The College is required to ensure that its assessments are equitable, valid and reliable. Any form of cheating poses a threat to the academic standards of the College’s qualifications, and to the integrity of qualifications awarded to the vast majority of students who achieve their qualification entirely by legitimate means. It undermines the genuine, honest hard work of the vast majority of students and our institutional ethics.

The College takes any instances of academic misconduct very seriously and expects all of its students to behave in a manner which upholds the principles of academic honesty which are fundamental to the values promoted by the College. Academic dishonesty can be described as any action by a student which gives (or which has the potential to give) an unfair advantage in an assessment, or to assist someone else to gain an unfair advantage, or any activity likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research. Generally, no student should be allowed to obtain for themselves, or for another candidate, an unfair advantage as a result of academic dishonesty.

With further details in the Academic Regulations and Disciplinary Procedures for Students, academic misconduct might include, but is not limited to:

• Plagiarism: Passing off another’s thoughts, ideas, writings or images as one’s own. In order to avoid accusations of plagiarism it is very important to fully reference your work using the Harvard referencing system.
• Collusion: Submitting work for assessment that has been completed in collaboration with others as entirely your own work. This does not apply where you are submitting group projects or assessments that are intended to be produced collaboratively.
• Falsification: Giving a false excuse for missing a deadline or falsely claiming to have submitted work.
• Submitting work that is not your own.
• Cheating: Attempting to give or receive help in a formal academic exercise; copying another’s work; unauthorised possession of notes.
• Ghosting: Submitting work for assessment that you have purchased.
• Personation: Assuming the identity or another student or allowing someone else to assume your identity in order to gain unfair advantage.

It is your responsibility to ensure that any work presented for assessment is your own.

You will be introduced to good academic practice as part of your studies, including use of the Harvard referencing system. However, if at any stage you are worried about how your reference or otherwise cite your sources, you should not hesitate to speak to a member of your programme team or the Library team.