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Cheating,
Plagiarism & Fraud
Preamble
A primary responsibility of the University is to provide its students with
the opportunity for inquiry and the freedom to discuss and express
one’s view openly and freely without fear of retaliation, or abuse of
person or property. These attributes are the foundation of good citizenship.
To this end, students have an obligation to act in a fair and reasonable
manner toward their peers, the faculty, staff, administration and the
physical property of the University. Academic integrity and personal
conduct, both on-campus and off-campus, are critical elements in achieving
these goals. Violations of University regulations which have been adopted
to protect the university community will be subject to disciplinary action.
This may include, but is not limited to, violations of regulations
governing plagiarism, cheating, examination impersonation, academic fraud
and acts of personal behaviour such as sexual
harassment, violation of human rights, vandalism and substance abuse. The
student discipline by-law provides guidance to those individuals charged
with administering disciplinary action while, at the same time, outlining
the protection to be afforded students through their right of appeal.
Disciplinary authorities are encouraged, whenever possible and appropriate,
to settle findings of violation by informal resolution.
University of Manitoba Policy 1202 , Student Discipline By-Law, November,
1992
The purpose of this information
is to
- help if you have been
accused of an academic offense;
- help you decide what to
do should you suspect someone else of committing an academic offense;
- help you understand academic
offenses better so you can avoid committing them inadvertently.
It is important to
know the rules. The University of Manitoba’s rules can be found in
the General Calendar, under "General Academic Regulations and
Policy." In addition to the University of Manitoba’s Student
Discipline Policy, the University has policies on copyrights and patents
and research ethics. These can be found in the Senate Policy &
Procedures Manual. You can obtain copies of these policies from the Web (U
of M Home Page) or the Student Advocacy office (Room 519 University
Centre). Finally, there are handouts on plagiarism or related subjects, and
course outlines should make reference to cheating or plagiarism. Excellent
writing guides are available in the library and the Book Store. Every
student involved in essay or report-writing should follow an appropriate
style guide in order to correctly and completely acknowledge all sources
and forms of assistance.
It is the responsibility of the
student to know the rules!
The University places a high value on academic honesty. It has implemented
various measures in an attempt to curb academic dishonesty:
- examinations are
invigilated;
- individuals taking
examinations are required to sign in and to display a student ID card;
- different versions of an
exam may be alternated row by row;
- assignments done out of
class time are subject to other forms of vigilance and scrutiny;
- faculty can often tell
that an essay has been plagiarized, even if they do not at first know
the exact source of unacknowledged passages;
- faculty are aware of various
forms of ‘Cyber-Cheating’ which may include downloading
papers from the ‘Net or purchasing an essay from an agency.
Despite
everyone’s best efforts, students responding anonymously to surveys
indicate a fairly high level of cheating - well above the numbers of
students caught and punished. Some cheating and plagiarism is due to
student ignorance of rules and obligations. One goal of this handout is to
reduce cheating due to ignorance.
Students who cheat, cheat their fellow students most of all.
What to do if you are accused of cheating or plagiarism
- You will probably feel
angry at the person who accuses you, even though he or she is just
trying to make the academic environment more honest. Do what you can
to master your angry feelings so you won’t say anything you
later regret.
- Answer questions
honestly. The instructor has an obligation to investigate and to try
to determine the truth.
- Remember, there is an
appeal process available to you. If the instructor investigating the
allegations against you seems unwilling to hear your side, you can
appeal. Remember, too, that the burden of proof is on the University.
- Consider the evidence
against you. Evidence does not have to be conclusive. The burden of
proof is based on the ‘balance of probabilities’ that is,
if a reasonable person can say: "Based on this evidence, cheating
probably took place."
- You have a right to
appeal either the decision (finding of fault) or the disciplinary
action (penalty).
- Lying or fabricating
evidence may lead to a more severe punishment.
If you run into an instructor who, in your opinion, is handling a cheating
accusation poorly, seeking advice from someone else (another faculty
member, a Student Advocate) may help you. Here are examples of some improper
reactions to academic dishonesty:
A.
