Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct

What is academic integrity, why is it important, and what happends if you breach it?

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Three things you should know

1. Each year, the Student Affairs Appeals Committee at NLA University College considers a number of cases of academic misconduct that result in the annulment of examination results and exclusion from studies for one or two semesters.

2. Some of these cases could probably have been avoided if students had taken more time with their academic work and carefully checked their sources and references before submitting their assignments.

3. You will receive help and support in developing your academic writing skills, but you are ultimately responsible for familiarising yourself with the rules governing correct citation and referencing.

– The regulations on academic misconduct are designed to ensure that students are assessed fairly and appropriately, and that no individual gains an unfair advantage over others.

Academic integrity rules

What is academic misconduct

Academic misconduct is any breach of the rules that may result in an unjustified advantage or outcome, whether this occurs accidentally or through intentional cheating.

You may be suspected of academic misconduct if you, for example:

Fail to acknowledge sources, or cite fictitious sources.
Have access to, or use, unauthorised aids or resources.
Give the impression that your work is more independent than it actually is.

Legislation and preparatory legal documents establish that academic misconduct includes actions that violate obligations arising from an institution's regulations, such as breaches of examination rules. The specific actions considered academic misconduct are not defined by law, but by each educational institution's own regulations and guidelines.

Artificial intelligence and academic misconduct

The use of artificial intelligence contrary to the rules applicable to a particular assignment or examination is regarded as academic misconduct.

AI-related misconduct is identified and assessed through manual review.

Examples include:

Using AI in coursework or examinations where this is not permitted.
Copying text, models, or other content generated by AI without acknowledging the use of AI.
Citing sources, informants, or data generated by AI that do not actually exist.
Submitting work that is excessively similar to AI-generated text.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the failure to provide accurate references or citations in a way that makes another person's work appear to be your own, whether this occurs unintentionally or deliberately.

Examples include:

Copying another person's text without citing the source.
Referring to sources, informants, or data that do not exist.
Using another person's exact words without indicating that they are a quotation.
Insufficiently reworking source material, so that your text remains too close to the original while being presented as your own wording.
Reusing your own previously submitted assessed work where this may provide an unjustified advantage.
Paying for, or submitting, work that has been written or prepared, wholly or partly, by others or by online services.

Submissions are uploaded and stored for plagiarism chechs

Written submissions are uploaded to and stored in Inspera Originality. The system checks submissions for plagiarism by comparing them with publicly available online sources, books and journal articles, as well as student submissions from NLA University College and other educational institutions.

If the system identifies substantial text similarity, the material will be reviewed manually before any formal suspicion of academic misconduct is raised.

Submissions uploaded to the system are stored in the database and may be used in future plagiarism checks.

Consequences of academic misconduct

If a student is suspected of academic misconduct and the allegation is upheld, the consequences are serious:

The student may be excluded from studies for up to one or two semesters.
In particularly serious cases, exclusion may be imposed for up to four semesters.
Academic misconduct in coursework is treated just as seriously as misconduct in examinations.

During the period of exclusion, the student is barred from teaching and examinations at NLA University College and loses access to the Canvas learning platform.

The student also loses the right to sit examinations at all other institutions covered by the Universities and University Colleges Act, although they may still apply for admission and attend teaching at other institutions during the exclusion period.

The exclusion is registered in the national register of excluded students (RUST). The record is removed once the exclusion period has expired.

Students who wish to resume their studies after the exclusion period must notify their department themselves.

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Procedure in cases of suspected academic misconduct

If academic misconduct is suspected, you will be invited to a voluntary meeting with the study administration. During the meeting, you will be informed of the grounds for the suspicion and given an opportunity to explain your position.

You have the right, but not the obligation, to provide an explanation, either orally or in writing.

If NLA University College decides to refer the case to the Appeals Committee, you will be informed accordingly. You will also receive information about your right of access to the case documents, your right to submit a response, and your right to reimbursement of legal expenses.

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Academic writing

Explore resources and guidance on academic writing and good scholarly practice.

Questions?

If you have questions about the information on this page, please contact the study administration in your department.