted collaboration that constitutes cheating or attempted cheating. It is therefore important that students have a thorough understanding of the boundaries between permitted and non-permitted collaboration in individual assessments.

2.2 Suspected cheating in invigilated exams If it is suspected that unauthorised exam aids are being used, it is irrelevant whether the student actually used or attempted to use them. If cheating is suspected during a written invigilated exam, the student must be informed of this suspicion. The student can choose whether to complete or cancel the exam.

3. Procedure 3.1 Marking When cheating is suspected, the answers will be marked in the usual way and a grade given. When cheating is suspected, the examiners will report this to the examination coordinator in the Division for Academic and Student Affairs with a brief description of the findings. There can be grey areas where it may be necessary to distinguish between what is regarded as cheating or attempted cheating and what is a poorly-informed, academically immature or unoriginal answer. The following definitions may be helpful in such cases: • Answers where small parts of a generally known textbook have been copied or paraphrased without referencing the source are not automatically regarded as cheating or attempted cheating, but are regarded as academically immature and unoriginal. • Answers where parts of more obscure material or earlier work of the student or others has been copied or paraphrased without referencing the source is considered cheating or attempted cheating. These definitions, however, depend on the level of study, and will be most relevant to undergraduates. The scope and form of examination can also be taken into account to a certain extent, e.g. whether it relates to a coursework requirement or a major exam. When cheating or attempted cheating is suspected, the student’s mark will be withheld and will not be announced until a decision has been made.

If the Appeals Committee decides on an annulment of the exam, the marking is revoked. If the committee determines that the examination should not be annulled, the student will be informed of his/her grade. If the committee concludes that cheating did not take place and the 3 student is given a fail grade, the student has the right to resit the exam, resubmit mandatory coursework or take the deferred exam, see Section 6-8 (2) of the Regulations relating to Admissions, Studies, Examinations and Degrees at VID.

3.2 Documentation

Cheating can have serious implications for the person concerned, and as a general principle, conclusive evidence of cheating or attempted cheating is therefore required. When cheating is suspected, it is important to immediately:

  • clarify the situation
  • secure any evidence

Cases of cheating must be given priority and processed without undue delay.

Documentation must be as comprehensive and accurate as possible and include all relevant case documents. What is relevant will vary according to the form of examination and the method of cheating. This may include:

  • the exam paper, exam answer, answer criteria, examiner’s notes and similar documents that are used in the suspected cheating
  • plagiarism report
  • course description and programme description
  • report from the subject teacher/programme coordinator/faculty
  • report from the exam invigilator/supervisor for school exams
  • report from the examiner for home exams
  • email communication or other written communication with the student
  • minutes from meetings and conversations with the student

3.3 The student’s rights

The student will be informed as soon as possible that a case of cheating or attempted cheating is being prepared and will be given the opportunity to comment. The faculty will call the student to a meeting and make him/her aware of the situation and the reason for the case being raised. The student will have the opportunity to give his/her version of events. Students must be given written details of their rights and the procedure for such cases. Minutes of the meeting will be taken.

The student has the right to receive support from a legal representative or other spokesperson at all stages of the case processing, see Section 12 (1) of the Public Administration Act. When the student has chosen a representative and their identity is made known, all further contact will take place through this representative.

Under Section 18 of the Public Administration Act, the student or his/her representative has the right to access documents relating to the case. The right of access normally only applies to the actual basis for the claim, e.g. own exam answers, description of the course of events and reports from the examiner/exam inspector.

From the date that the question of expulsion or exclusion is raised, the student is entitled to have his/her expenses covered by VID, see Section 12-9 (2) of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. The student is entitled to be reimbursed for legal costs at the statutory rate and on the terms under the Regulations relating to lawyers' fees.

