Academic ethics for students
TAMK procedures in cases of fraudulent behaviour
1. Background for fraud guidelines
Fraud is an intentional or unintentional dishonest act or omission intended to give a false impression of ones´s own or another person´s skills or activities. Fraud is also defined as a situation in which a student, when completing a course of study, resorts to prohibited aids or means.
TAMK follows the degree regulations 32 § and section 10 of the disciplinary regulations in handling fraud situations. In addition, TAMK applies the National Advisory Board on Research Ethics' guidelines on responsible conduct of research and procedures for handling allegations of misconduct. The board was nominated by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Consequences of violations have been defined separately in accordance with the Universities of Applied Sciences Act (38 §,39 §). The consequences depend on the seriousness and recurrence of violations.
2. General guidelines
2.1. Thesis
Thesis-related frauds are processed by following these procedures. In addition, the National Advisory Board on Research Ethics’ guidelines are followed.
2.2. Examination, written and oral assignments and practice-based demonstrations of competence
Exam fraud refers to cheating in a written, oral or electronic demonstration of competence. Additionally, this instruction covers fraud commits in other written, oral or practice-based demonstration of competencies.
2.3. Practical training
The same fraud criteria apply to study-related practical training as to other fraud cases.
3. Processing of fraud cases
3.1 Suspected or observed fraud
When suspecting or discovering fraud committed by a student, the teacher who has found fraud will immediately contact the student. The student and teacher discuss the matter and based on the discussion
i. the suspect proves groundless and does not lead to further measures.
ii. the student is found guilty of a fraud and the fraudulent study performance is failed.
The teacher writes a report on the fraud found, its processing and the outcome and delivers it to the head of degree programme and the student. The student has the possibility to request for amendment within seven days of the receipt of the report.
At the end of the student's amendment period, the head of degree programme gives the student a written reminder that repeated frauds will lead to a warning or fixed-term suspension. The head of degree programme then records the fraud on the form (access restricted).
The teacher and student then agree on the retake manner. Retakes are possible according to normal retake practices and schedules.
iii. the teacher and the student can´t reach a solution, and the teacher transfers the matter within seven days from the teacher-student discussion to further processing by the head of degree programme.
The teacher writes a report on the suspected fraud, its processing and the outcome and delivers it to the head of degree programme and the student. The student then submits a written response to the teacher and the head of degree programme within seven days of the receipt of the report.
Further processing when the teacher and the student can´t reach a solution
The hearing is held in a meeting with the head of degree programme, the teacher and the student. A hearing discussion may be postponed once due to a student's illness or force majeure. The second time, the matter can also be resolved without the participation of the student.
As a result of the hearing, the head of degree programme makes a written decision indicating the suspected/proven fraud, its processing, outcome and consequences. The head of degree programme saves the written decision to OneDrive.
3.2. Repeated fraud
If the fraud has been repeated twice (or more often) for the same student, the head of degree programme will take the matter documented in written form to the director of the school for further processing.
Utilizing the documentation, the director of the school makes a proposal to the vice president for education about the warning or fixed-term suspension to be given to the student. The decision on the warning to be given to the student is made by the president and the decision on the fixed-term suspension of the student is made by the board of TAMK.
If the student guilty of fraud is an exchange student, the head of degree programme, in cooperation with the person in charge of TAMK´s international mobilities, sends a report on the matter to the student's home institution.
A student dissatisfied with the decision may appeal to the Hämeenlinna Administrative Court within 30 days of receiving notification of the matter.
4. Practical instructions
If the fraud is found during the exam, the supervisor will interrupt the student's exam and contact the teacher who arranged the exam, who will then start to investigate the fraud.
If fraud is detected during the supervision of the EXAM (electronic exam) facility, the supervisor will contact the teacher who arranged the exam, who will begin the investigation of the fraud. Fraud in an electronic exam is considered to be the use/preserving of all unauthorized material and items in EXAM facility.