Academic misconduct

Hi

I was wondering if anyone could give me any insight or experiences with academic misconduct.

So I submitted an assignment (3 assignments on the 6-8th July) I am a first year nursing student, and this was the first assignments we have had to submit, we had to do a group presentation and an exam in the first semester.

So anyway, with the current situation with the pandemic and nursery’s closing and university lectures being online I have really struggled to attend online lectures and I have a lot of other personal circumstances going on at home (which I now have a mit circs letter from the uni mental health team)

So one of my assignments I was really struggling with an a friend offered to send it to our group to give us an idea on the structure to help us. Which helped massively (at this point we was unaware this was possible collusion and not allowed) .. so I have gone on to write my own (reflection based assessment) and checked my turnitin score, all fine.. until submission date passes my turnitin score jumped up 31% matched to a paper at uni. Submitted before mine, so I check and I get my friend to check hers and Iv unintentionally copied her work, I say copied, I didn’t copy or even feel like I was copying! I followed the structure and put bits into my own words so I was easily able to follow into my own reflection, but on re reading it it’s so similar and I felt terrible as I didn’t mean to do this!

So I email the module lead and explain.. they ignore me but email my friend back and say they will be in touch. Couple of day’s pass and they email both of us an academic misconduct referral. Which I expected.. so since then I have contacted my personal tutor, and she advised me that it’s first offence, she believes we clearly didn’t realise what we was doing and with everything going on in my personal life and the fact that I admitted I needed more support, with academic writing and with student services which I also admitted I should of asked for sooner before all this mess. She said I’ll most likely get a re sub, and to not panic as the main thing is I’m still progressing into year 2 with a resub and a cap.

Then the student union call me as I requested and they advise totally different that I will likely get a penalty 4 for copying someone’s work which means I will fail the module and have to retake next year!

The academic integrity tutor is on holiday at this point, it’s been 2 weeks no one has given me a clear answer and I understand I have to wait until the meeting and I do have a mitigating circumstances letter now as I going through a tough time during submission and my head was not in a good place and I feel like this is where I went wrong.

Has anyone got any advice, been in the same situation? I’m going out of my mind! If I have to retake the module, it’s a practice module and I won’t get student finance support so how will I possibly be able to work placement again without a childcare grant and any form of financial support as I’ll be part time!

No one from uni knows what will happen as everyone’s all over the place because of the pandemic and the AIT finally got back to my personal tutor today to say the meeting will most likely be mid-late August which for me is impossible because if it is a fail of the module and I don’t get any financial support I will have to withdraw cause I wouldn’t be able to support my family financially (I have just had a relationship breakdown - due to emotional abuse part of my mitigating circumstances)

One of my other concerns is my children have been booked full time from September and I have to give them 4 weeks notice to cancel, which should be next Friday the latest I have to let them know or in September I’m going to have a big bill I won’t be able to cover without childcare grant funds!

What do I do!?

Please help.
And don’t judge please..I made a big mistake, unintentionally but still serious and I am aware now and willing to take consequences :frown:

Reply 1

pjw98

Hey,

We're all human and sometimes as humans we often make bad choices. This response isn't going to drill into that, don't worry. Unfortunately I don't think many can help you massively on here because each university will have different processes for these matters. What I will recommend though is that you do not give up and take each day, as it comes. Hope for the best and expect the worst, trust me, this will help if for any reason the result does not go your way. The best thing for you to do is to get information that goes in your favour, list what services you have received i.e. uni mental health team and emphasise the consequences if you were forced to retake the year. Sadly I think that is your only option. They will hopefully recognise what you have gone through and give you a resub, at a cap. Just reassure them you're committed and you won't do it again.

I really wish you the best of luck and hope this goes well for you, keep your chin up and don't give up. Storms do not last forever.

Peter

Reply 2

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

Well its pretty simple.
You colluded on an individual assignment.

You were ignorant of the rules, which isnt a defence to breaking them but should be a factor in discipline procedure. What you have to do now is be honest, listen to the SU advice and see what the uni decide is resonable.

Probably a capped resit. 1st year doesn't count, so learn the lesson and move on.