3.4 Duty of confidentiality

The case officer has a duty of confidentiality in respect of the suspected cheating or attempted cheating, see Section 13 of the Public Administration Act. This also applies to examiners, subject teachers and other employees involved with such cases. Documents in cases where cheating or attempted cheating is suspected are exempt from public disclosure, pursuant to Section 13 of the Freedom of Information Act and Section 13 of the Public Administration Act

3.5 Case preparation for the university’s Appeals Committee

If the case being presented relates to cheating, it will be investigated by the faculty, and the programme coordinator in the faculty will forward the recommendation and all case documents to the secretary of the Appeals Committee, with a copy to the student. Details must be given of parties involved, as they may be called as witnesses.

The faculty will make an objective assessment of whether cheating or attempted cheating has taken place, and whether the matter is considered to be a result of gross negligence or wilful misconduct. The faculty will also propose what sanctions should be imposed.

The Division for Academic and Student Affairs will assist the faculties in their preparation and investigation of the case such that the case is complete when submitted to the Appeals Committee.

4. Processing by VID’s Appeals Committee

The Appeals Committee makes a first instance decision in cases of suspected cheating or attempted cheating, see Section 14-1 (2) of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges.

The processing of cases concerning suspected cheating or attempted cheating will, as a general rule, be based on written presentation of all relevant material in the case. The secretary of the Appeals Committee will ensure that all papers in the case are accessible to the committee for their assessment and decision.

The secretary of the Appeals Committee will inform the student or his/her representative of when the committee will process the case. The committee decides on a case by case basis whether the student or his/her representative will be summoned to a meeting. Attendance at the meeting is not mandatory.

If the Appeals Committee finds that a student has cheated or attempted to cheat as a result of gross negligence or wilful misconduct, the following sanctions may be applied under Section 12- 4 (2) and (3) of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges:

  • Annulment of examinations or tests or accreditation of training
  • Exclusion from VID and loss of the right to take the exam at VID or any other institution pursuant to the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges for up to one year, and up to two years in particularly severe cases.

If the Appeals Committee determines that a student has cheated or attempted to cheat through gross negligence or wilful misconduct by reusing their own previously credited work without proper citation, VID will typically impose the following sanction:

  • Annulment of examinations or tests or accreditation of training

If the Appeals Committee finds that a student has intentionally contributed to cheating or attempted cheating, Section 12-4 (4) of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges provides the following sanction option:

  • Exclusion from VID and loss of the right to take the exam at VID or any other institution pursuant to the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges for up to one year.

The secretary of the Appeals Committee informs the student or his/her representative of the committee’s decision, including the reason behind it and its implications for the student. The student is informed about the right to appeal, the deadline for this, the appeal body and the right to request a suspension, see Chapter V of the Public Administration Act.

Decisions on exclusion apply from the time of the Appeals Committee’s decision. The decision can also be implemented with immediate effect in cases where the student appeals the decision. The secretary of the Appeals Committee notifies the faculty and the Division for Academic and Student Affairs of the committee’s decision, and what follow-up is required by the faculty for the case in question.

In the event of a decision on annulment, the Division for Academic and Student Affairs will make the necessary entries in the record of the exam result. In the event of a decision on exclusion, the Division for Academic and Student Affairs will record the exclusion in the Register of Excluded Students (RUST) and the Common Student System (FS), pursuant to Section 12-11 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, and the faculty will ensure that the student does not attend classes during the exclusion period, with the exception of public lectures that are open to everyone.

5. Appeals to the Joint Appeals Committee

Decisions by VID’s Appeals Committee on annulment and exclusion can be appealed in accordance with Section 14-2 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. The Ministry of Education and Research has established a Joint Appeals Committee (national appeals body) for such cases.

An appeal against a decision made by the Appeals Committee is first sent to the committee for reconsideration. If the committee upholds the decision, the secretary of the committee forwards the appeal to the Joint Appeals Committee, whose decision is final.

If the Joint Appeals Committee upholds the decision of VID’s Appeals Committee, the student can take his/her exclusion case to the district court, see Section 12-10 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. Any such legal proceedings against VID must be filed within three months of the final decision being announced. VID covers all legal costs.