Sanctions for cheating and plagiarism

Have you been involved in a case of cheating or plagiarism? Here you will find information about the process for dealing with cases of cheating and plagiarism and guidance on what to do, whether you think you have cheated or plagiarised or not.

What is cheating and plagiarism?

Cheating means improper help. You are cheating, for example, if you use unauthorized aids for an exam, gain unauthorized access to information during the exam (e.g., via fellow students or the internet), or manipulate or falsify data.

Plagiarism means copying or imitating. For example, you plagiarize if you submit (all or parts of) an assignment that you did not write yourself or use models and graphs without stating where you got them.

You may also be involved in a cheating or plagiarism case because you have helped others cheat or plagiarize.

When is cheating and plagiarism reported?

You discover that there is a case because you have been contacted either directly by a lecturer or by the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS).

Before that, the following has happened: If your lecturer becomes aware that you as a student have handed in work for assessment where there may be suspicion of cheating and/or plagiarism, your lecturer must act on it.

Your lecturer can act in two ways:

Suspicion of error
Suppose your lecturer believes that there may have been an error, e.g. in the submission of a report/assignment, rather than an attempt to cheat or plagiarise. In this case, your lecturer will normally contact you directly and possibly other students involved. If it is an error, the case will not be reported..
Suspicion of cheating or plagiarism
If your lecturer suspects cheating or plagiarism, your lecturer reports the suspicion to AUS. The report must contain the name of the student(s) concerned and a description of what your lecturer is basing his suspicions on, in other words, where your lecturer believes there has been cheating/plagiarism. .

Statement

AUS will ask you and any other students involved in the case to make a statement.. A statement is your explanation of what happened.

The statement must be submitted within 14 days to eksamenssnyd@adm.dtu.dk.

To give a nuanced picture of the case and ensure that all involved parties are heard, it often makes sense to write your statement alone - even if you may be part of a group that has ended up in a cheating/plagiarism case.

What must a statement include?

In the statement, you must try to describe in your own words the sequence of events. You must concretely deal with all examples reported as possible cheating/plagiarism.

Do you think there is a misunderstanding? Then explain why you think so.
If you were aware that you plagiarized, describe why you chose to act as you did in the situation.
If you end up in a case of cheating or plagiarism because others have plagiarized you, describe the sequence of events. Can you, e.g., document that others have asked to borrow your work for inspiration? That should be attached to your statement.

For all the above examples, if you have documentation that supports your explanation, you should attach it.

Possible sanctions

If AUS assesses that cheating or plagiarism has taken place, it will be sanctioned. The sanction varies according to the seriousness of the case and applicable practice. That may mean that you:

Receive a verbal or written warning. The warning will only take effect if you break the rules again.
Get your exam result annulled, but use an exam attempt simultaneously. You are bound to retake the course/exam.
Will be expelled from the exam if cheating is discovered during the exam. You also use an exam attempt. You are bound to retake the course/exam.
Are expelled from DTU for a limited period or permanently.

Be aware that you may receive one or more of the above sanctions.

If AUS determines that no cheating or plagiarism has occurred, you will receive a decision in your student email confirming this.

Appeal options

You can appeal the decision to the dean of your study programme.

Your appeal must be in writing and explain why you disagree with the decision.

An appeals guide is included in your decision.

You must send your appeal within 14 days of the decision being sent to your student email.

Please note that all communication from AUS takes place digitally via your student email. DTU expects you to keep an eye on your student email.

If you have any questions about your case, you are always welcome to contact eksamenssnyd@adm.dtu.dk.

Study rules

Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment

Rules in my study programme

Go to 'My Programme Specification' to see which study rules apply to your study programme.