Academic misconduct / cheating

NHH takes academic misconduct/cheating very seriously and it will not be tolerated. It is a breach of trust in relation to the institution, to the school’s reputation, to fellow students as well as to future employers.

NHH expects that you as a student will learn academic and research integrity and will consciously apply this work ethic in all situations. Cheating to pass an exam or simply to obtain a better grade is a breach of this academic integrity thus penalties will be severe.

For more information regarding cheating/attempts to cheat, please refer to:

What is cheating/an attempt to cheat?

NHH uses different evaluation methods, and within this framework it is possible for cheating/an attempt to cheat to occur in various ways. In this webpage, most of the ways in which cheating/attempts to cheat can be committed are included, yet it must be mentioned that there can also occur instances which go beyond the scope of the descriptions below.

In relation to cheating/attempts to cheat during an exam, an exam is defined as encompassing all from the obligatory work providing a basis for the exam through until a possible appeal after the exam. Obligatory work is understood as what must be approved in order to be able to take the exam.

The NHH Board has appointed a Complaints Committee where issues concerning cheating/attempts to cheat will be handled and decisions will be made concerning consequences for the student.

Cheating/attempts to cheat during exam registration or prior to censorship

This type of academic misconduct occurs if a student somehow gets unlawful access to the exam or if the student tries to/ manages to change the responses on their exam once the exam has been finished, yet prior to the grading.

Academic misconduct in connection to the written school exam:

It is considered as cheating/an attempt to cheat when prohibited examination aids are accessible both inside and outside of the exam room while the exam is taking place. Prohibited examination aids can be:

  • textbooks which are not specified as allowed
  • calculators of the forbidden kind (please read more about calculators in the special segment on calculators)
  • "cheat sheets", pages with notes pasted into a textbook, or notes written in a textbook which is allowed as an exam aid
  • a sheet of paper containing a pre-written draft which has not been specified as permitted
  • cell phones or other examination aids which are not stated as allowed.

Special Note Regarding Calculators

The use of calculators has at times been a subject for discussion in the exam room, therefore the student should be aware of the following:

  • The student must show the examination guards that the calculator’s memory is empty. If the student cannot do this, the calculator will not be permitted for use during the exam.
  • The calculators’ memory must be emptied prior to the exam and must not contain any text whatsoever at any point during the exam.
  • The calculator must not be able to communicate with other units (calculators) in a distance of more than 10-20 cm.
  • Equipment with spreadsheet and word processing capabilities are not considered calculators and are thus not permitted for use at exams.
  • Calculators which make use of RAM-cards / removable memory cards are not permissible
  • It is not permitted to have the calculator’s user manual with you at the exam

Cheating/attempts to cheat in connection with unsupervised exams (home exams, term papers etc.)

Cheating/attempts to cheat in connection with unsupervised written exams includes home exams, projects, term papers, mandatory hand ins as well as individual or group reports. Within this specification, cheating/attempts to cheat is considered to be amongst others:

  • Copying the answers of classmates passing the same exam or using the answers of friends having passed the exam at a previous time.
  • Turning in exams that were wholly or partly authored by other individuals for the student
  • Breach of cooperation rules.
  • Copying answers from the internet.
  • Using quotations from textbooks or others’ works without providing references and clear indications that the described is a citation. 

Please refer to the Study Handbooks’ Supplementary provisions to § 9 Completion of a Take Home Exam and Other Forms of Evaluation without Supervision.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is suspected when students hand in work that is either obviously or supposed within reason not to be their own, but with no sources listed. Plagiarism is academic misconduct and if suspected appropriate consequences will ensue.

It can at times be necessary to differentiate between what actually qualifies as plagiarism and what is merely incompetent and dependent student behaviour. Experience thus far indicates that the notion of academic misconduct in this context must be assessed against and limited by different types of presentation weaknesses. The following limitations can be useful:

  • Copying without the provision of references or sources from commonly used textbooks is not treated as plagiarism however can according to circumstances be considered as incompetent and dependent student behaviour.
  • Copying without the provision of references or sources from less known textbooks or others’ works is treated as plagiarism and thus, cheating/an attempt to cheat.
    This limitation is dependent on the level at which the student finds himself, and will be most applicable for students on low levels of study or for those just beginning their studies.

The Schools obligation to inform- the student’s obligation to know

It is important that students know how to stay safe from being suspected of academic misconduct or academic fraud. Furthermore, it is important to avoid having students suspected of academic misconduct pleading ignorance as to what this charge entails.