The
instructor appears to take the matter very personally, looks at the alleged
offender with loathing, and says some pretty hurtful things.
B.
The
instructor warns the student not to appeal because much worse could happen
than the sanction being imposed. The calendar may be cited in support of
this claim, the instructor may say something like:
"You could be expelled if you appeal"!
C.
The
instructor offers no reason for believing the student cheated, but demands
proof that the student did not.
D.
The
instructor offers superficial evidence for an accusation based on a
generalization or a judgment of the person. ("I can’t believe
anyone your age would say that." "The writing is too good for a
student".)
Penalties
Various factors influence instructors, department heads and deans when
determining punishments for academic dishonesty:
- was the offense planned or
the result of an impulse?
- has the student been honest
and cooperative during the investigative process?
- is this a first offense?
- does the student appear to be
genuinely sorry for the offense?
- were other students
compromised through the actions of this student?
- was this student
irresponsible in not knowing that the offense was an offense?
The penalties listed in the General Calendar and the Student Discipline
Policy are examples. They range in severity from
reprimand (least severe) to expulsion and criminal prosecution. An
instructor who believes a student is guilty of a scholastic offense cannot
impose penalties but must refer the matter to the Department Head/Dean.
There is no rule about which penalties are applied for which offenses, but
there are patterns in the ways that penalties have been applied in the
past. Patterns are not rules, and instructors, departments and deans are
free to depart from them.
Less severe penalties: (The following refers to undergraduate students
in non-professional faculties. As you progress through your studies
penalties tend to become more severe.)
- reprimand.
- requirement that the
student repeat and resubmit the assignment, or
- a failing grade in the
assignment.
One or more of these
penalties is usual in case the offense is a first offense, the offense
could have been a mistake (for instance, an error in documenting sources in
an essay), and/or there is no very good reason to believe the student
intended to deceive.
Failure (F). This is the normal penalty when the offense is probably
intentional and is a first offense. Often a failing grade is given
resulting in an F - CW . The CW notation means F
due to compulsory withdrawal in that course.
Severe penalties apply if there is evidence of planning or involvement
of others in the offense. Suspension for one year or more is typical
for a student who was previously found guilty, even if the offense
resulting in suspension is less serious.
Often suspension due to a disciplinary matter results in a transcript
notation. After serving the suspension, a student may make a request in
writing to the Director of Student Records that this notice be removed.
Expulsion, unlike suspension, is deemed to be permanent. Expulsion
appears to be reserved for very serious cases which may also involve
criminal prosecution.
Criminal prosecution is reserved for criminal acts, such as fraud, forgery,
theft and impersonation. See the Calendar for more information.
Fraud
The regulations on scholastic offenses in the Calendar describe a number of
fraudulent acts. While innocent acts can sometimes be mistaken for cheating
or plagiarism, this rarely happens with fraud. Fraud is usually a
deliberate lie. For example, submitting a forged doctor’s letter or
failing to disclose information on an application is fraudulent.
Consequently, it is sometimes dealt with more severely.
How to appeal
- You may appeal a charge
of academic dishonesty. You have at least two levels of appeal open to
you. There is a L.D.C. (Local Discipline Committee) struck to hear
faculty appeals and a U.D.C. (University Discipline Committee) to hear
appeals arising from L.D.C. decisions.
- If you are guilty but you
feel the disciplinary action is too severe, you can also appeal. Begin
your appeal with whichever office imposed the penalty
(Departments/Schools and Faculties). You may obtain
assistance/information from the Student Advocacy office, Room 519
University Centre.
How offenses are recorded
- There will be a notation
on the record and the transcript if a student is suspended or
expelled. Some discipline actions include an F - CW designation.
- The Student Discipline
By-Law outlines reporting responsibilities for the academic staff and
disciplinary authorities.
- It is your right to know
how information about you is retained, and for how long.
How to avoid cheating and
plagiarism
In tests and exams
- Do not sit near friends.
- Shield your answer sheet
so that others cannot see it.
- Take no notes, books or
other items into a test or exam except those expressly authorized. If
unsure about what is permitted, always ask.
