Procedure for cases of cheating and plagiarism
The Department of Theology’s procedure for cases of cheating and plagiarism
It is called plagiarism when one copies texts without indicating the source or reproduces texts verbatim or almost verbatim without using quotation marks. Examples of cheating are using unauthorized aids, such as unauthorized notes during an exam. Other examples of cheating are collaboration between students on individual mandatory tasks and changing/ completing text in a marked and returned piece of exam.
It is not permitted to use AI-generated text (from e.g. ChatGPT) and submit it as your own text. It is also not permitted to use/download other students’ written works. In the end, it is the teacher responsible for the course who decides which aids may be used, so feel free to ask the teacher if you are unsure of what applies. But if it is not explicitly stated that it is allowed to use AI-generated text, then assume that it is not allowed.
According to the text of the law, it is enough that a student has attempted to cheat for disciplinary action to be taken. It is not required that the cheat has been completed. It is enough, for example, to have brought notes to the exam with the intention of using them as help, regardless of whether the notes actually have been used or not.
The teacher responsible for the course is responsible for informing about cheating and plagiarism in both written and oral form at the start of the course. Teachers who suspect cheating or plagiarism are obliged to submit the case to the head of department.
It is the student’s responsibility to take part in information about what is permitted and not permitted in, for example, the exam and essay.
Procedure for cases of cheating and plagiarism
The Department of Theology’s procedure for cases of cheating and plagiarism:
1. Teacher (undervisande lärare)
2. Examiner (examinator)
3. Head of department (prefekt)
4. Vice-Chancellor (rektor)
5. The Disciplinary Board (disciplinnämnden)
Teacher
If cheating is suspected, the process begins with a conversation between the teacher and the Director of studies with pedagogical orientation and the student, where the student is informed of the suspicions and given the opportunity to give his/her view on the matter. Grading teachers (betygsättande lärare) should not conduct their own investigation, but prepare the case by collecting documentation in the form of, for example, examination assignments, instructions for examination assignments, excerpts from Urkund/Ouriginal and e-mail conversation. The documentation is handed over to the Head of department.
Examiner and Head of department
The examiner and Head of department confers about the further handling of the case. The Head of department decides after consultation with the examiner and after talking with the student whether a formal report should be made.
Vice-Chancellor
If the case is not dismissed, a formal report is made to the Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University. The student then has the opportunity to comment on the report. The student can receive support and advice from the Student ombudsperson at Uppsala Student Union. The Head of department has investigated the case on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor and presents the case to the Disciplinary Board. Based on the investigation, the Vice-Chancellor decides: • that the case is left without further action, • to assign the student a warning, or • to refer the matter to the Disciplinary Board.
The Disciplinary Board
The board’s decision can be:
• that the case is left without action,
• that the student is assigned a warning, or
• that the student is suspended from studies for a certain period.
If the case proceeds to the Disciplinary Board, the student, the Head of department and any other parties concerned are called to the board’s meeting. The Disciplinary Board consists of the Vice-Chancellor, a member with a legal background, a teacher representative and two representatives appointed by the student unions.
Decisions on suspension from teaching usually takes effect immediately. The decision is registered in the student register Ladok and the relevant institutions and CSN are informed about it. The student has the right to appeal the decision on warning or suspension to the Administrative Court (förvaltningsrätten) and the student has the opportunity to apply for inhibition while waiting for the Administrative Court’s verdict.
The department may not take any disciplinary action of its own against the student, neither during the investigation nor after the disciplinary board’s decision.
Cheating normally leads to the decision of examination being postponed until the disciplinary matter has been decided. There is no automatic connection between the disciplinary board’s decision and approval of the examination. Even if the Disciplinary Board does not decide on any penalty, the student may be failed if the examiner judges that the exam or essay does not meet the course objectives.