The University of Worcester takes all allegations of suspected academic misconduct and plagiarism very seriously and has procedures in place when dealing with students.
View the University’s Academic Misconduct Procedure for more information.
What is academic misconduct?
The University of Worcester uses the terms 'academic misconduct' and 'cheating' to cover all the possible methods of plagiarism both intentional and unintentional.
Examples of academic misconduct include:
Though many students may not deliberately engage in academic misconduct during their assignments or exams, it's essential to recognise that university policies focus on actions rather than intentions.
You can watch the free short video on "What is academic integrity?" to learn more or complete a short Academic Integrity online module.
Essay-writing services (Essay mills) and scams
Studying at university can be challenging, but remember, academic, financial, and wellbeing support is available to you through the university. Unfortunately, some students are lured by scammers offering to write assignments or essays for a fee. These organisations, often run by dishonest individuals, promise "No detection" or "Anti-AI detection," yet frequently produce low-quality, AI-generated work that academic staff quickly recognise.
In many cases, scammers don’t deliver any work at all, then threaten to report the student to the university if they refuse to make additional payments, leading to potential academic misconduct meetings and serious consequences, including penalties that can impact your degree.
If you or a friend has had contact with one of these agencies, reach out to our advisors at the earliest opportunity. We understand these scammers may try to intimidate you with threats affecting your studies, friendships, or family – but don’t let this delay you from seeking help.
Our Help and Advice service is free, confidential, and non-judgmental. Anything you share stays between you and your advisor. We’ll support you in exploring your options to get out of the situation. If you’d prefer not to give your name or details, drop by St. John’s or City Campus on a Friday for informal advice without completing an enquiry form. We also work with external charities and organisations that specialise in support for those affected by scams.
If you or a friend have been a victim of a scam, take control by contacting the Help and Advice team at the Students' Union. Alternatively, you can reach out to Action Fraud, the UK’s national centre for reporting fraud and cybercrime. They collect information, offer guidance on next steps, and may refer cases to the police or the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB).
How is academic misconduct detected at Worcester University?
The University uses sophisticated software called Turnitin to detect plagiarism as well as the judgement of academics.
Turnitin will review all student submissions and detect themes, word patterns and placement, similarity with sources accessible online and work submitted by current and past students at universities. A student’s Turnitin score is not a simple measure of academic misconduct.
Academic markers are professionals and trained to use sophisticated methods to judge if plagiarism has occurred.
What happens if a student is suspected of academic misconduct?
If a piece of work is suspected of academic misconduct, the student will be notified of a referral to an Academic Integrity Tutor. Once an AIT has been allocated, the student will be sent an invitation to attend a meeting.
WSU advise students to write a statement in preparation for their meeting. Read WSU’s guidance on writing a statement.
What happens during meeting?
The meeting will be attended by the student, the member of staff who marked the work and the Academic Integrity Tutor. The student is allowed to take one person with them to the meeting. This person must be either a registered student, a current member of university staff or a representative from the Students’ Union.
First, the AIT will ask the marker to give some context to the piece of work and explain their concerns in respect of academic misconduct. Then, the AIT will ask the student how they prepared the piece of work and ask the student to explain the concerns raised by the marker.
The AIT and marker will adjourn to consider the evidence and discuss the most appropriate outcome. When a decision has been made, everyone will re-join the meeting and the outcome shared with the student.
What are the possible outcomes?
There are three possible outcomes from the meeting.
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Academic misconduct has not taken place. There will be no further action.
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Academic misconduct has (partially) taken place. Often, this misconduct happens because of academic naivety, mistakes, and poor judgement.
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Academic misconduct has clearly, obviously, and intentionally taken place.
What are the penalties for academic misconduct?
The penalties depend on the seriousness of the academic misconduct, a students’ level of study and any previous history of academic misconduct.
Penalties range from 1, the least severe to 6, where a student’s studies are terminated.
Find out more about penalties in the University's Description of Penalties.
What happens in the most serious cases, or if the AIT is unable to decide if misconduct has taken place?
If the AIT cannot decide, or the allegation requires a harsh penalty, the case will be referred to an Academic Misconduct Committee. The Committee is like the AIT meeting, but other professional academic tutors will be asked to attend. This is to ensure that the process is fair and honest according to university policy. The student will be sent information following the Committee's decision about the student’s right to appeal. However, student’s must be warned that any application for appeal could result in a more severe penalty if the appeals process finds the Committee’s decision was unduly lenient.
How can the Worcester Students’ Union help me?
The Help & Advice service at the Students’ Union can support students through the process of Academic Misconduct. We offer free, impartial, and confidential appointments to all students at the University and can explain the process, next steps and accompany you to Academic Misconduct meetings. Read more about representation at meetings with the university.
If you have been accused of alleged academic misconduct or want to know more about the University of Worcester’s policy, book an advisor appointment.
Confidentiality
The Help & Advice service is confidential - nothing you tell us will be shared with the University of Worcester or any other organisation or individual without your permission. There are rare occasions where a breach of confidentiality may be deemed necessary. A breach of confidentiality will only occur if staff have evidence to believe that someone is at risk of harm and abuse. Further details can be found in our Confidentiality Policy. If a decision is made to breach confidentiality, the client will be informed in advance of the breach.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that all information contained on the Help & Advice webpages is both current and accurate. However, information within these pages is subject to change without prior notice. Please seek professional guidance for the latest information. Any advice given by members of staff is based on the information available and to the best of their knowledge. No liability can be accepted for any errors or misleading information. Please note the Help & Advice service is a member of AdviceUK.