From time to time students claim that copying without citing sources or that copying from a friend was not known to them as cheating/an attempt to cheat.This approach implies that ignorance regarding the rules is rewarded, however the Norwegian Act of Universities and University Colleges clarifies that cheating/attempts to cheat still ought to be considered even if the offence was not committed with intention but rather gross negligence.

Ignorance is not an excuse for cheating/attempts to cheat.

Serious Consequences

The Norwegian Act of Universities and University Colleges states the potential consequences of cheating/attempts to cheat in sections 4-7 and 4-8. Within these sections two possible sanctions are warranted in the case that cheating/attempts to cheat during an exam is revealed;

  • Annulment of the exam
  • Expulsion or Suspension (up to one year)

Legal Advice

The student has the right to make use of legal advice from a lawyer or other legal aid as indicated by the Public Administration Act §12 first subsection and the The Norwegian Act of Universities and University Colleges section 4-8, fifth subsection. When the student has informed the school of whom they will have as their legal advisor, contact will then ensue solely between the legal representative and the school. The school has a responsibility to cover the student’s costs until the matter is settled. 

The student or their representative has further right to full case disclosure according to the Public Administration Act section 18-20. This does not include internal evaluations which are linked to case preparation, cf. second subsection in section 18 of the Public Administration Act. The student or their representative will normally only have the right to disclosure in the case preparation stage and documents such as description of the course of events, testimony, guidelines etc.

Extract from the "University and College Law"

Section 4-7. The Annulment of an Exam or Test
(1) The schools board of directors alone or the institutions’ complaint committee according to section 5-1 can annul a test or exam,  or they can annul course approval if a student:
a) has gotten permission to take a certain exam or test or to take part in a certain course through the help of a fake transcript or any other form of dishonest behaviour
b) has intentionally or through negligence attempted to cheat, or has cheated during a course or exam

(2) if a student has attained an exam or test exemption through the use of fraudulent transcripts or documents, the schools board of directors or complaint committee can annul this exemption according to § 5-1

(3) according to the first and second subsection in section 5-1, the decision to annul can be appealed to Department of Education or to a complaint board specially identified by the former(cf. section 5-1 seventh subsection)

(4) the right to annul does not expire

(5) once the decision to annul has been made the individual in question is obliged to return their grade transcript back to the institution- should this fail to occur within a reasonable time official authorities will be involved to ensure accordance with chapter 13 of the “tvangsfullbyrdelseslov”

(6) if the transcript can be used as a basis for authorization to use your professional title in your career, the annulment must be reported by the school to the relevant authorities

(7) other institutions abiding by this law can be informed about the annulment of the test or exam- the Department of Education can provide further rules and information routines if needed

Section 4-8. Suspension and Expulsion
(1) According to section 5-1, a student who in spite of repeated written warning from the schools board of directors persists with behaviour greatly disturbing fellow students or operations at the institution can be expelled from specific parts of the institution for up to a year should the board or the institution’s own complaint committee decide on this as the right solution. Furthermore, if the student does not respect the suspension, according to section 5-1, the board or committee can then decide to expel the student for up to one year.

(2) A student whose behaviour exceeds the acceptable by any definition such that it has created a life or health threatening situation for patients, clients, students or other parties that the student deals with during clinical lectures or practice, or who has broken an confidentiality agreement, or has committed any other grossly improper behaviour aside from these, may be expelled from studies for a maximum of three years should the board or complaint committee decide this punishment as according to section 5-1. Should the decision to expel concern students pursuing an education that can provide them with the right to authorization according to the Health personnel law section 48 first subsection, it is the responsibility of the institution to inform the Social and Health Directorate regarding the expulsion,

(3) A student whose behaviour is such as is described in section 4-7, first or second subsection, can be expelled from their institution and deprived of the right to take exams at this institution and all other institutions pertaining to this law for up to one year. This decision is according to section 5-1, and is executed by the board of directors or the complaint committee belonging to the school. More in depth rules and information routines are given by Department of Education.

(4) The decision regarding suspension or expulsion requires at least a two thirds majority. The decision can be appealed by the student by following the rules in the Public Administration Act. According to section 5-1 in the seventh subsection, the Department of Education or an appeal committee specially named by the former will handle the appeal.

(5) According to the first subsection, the student has a right to a lawyer or another spokesperson from a case for suspension or expulsion has been started, or from a written warning has been given. The fees related to such assistance should be covered by the institution.