So you’ve left all of your work until the last minute and you start to panic… aaaarrgggh….. what ever you do don’t offend. An academic offence can be anything from documenting an author’s work in your coursework and not referencing it correctly to cheating in an examination. Whatever it is, academic offences are taken extremely seriously at the University of Derby and can often result in failing your degree or even worse getting kicked out.

Plagiarism

Taking ideas from an author and presenting them unacknowledged, as one’s own. This can also occur when a student does not properly reference their work as not being their own. Think of it like this, you’ve just written a 3000 word essay and absolutely worked your butt off to get it done in time…. a fellow student leaves theirs until the final deadline day of handing in…. in a panic-stricken rush and after realising they incapable of getting it done within the time constraints, they use 90% of work lifted straight from a set text and claim it as their own…results day finally comes…you get a rewarding and proud grade ‘A’. but so do they…not fair is it!

This scenario is just an example of one form of plagiarism and if you are at all unsure about referencing please refer to the relevant referencing systems put in place by your course leaders. The most common method is through the Harvard referencing system but make sure you refer to the applicable method according to your course.

Collusion

Where there is a requirement for the student to submit work which is solely of that individual, collaboration is not permitted. Students who improperly submit this work or where students are permitted or instructed to work together to achieve common outcomes, such as group activity is regarded as approved collaboration.

Impersonation

A student who is substituted by another person in an examination or who submits by substitution the work of another person as her or his own is guilty of deception by impersonation. This offence may be applied to both the student and the accomplice.

Cheating In Exams

This ‘crime’ is all too often skirted over, but the implications of cheating in both exams and coursework is regarded extremely seriously by the university and if you are found to be committing an offence, you could face potential expulsion from your course.

More information on the conduct expected from students in formal examinations and coursework can be found in your copy of Rights, Responsibilities and Regulations as well as things like complaints and appeals. You should have received a CD Rom copy of this within enrolment, however if you find that you don’t have one of these, it is essential that you get yourself a copy; you may consider it tedious and slightly long winded, but this is your bible so to speak and anything you need to know is found in this document so do make sure you have one. You can also download a copy off the Derby University website at: http://www.derby.ac.uk/qed/3Rs/