Academic misconduct policy

These guidelines are intended to help you develop the best ways of preparing and presenting assignments, course work and other written work so that you understand what is acceptable in terms of using resources other than your own ideas.

Plagiarism, cheating, collusion and attempting to obtain an unfair advantage in learners work are forms of academic misconduct and are entirely unacceptable for any learner at DAC Training Solutions.

What is meant by Academic Misconduct?

The following are dishonest and therefore unacceptable and not allowed by DAC Training Solutions. 

Plagiarism - taking someone else’s work, images or ideas and passing it off as your own e.g.

  • Copying the work of another student, with or without their permission

  • Directly copying from written physical, pictorial or written material, without crediting the source

  • Paraphrasing or rewording of someone else’s work, without crediting the source

 Plagiarism - using the computer, either the internet, or information stored on a hard or floppy disk which belongs to someone else, and passing it off as your own

 Cheating, that is, acting unfairly or dishonestly to gain an advantage e.g.

  • Getting someone else to produce part or all the work submitted

  • Resubmitting one’s own previously graded work

  • Using forbidden notes or books in producing assigned work or tests

  • Fabrication or making up results (including experiments, research, interviews, observations)

 Collusion - secretly agreeing with others to cheat or deceive e.g

  • Working with others and then submitting the work as if you had done it on your own

  • Knowingly allowing another student to copy you own work

All these are called academic misconduct. If you are discovered or suspected of doing any of the things shown in the list above, the Centre will investigate and may take action against you.(That is, you will be subject to disciplinary action.)

What is expected of you whilst you are a Learner at DAC Training Solutions?

    1. You will only hand in your own original work for assessment

    2. You will show when you have used information provided by someone else by giving the person’s name and where you found the information in your work (or in your portfolio) as you go along.

For example, if you use someone else’s words you will enclose the quote with inverted commas. You will also repeat this information at the end of the piece (this is called a bibliography/references section). The same applies if you have received help. This is the standard practice in the world of learning. Your tutor or lecturer will give you help with this. You should seek advice and guidance from tutors if you are unsure how to do this properly.

    1. You will show when you have downloaded information from the internet

    2. You will never use another’s disk as if it were your own work, nor copy work from a disk belonging to someone else and use it as if it were your own

You will never use someone else’s artwork, pictures or graphics (including graphs, spreadsheets etc) as if they were made by you

    1. You will never let other students use or copy from your work and pass it off as if they had done it themselves

    2. You can expect all cases of suspected academic misconduct to be fully investigated using the Centre disciplinary procedures. If proved, you can expect the Centre to act against you. What happens will depend on how serious what you have done appears to the Centre

    3. The member of staff who has investigated what you have done will decide how serious the case appears at first. This person will consult with senior colleagues when a moderate or serious case is suspected. The claims that you have done something illegal or wrong (the allegations) will be written down so that you know the case you must answer

What will happen if it is thought that you have been dishonest?

When what you have done is thought to be a minor case of academic misconduct

The actions taken by DAC Training Solutions, if they believe from the evidence you have done something wrong, may include the following:

  1. What you have done will be discussed with you in a private tutorial with your unit/subject tutor.

  2. You will be given a warning about how you must act in the future 

  3. You will have marks from your piece of work taken away (which may be 6% as a guide), or you will have work returned to re-do and hand in for remarking

  4. If this has happened before, you will go straight to a second stage interview

  5. If you are working towards an exam/unit assessment, the relevant examining body will be told what has happened in accordance with the awarding body’s policy

  6. External examiners/verifiers will also be told what you have done, in accordance with the awarding body’s policy

When what you have done is thought to be a moderate case of academic misconduct-

  1. Your unit/subject tutor will inform the Managing Director of your area who will then discuss what you have done with you

  2. You will be given a Student Improvement Plan 

  3. Your mark or assessment grade will be reduced, or you will be awarded zero,

  4. depending on how serious what you have done appears to the Centre

  5. You may not be allowed to take the unit/exam/test again

  6. The Managing Director may decide that you must attend a second stage

interview

  1. The relevant awarding body will be told what you have done, in accordance with the awarding body’s policy

  2. External examiners/verifiers will also be told what you have done, in accordance

  3. with the examining board’s policy

When what you have done is thought to be a serious case of academic misconduct

  1. The penalty for serious misconduct will be decided by a panel of senior staff interviewing you and the nature of the penalty will depend on the seriousness of what you have done. Any of the following may be given:

      1. A zero grade in the exam/test/module is given or the assessed work is not awarded a grade

      2. You are not allowed to re-sit the exam or test, or you are not allowed to re-do the piece of assessed work

      3. You are disqualified and withdrawn from your course

    1. You are expelled from the Centre

  2. The relevant awarding body will be told what you have done, in accordance with the examining board’s policy

  3. External examiners/verifiers will also be told what you have done, in accordance with the examining board’s policy

In all cases, a note will be made on your file of the allegation, the outcome and any penalty you are given. You need to know that this information may be used by the Centre when it is asked to provide a reference for you, for example if you want to go to another Centre or get a job.