- Do not gaze around the
room when writing a test or exam.
- Do not communicate with
any other student during a test or exam: communicate only with the
instructor or proctor.
- Arrive on time. Hand in
all papers as required.
- If you hear of anyone
obtaining information about a test or exam in advance, report it to
the instructor without delay.
- If procedures for
administering or supervising tests or exams seem inadequate to you,
let the instructor or other authority know what your concerns are.
- Report to the invigilator
or instructor any unusual or suspicious behaviour
of other students writing the test or exam.
In essays, reports and other
assignments
- Know the rules, including
the specific rules for the specific assignment.
- Do not work with a fellow
student on any assignment unless authorized to do so. It is called
‘inappropriate collaboration’ if you exceed the amount of
group work expected by the professor. Make sure you clearly understand
the professor’s expectations for individual and group work on
each assignment/project.
- Acknowledge all
assistance received, including help from friends or others in terms of
proofreading, suggestions or information.
- Do not submit work that
is not entirely yours i.e., use of another student’s essay, use
of a downloaded essay from the ‘Net’, use of an assignment
purchased from a service/agency.
- Do not cite in your
bibliography any books, articles or other sources e.g., including the world wide web, which you have not used for the
assignment in question.
- Do not lend your work to
other students unless you feel certain they will not use it
dishonestly.
- Keep a photocopy of all
assignments, essays, and reports you hand in to be graded. Keep rough
copies and notes until your final grade is received. Notes and rough
copies can constitute valuable evidence that your work is your own.
- When saving electronic
files, save the drafts of assignments/ papers under different
versions. This maintains a record of your work as it develops to the
final version.
- If you submit an
assignment by sliding it under an instructor’s office door (not
recommended), confirm the next day or as soon as you can that the
assignment was received. Make a note of the actual time and date of
submission.
- The assignment you
prepare for one course should not be used for a different course. This
is called ‘duplicate submission’.
- When in doubt about any
practice, ask your instructor. Do not rely on friends, relatives or
fellow students for information about what is acceptable academic
practice in a particular course or discipline.
- When material you read
impresses you, be particularly careful to use your own words. Use
quotation marks and cite sources whenever you use the words of
another, even phrases only one or two words in length. Acknowledge all
sources of information and inspiration.
What to do if you know or
suspect someone else of cheating
Anyone who suspects someone else of committing a scholastic offense has
several choices:
- talk about your
suspicions with the other person
- report the suspicion to
the Instructor/Chair/Dean
- remain uninvolved
Before deciding to remain uninvolved, consider the big picture.
Who benefits most from your lack of action? The wrong-doer. If you feel a
moral obligation to try to make your university a fairer and more honest
place, try to find a way to get involved. Please contact the Student
Advocacy office for advice.
Talking to the other person: Many University of Manitoba students hope to enter
professions where peer monitoring is an important means of maintaining
professional ethical standards. If you decide to talk to someone you
suspect of academic dishonesty, make sure you are familiar with the policy
on scholastic offenses. Then consider the evidence you have that a
dishonest act has taken or will take place. Be clear about your own motives
and goals. You may want to consult someone you trust before undertaking the
difficult task of talking to someone you suspect.
Reporting a suspect: There are two ways to make such a report: (1)
by giving the instructor, head or dean a tip; (2) by giving evidence. When
you give a tip, you need not disclose your identity. You are merely
advising the instructor, chair or dean that you
suspect academic dishonesty took place (or will probably take place). It is
up to that person to investigate and gather evidence needed to charge the
offenders. You do not become a witness. A tip can be written, phoned or
given in person.
Sometimes a tip will not be useful because the instructor is unable to find
any evidence in support of the claims made. From the university’s
point of view it is always preferable to have a witness willing to state
what they have seen or heard.
If you have any questions, please contact our office. The Student Adocacy office manitains a
resource file on the topic of Academic Integrity for students and staff.
Test your understanding of academic honesty by accessing our web-site.
We gratefully acknowledge permission to use as a
primary source, material in the handout produced by the Ombudsman’s
office, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario.
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