Due to an “unprecedented volume” of potential academic misconduct cases across all four divisions of the University of Otago, many exam results have been withheld. The University aims to confirm all results by this Friday, 10 July. Students who show “above-average levels of concern” will have their cases prioritised.
In a statement to Critic, Pat Cragg, the acting Academic Deputy Vice-Chancellor, said that “our systems to detect potential academic misconduct during online exams have been effective”.
But figuring out what is legit misconduct and what isn’t involves a lot of work. According to an email to uni staff leaked to Critic, approximately 2-3 hours per case is required to review all available evidence. It’s so much work that the Academic Integrity Office is enlisting help from “across the University”.
Cragg emphasises that students are being regarded as innocent until proven guilty, with many students already being cleared of wrongdoing or having their offenses graded as Level 1 misconduct (unintentional or naive misconduct, not deliberate). However, others have reportedly been invited to a meeting with their associated heads of division in order to discuss allegations of academic misconduct. Students who are proven to have committed Level 1 academic misconduct will experience a range of disciplinary actions, ranging from a warning to a grade reduction.
While the University is unwilling to punish students who made a genuine mistake, the statement says they will take a “very dim view of anyone who attempted to use the changes to examination and assessment processes as an opportunity to knowingly cheat”.
OUSA Student Support manager Sage Burke believes that the increase in alleged misconduct is “likely due to the systems involved with moving exams online and not because a whole heap of students suddenly decided to cheat”. OUSA Student Support has seen more students accused of misconduct “than ever before” and “the volume is entirely unprecedented in my experience”.
Cragg confirmed that students who are experiencing above-average stress levels will be prioritised in the investigation as the University desires “to minimise the stress level that some students may be under”.