Academic misconduct

VUC’s academic regulations section 9-3 defines academic misconduct, it includes, but is not limited to:

• Having access to forbidden sources or devices during exams. For information regarding allowed aids and citing, see the regulations for citing and sourcing.
• Presenting others’ work as your own (plagiarism).
• Presenting your own work as new work without citing the source (self-plagiarism).
• Not correctly citing sources and quotes.
• Paraphrasing by using others’ materials without citing the source.
• Paraphrasing and excluding the page number(s) for the source.
• Accessing exams by cheating on tests or other requirements to be eligible to sit exams, or by dishonest means get attendance approved for compulsory teaching or activities.

Using previously submitted work without citing the source (self-plagiarism) can be viewed as academic misconduct.

Using text generated by artificial intelligence and presenting it as completely or partially your own, is not permitted.

Students working together in groups must be aware that assignments are considered as a whole when seen in the light of academic misconduct. This means that all group members have a duty to avoid academic misconduct, and students are held accountable for the text other group members have written.

The definition of non-permitted support materials varies based on the individual exam, work requirement or paper/thesis.

If an exam specifies that there are no permitted support materials, any object that may be used to gain an advantage during the exam is forbidden.

This non-comprehensive list details some examples of support materials that may not be permitted:
•    calculator or computer that goes beyond the permitted in contents or programmability.
•    Pre-installed software that allows students access to non-permitted materials
•    Phone or other digital devices (these are to be turned off and left in an assigned spot during the exam)
•    Papers, notes or memory sticks which contain any material
•    Extra notations in permitted support materials such as dictionaries, formularies, permitted notes with pre-prepared text, or other relevant texts
•    Non-permitted support materials available outside of the examination room, such as hidden in the toilets

Students are independently obligated to familiarise themselves with what support materials are permitted for their exams, work requirements or other submissions.
More information regarding support materials and sources available [here]
 

Using text generated by artificial intelligence and presenting it as completely or partially your own, is not permitted.

Individual exams are to be completely individually and submitted as independent work. Collaboration during these exams is considered collusion, which is a form of academic misconduct. Sending your exam to a fellow student to aid their work, can be considered as collusion.

Any form of collaboration during an individual exam, also interpreting the questions, is considered collusion, and therefore by law academic misconduct.

Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work or texts as your own. Plagiarism may, for example, be copying parts of someone else’s text, or lightly paraphrasing it, without marking the text as a quote and citing the source.

This means that students are not permitted to copy books, articles, content from the Internet, etc., without showing where the content originates, i.e. citing the source(s).

The following may be counted as plagiarism:
•    Presenting someone else's work as your own paper
•    Using someone else's text or ideas in your own without citing the source(s)
•    Directly quote a text without marking it as a quote, and without citing the source(s)
•    Paraphrasing a text without citing the source(s)

In order to avoid plagiarism, students are required to list all sources used in their work. They must therefore learn to correctly cite sources. Using a reference management software, such as Zotero (https://www.zotero.org/download/) may be useful for papers with many sources.

Using previously written texts without citing it (self-plagiarism) may be considered academic misconduct.

Self-plagiarism may occur when writing parts or entire previous works again. Paraphrasing or misquoting previous work may also be considered self-plagiarism.
 

In order to avoid self-plagiarism, students must cite their own previous work as a source, if they have used the text in a previously submitted exam, work requirement or other submission.

Students working together in groups must be aware that assignments are considered as a whole when seen in the light of academic misconduct. This means that all group members have a duty to avoid academic misconduct, and students are held accountable for the text other group members have written.

In order for VUC to be able to sanction an action, the action must be considered academic misconduct (the objective criterion), and the action must have been performed with a sufficient measure of culpability (the subjective criterion). This means that the action must be defined as academic misconduct by current regulations, and the action must have been deliberate (intentional), or have been negligent.

In order for an action to be considered attempted academic misconduct, the decision to perform the academically dishonest act must have been taken, but the student was discovered before the act was completed (intent to complete).

Students have an independent duty to familiarize themselves with current regulations. The expectations are especially high for exams and papers.

Academic misconduct or attempted academic misconduct may have severe consequences. It may lead to the exam being annulled. In addition, it may lead to exclusion from the institution for up to one (1) year, and the loss of the right to sit exams at other institutions of higher learning. Collusion is included in this.

In cases where academic misconduct is suspected, the case is investigated. A suspected student is normally asked to attend a meeting with the officer in charge of academic integrity. Students are informed of the suspicion and the reasons for it. Students are entitled to access to the case documents and to state their case.

Should VUC decide that there is reason for the matter to proceed, it is presented to the appeals committee for a decision.

The appeals committee decides in questions of academic misconduct or attempts at academic misconduct. Decisions may be appealed to the national appeals committee within three weeks. The national appeals committee’s decision is finall

While the case is being evaluated for cause to proceed, the student in question is entitled to view case documents and make a statement. When the case proceeds to the appeals committee, the student in question is entitled to assistance from a lawyer or similar. VUC pays for legal assistance in accordance with the official fee rate, and students must contact a lawyer themselves.

Students may appeal decisions from the appeals committee. Appeals should be addressed to the national appeals committee. Decisions regarding exclusions may be challenged in the district court in accordance with Lov om universiteter og høyskoler (Act relating to universities and university colleges) section 4-11. These challenges must be presented within three (3) months of final decisions in the national appeals committee.