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Inappropriate Collaboration
Introduction
The University of Manitoba treats cases of inappropriate collaboration and
other forms of academic dishonesty, very seriously. Honesty and fairness
are fundamental aspects of the University’s mission. As a result, any
member of the University community who violates these principles is dealt
with as if he/she is damaging the integrity of the University itself. If
you have been accused of inappropriate collaboration or a similar
scholastic offence, you may be surprised at how formally and seriously the
accusation is dealt with and how severe the consequences can be. Students
may be sanctioned or disciplinary action may be taken under the Student
Discipline bylaw, 1202.
Purpose of this information
It is hoped that this information will:
- help you understand what
inappropriate collaboration is so you can avoid committing this
offence inadvertently;
- help, if you have been
accused of inappropriate collaboration.
The student’s
responsibility
It is the responsibility of the student to:
- know the rules; ignorance
of the rules does not excuse inappropriate collaboration or any other
form of cheating;
- ensure that your work is
original and 100% a result of your effort and yours alone;
- understand what constitutes
inappropriate collaboration. Always ask your professor if you are
unsure;
- The syllabus or the
course web site should outline your professor’s expectations.
The specific assignment instructions should also be helpful.
- Never guess or assume.
Always ask and be sure.
What is collaboration?
Collaboration can include, but is not limited to:
- jointly calculating homework
problems;
- having another person
help you rewrite a paper;
- sharing sources for a
take-home exam;
- working in a group on a
lab or computer assignment;"debugging"
another student’s computer program;
- checking homework answers with
others.
Why limit or prohibit
collaboration?
Inappropriate collaboration is unethical because it:
- misrepresents joint work
as an individual’s work;
- gives people who break
the rules an unjust advantage and results in unfair competition;
- prevents learning (those who work
with others on an assignment are not gaining all the knowledge and
skills that they would be from doing the entire assignment on their
own).
When is collaboration
inappropriate?
When students work together or share information without specific
instructions by the professor, this constitutes inappropriate
collaboration. This applies to in-class or take-home tests, papers, labs,
or homework assignments; basically, any assignment that will be submitted
for a grade. Students should not collaborate until the professor gives
specific instructions about group work and when this is permissible.
What are the "ground
rules"?
- you should follow the
directions of your professor with regard to working independently or
in a group;
- you should only work with
other students to the extent that is specified by your professor;
- if you are not sure about
what your professor’s expectations are, ask before choosing to
work with someone else;
- even if your professor
permits students to collaborate on an assignment it is never ethical
to copy someone’s work or to let them copy yours.
If you have been accused of
inappropriate collaboration:
Control your angry feelings. It is a common reaction to feel anger
toward the person who alleges that you have cheated. It is important that
you master these feelings to prevent you from saying or doing something you
may later regret.
Be honest. Always answer questions honestly, as it is your
professor’s obligation to determine the truth. Your honesty may be
taken into consideration when determining the penalty assigned if you are
found guilty.
Know your rights. There is an appeal process available to you,
should you find the case was handled improperly by others. You are also
able to see a Student Advocate to receive help or advice in the preliminary
stages of an investigation.
What is the next step?
Meet with a Student Advocate;
- Usually, a meeting with
your professor and the department head takes place;
- This will be an
opportunity for both sides to present their issues and for a
determination of academic dishonesty (inappropriate collaboration) to
be made;
- The department head will
then make several decisions regarding the allegations.
The situation may
result in a warning or a penalty;
If this is judged to be a serious breach of academic integrity, the case
may be referred to the dean’s office or beyond.
The penalty
If you are found guilty of the offence, the penalty assigned to you may
vary according to the following factors:
- was he or she honest and
cooperative during the investigation?
- is he or she genuinely
sorry for committing the offence?
- was it planned or was it an
impulse?
- were there extenuating
circumstances to consider?
- was this behaviour
a detriment to the University?
- were other students unduly compromised?
- has the student done this
before?
- was the student aware that
his or her actions were dishonest?
Range of penalties (disciplinary
action)
The professor who brought the allegation against the student cannot impose
the penalty (Student Discipline Bylaw; 1202). He or she must refer the
matter to the department head or dean.
Penalties can include:
- a reprimand;
- student being required to
repeat and re-submit the assignment;
- a failing grade on the
assignment.
- "F" in course
(usually for a first offence);
- sometimes noted on
student’s history as a "F-CW" which indicates failure
due to compulsory withdrawal;
- suspension for one year
or more;
- notation on student history (this
may be removed at the request of the student once suspension has been
served).
- expulsion- permanent withdrawal
from the university.
Can I appeal? How?
Yes, students do have the right to appeal either
the disciplinary matter, the disciplinary action, or both. The
Student Advocacy office can assist you in your appeal process. The process
normally involves writing a letter to the appropriate authority explaining
your situation, followed by attendance at a hearing where a committee will
hear your case.
The first level of the appeal is the Local Discipline Committee (L.D.C.)
which is assembled to hear appeals at the faculty level. If you are not
satisfied with the outcome at this level, you may appeal further to the
University Discipline Committee (U.D.C.) which hears appeals of L.D.C.
decisions or decisions made from other disciplinary authorities such as
residence appeal committees.
How to avoid inappropriate
collaboration
You can protect yourself from being charged with inappropriate
collaboration by taking the initiative to prevent it:
- know the rules. You should
know exactly what your professor expects from you on each assignment;
- do not work with another
student on any assignment unless specifically authorized by your
professor to do so;
- acknowledge all assistance received.
This includes help from friends or others in terms of proofreading,
suggestions, or information;
- do not submit work that is
not entirely yours. If you have copied or borrowed ideas from another
student then the work is not entirely yours;
- do not lend your work to
other students unless you are absolutely certain that they will not
use it dishonestly–even then, think again;
- ask your professor. When in
doubt about any practice, ask! Do not rely on information from
friends, relatives, or fellow students about what is acceptable. If
they are mistaken, it is you who will have to deal with the
consequences.
Frequently
asked questions and answers
Q. Can I withdraw
from a course while my case is in progress?
A. Students are not normally allowed to withdraw from the course in
which they are suspected of committing an offence until a final decision on
the case has been made. As well, you may not withdraw from the course once
the penalty is assigned, in order to avoid that penalty. You may, however,
still be able to withdraw from other courses if they are not related to the
offence. If it is a serious case, you may not be permitted to change any
courses until the investigation is completed.
Q. Can I get my degree while the case is being investigated?
A. The University will not award you any degree, diploma, or
certificate until the final decision on your case has been made. You will
be able to use university facilities, unless there is a valid reason to bar
you and you can usually continue to be registered to take courses. You may
be put on a "hold" status to prevent you from being able to
request your transcript and subsequently transfer to another institution.
Your student status stands while your situation is under investigation or
appeal.
Q. Will this be recorded on my transcript?
A. That depends on whether part of the disciplinary action includes
a transcript notation of academic dishonesty. If so, it will be up to the
discretion of the decision-maker to determine the length of the notation up
to 5 years. A student can make a request, after a certain length of time,
to have this notation removed. The Student Advocacy office can assist with
this request.
Student Advocacy
gratefully acknowledges the following resources:
- Working the System Series, University of Toronto "Accused of Cheating?
- Student Judicial Affairs, September 1999
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