08-02 Unfair Practice Allegation Reporting Form

08.2

UNFAIR PRACTICE ALLEGATION REPORTING FORM

Academic Handbook 2017/18 - Volume 1 - 08.2 – Unfair Practice Allegation Reporting Form – introduced 12.08.07 –modified 01.09.08, 15.04.10, 05.04.11, 26.05.11, 22.02.14, 28.01.16, 06.02.17; last modified11.10.17

HOW TO REPORT UNFAIR PRACTICE

GUIDANCE FOR ACADEMIC STAFF ON STAGES TO FOLLOW:

DISCOVERY OF UNFAIR PRACTICE (NON-EXAMINATION CONDITIONS):

If Unfair Practice is found during the marking process, the marker must pass on the information to the Programme Director and Deputy/Associate Dean (Learning Teaching) or appointed nominee.

The student’s assignment/dissertation must be shown, marked up if applicable with the evidence to prove any suspicion of collusion and/or plagiarism.

If TURNITIN is used, the report must be printed for comparison as well.

The Deputy/Associate Dean (Learning Teaching)or appointed nomineemust establish a case of Unfair Practice.

REPORTING OF UNFAIR PRACTICE:

Once a case has been established, the attached Unfair Practice reporting form must be completed and signed off by the Deputy/Associate Dean (Learning Teaching) or appointed nominee.

The mark that would have been awarded if it were the student’s own work must be included on the form. In exceptional situations where no mark is available, an indication must be given of whether the work would have been a pass, a marginal fail (normally 35-40), or a clear fail (normally under 35%). This is essential to ensure that any penalty for Unfair Practice takes into account the likely outcome had Unfair Practice not been alleged.

The form should be returned to the Academic Registry, (Llandaff Campus).

If the case involves an undergraduate or postgraduate dissertation (or anything relating to work over30 credits) the work plus evidence should be forwarded with the form.

If it relates to collusion, a meeting shall be held in the School before reporting the case, to establish the background to the alleged collusion. At this stage it could point to the case being one of plagiarism, rather than collusion where all parties are culpable. Students should be reminded that the sharing of their work, whether they are the student who provides their work to others, or the one who takes someone else’s work, is not permitted and is considered as collusion under section 2.2 of the Unfair Practice procedure.

If, after the meeting, a case of collusion still exists, the reporting form shall be sent to Academic Registry with a copy of the notes taken during the meeting with the students. If both students are in agreement over the circumstances surrounding the collusion, they will be offered the fixed penalty. Any dispute regarding the case will be forwarded to a Committee of Enquiry.

If the case relates to an assessment which is 30 credits or fewer, and is not automatically going to be forwarded to a Committee of Enquiry, the work (and evidence) should be held in the School until requested by the Academic Registry.

If the assessment has a value of 30 credits or fewer, please specify on the form whether or not the student should be given a choice of how their Unfair Practice should be viewed, whether a fixed penalty would be appropriate for the case,or whether it should come straight forward to a Committee meeting.

Where the allegation concerns alleged Unfair Practice for an assignment or examination totalling 30 credits or fewer, that is a second offence, the candidate shall be informed by the Assistant Registrar (Student Administration Services) (or nominee), that he/she may either (a) elect for the matter to be heard by a Committee of Enquiry or (b) to accept a “second fixed penalty‟, subject to the final paragraph of 5.3 (iv) below.

The second fixed penalty shall comprise:

Cancellation of all mark(s) for the module in question.

Opportunity to retake the module on payment of the module tuition fee, and full attendance at lectures and seminars.

The module mark will be capped at 40% and all assessments must be completed on a new topic.

This option is not possible for students who have had their final attempt at the module, are otherwise unable to retrieve or trail a module into the following academic year, or where the Deputy/Associate Dean (Learning Teaching)or appointed nomineedecides the second fixed penalty is not appropriate. The School must indicate this on the allegation reporting form. The student will then be invited to attend a Committee of Enquiry.

PROGRESSION OF UNFAIR PRACTICE CASES TO A COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY:

If you are a key witness in the case (i.e. discovered it during the marking process, or during an exam; are the student’s tutor; or have evidence relating to the case), you should make yourself available to attend the Committee of Enquiry.

If you are unable to attend, you should complete a witness statement and provide any evidence or communications had with the student, which will be shown to the panel and student/s involved.

ACTION TO TAKE FOLLOWING THE COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY:

The outcomes of the Committees, including copies of the letters sent to students, will be forwarded on to the Deputy/Associate Dean (Learning Teaching) or appointed nominee, and anyone else involved in the case, by the Academic Registry.

Committees of Enquiry have the power to decide how the student should proceed following the upholding of Unfair Practice.

It is the School’s responsibility to ensure that these requirements and recommendations are carried out.

The School must advise the students on any re-sits and re-submissions of their assessments, including new topics if this is an outcome from the Committee.

The School should also provide students with information regarding any re-submission fees.

Student records will be updated by the Academic Registry, and formal reprimands sent out.

ACTION TO TAKE IF UNFAIR PRACTICE BEING PROCESSED AT AN EXAM BOARD:

If the student opts for their case to be viewed at the Exam Board, the tutor, Programme Director and Deputy/Associate Dean (Learning Teaching)or appointed nomineewill be notified of this by the Academic Registry.

Tutors and others involved should then meet with the student to discuss their case/situation.

The School must then take this Unfair Practice to the next Exam Board and discuss the outcome of the Unfair Practice. This should be recorded on the student system sheets and/or in the Exam Board minutes.

The School must advise the students on the outcome of the Exam Board discussion of their Unfair Practice.

If there are any resubmissions involved these can either be reported to the next Exam Board, or confirmed as a Chair’s Action (unless relating to a final grade/outcome when it should be discussed at the next Exam Board).

The outcome must then be forwarded to the Academic Registry using the Reporting Form provided.

IF THERE IS ANY UNCERTAINTY RELATING TO UNFAIR PRACTICE, PLEASE REFER TO THE ACADEMIC HANDBOOK AND UNFAIR PRACTICE PROCEDURE WHERE ALL REGULATIONS ARE DETAILED

Unfair Practice Allegation Report

Student Name
Student Number
Programme Title
Module Name/Number
Credit Value / Year of Study
Collusion/plagiarism
Please use this space to indicate the mark that would have been awarded had Unfair Practice not been alleged. In exceptional cases, if no mark is available, please indicate whether the work would have been a Pass, Marginal Fail (35-40) or Clear Fail (below 35).
Please use this space to provide details of the Unfair Practice, detailing any sources related to the assignment, or other students involved, and any other relevant comments.
Attempt number (of this assessment):
Number of previous offences (if any):
Please indicate by marking the appropriate box below how you would like this case to be dealt with:
Committee of Enquiry
Examination Board
Fixed Penalty consisting of:

Formal reprimand
Cancellation of mark for assignment in question
Opportunity to resubmit on a new topic for mark capped at 40% upon payment of appropriate re-examination fee.

Second Level Fixed Penalty consisting of:

Cancellation of all mark(s) for the module in question.
Opportunity to retake the module on payment of the module tuition fee, and full attendance at lectures and seminars.
The module mark will be capped at 40% and all assessments must be completed on a new topic.

Found By
Programme Director
Course Tutor
Deputy/Associate Dean (Learning Teaching) or appointed nominee
Sign And Date
Office Use Only
Date Received
Received By
Letter Sent On