The University of Worcester takes all allegations of suspected academic misconduct & plagiarism very seriously and has procedures in place when dealing with students. Click here to view the Academic Misconduct Procedure.
What is Academic Misconduct?
The University of Worcester uses the terms 'academic misconduct' and 'cheating' to cover all the possible methods of plagiarism both intentional and unintentional.
Examples of academic misconduct include:
- Quoting someone else's work without proper references or quotation marks
- Using other materials such as charts and tables without reference
- Copying from another student, with or without permission
- Collaborative work with other students presented as your own work
- Submitting work that had been submitted to the University at an earlier stage without referencing the earlier work (self-plagiarism)
- Using a website (also called an essay mill) to source assignments
Surely no-one will know if there's misconduct in my work...
It is wrong to think that you can commit plagiarism and it will go undetected. The University uses sophisticated software called Turnitin to detect plagiarism as well as the judgement of academics.
The risks of committing plagiarism are serious and can lead to the termination of your studies
What are the penalties?
The penalties depend on the seriousness of the academic misconduct and a students’ level of study.
- Assignments may be downgraded or require resubmission.
- Whole modules can require retaking, usually at a cost to the student.
- Students on professional courses, including health and education, can be prevented from progressing into their following year of study.
- In serious cases students can have their studies terminated.
Penalties can be imposed by Academic Integrity Tutors (AITs) or by a formal Academic Misconduct Committee.
What if I have been accused of suspected misconduct?
- Advice and representation is available from the Student Advisors in the Students' Union.
- We are here to help you understand the regulations and procedures. We also ensure that any case is handled in accordance with University procedures and that the outcome is reached fairly.
- We can help you prepare for any meetings you might have to attend and accompany you if needed.
