(Archive) Results withheld/ deferred

I would reply and say that although the student has the same mentor you do not know who it is. Also say that you cannot comment about the common words as you don't know which words he is referring to and could he send you the details please? It could be that the ACO thinks it may be the mentor circulating other students' work though and wants you to comment on this. (I've heard rumours that OBU thinks in a lot of ACO cases it is often 'accidental' plagiarism by the student and that mentors are behind it as they produce specimen work and SLS statements. In fact now mentors have to be listed it's one way OBU can get rid of mentors who are doing this). I don't know what relationship you have with your mentor but it may be a case of do you save his skin or yours? Well if you have drafts etc. you will need to send them to prove you did the work yourself.

@trephena i didn't appeal to UMC but when i logged into my OBU account today , there was written " due to previous ACO ruling your fee has been increased to £500 gbp" . My ACO didn't tell me about this on email. Why is it so and what should i do to get it reduced. I can't afford that:(

Thanks for your reply trephena , only in this attempt i undergo mentoring with him and he is a listed mentor , forgot to tell you that the word used by the ACO was substantial to that student and some smaller matches to others , what exactly do i have to do now ? Shall i consult my mentor about this ?

I thought the £500 fee was only imposed on UMC cases but as you say it may be because this is not your first referral. I was told that all ACO cases increase costs as it involves paying for the investigation (staff involved and overheads) but that the UMC cases are additional. I suppose they are now taking the view that it may be unfair that the general submission fee has to rise for students who don't bend the rules to cover all these extra costs so are targeting those who are involved instead. You can write and say you were not warned about this. You may have a point if they didn't tell you last time. I am not sure if there is anything in the Info Pack you used ( presumably 2014-2015) but take a look as if you weren't told and it isn't mentioned in the Info Pack they may have to back track on this. However it is a warning -they are obviously getting tough on repeat offenders or in serious cases

@trephena i submitted project for the first time . And the result given to me is zero grade. But now there is this resubmission fee of 500£

Ans i think they have allowed me to resubmit even in period 31. As i logged in yesterday and i was able to resubmit but with this increased fee!

I'm really very stressed at the moment and can't sleep , please guide me what should i do now ? As far as I'm concerned i'm totally confident that I didn't copy , but how can I comment on something which is not even identified to me ?

@usman - just because he is listed does not necessarily mean he is reputable - all it means is that he did the online mentoring course. I think the idea of listing going forward is that OBU can remove any mentors they suspect of being involved in suspicious work as once they are taken off the list they can no longer mentor. But you still don't know which passages the ACO is referring to, so how can you comment? Hard to say whether you should contact your mentor. Do you think he gave you other students' work? He is bound to try to stop you saying anything out about him as he has a personal interest in maintaining his position as a mentor and earning money from it! You have to decide what is right for YOU.

@kendal -appeal then about this @usman - send a polite email and ask if you may have more precise details so you can see the actual passages he is referring to.

@trephena please tell me what should i write in my appeal? I mean how should be my tone etc

@kendal - when I say 'appeal' I mean email the OBU Office and mention that you have noticed what it says when you log in. Please search the Info Pack which was valid for your submission (2014-15 for P30). I don't think it says anything in there about a £500 penalty (but you must check this for yourself). If it doesn't mention it then you can comment that you think you should have been warned of the full consequences of what an academic conduct office referral would mean. Remember It may depend on the ACO officer's decision - I notice in the latest 2015-16 Info Pack p.47 that it sets out all the different decisions: negligence, malpractice, misconduct and where it goes to the UMC as serious misconduct (but I don't see increased submission fees mentioned there or on p.89). I don't think you have said what the exact decision was in your case - in my opinion there could be a big difference between what is defined there as Malpractice and Misconduct and I can understand that more investigation is required in Misconduct cases. (As I said previously it seems only fair that those who break the rules should be paying for the investigations rather than increasing the general submission fee for the students who abide by them to cover these costs - but nevertheless this should be clear at the outset to all students). However whatever the decision they should have made it clear to students in the Info Pack or on the submission website before students submit their work for the first time and if it doesn't, I think it is reasonable to point this out to them. (Remember to be polite - particularly at this time as the P31 Submission window only closed at midnight last night. - I heard a rumour that because of many students only realising at the last moment that their mentor wasn't listed they have been very busy trying to sort out this problem and staff could have been working long hours). Obviously they are going to impose this financial penalty going forward but as I say, it ought to be clear from the very outset. I think these are the main points you need to make in your email. So query it and ask if there is any way you can appeal against the imposition of this fee as you feel the manner it has been imposed and introduced is unfair.

@trephena , thank you

I'm emailing now , i ll let you know about the reply

I have checked with the OBU Office and for anyone who the ACO have given a decision of Misconduct there will be a penalty fee of GBP 500 to resubmit their work. Malpractice (which is a less serious offence see the Info Pack p.47) will still be the usual resubmission fee that applies to that period and the same that all students pay.

@trephena i have received email from ACO he gave me Zero grade for my RAP and also mentioned he will not be referring this to UMC but he will advise ACCA is there any thing to worry about?

@robin442 - The Info Pack sets out the various penalties. To a certain extent as with exam markers, I think ACO officers are bound by specific rules and guidelines about the penalties (so students are treated fairly and consistently whoever is their ACO officer). Misconduct is handed out to the more serious cases of copying/plagiarism and Malpractice for minor infringements of the rules (so does not go outside OBU). I think in your case it is more a 'caution' and although ACCA is informed it is for info only and ACCA would not usually act on it unless you had also infringed their rules or if you were involved in another ACO case. Cases of Serious Misconduct go to the University Misconduct Committee and full details are sent to ACCA if found guilty at the hearing. Lying to an ACO could turn Misconduct into Serious Misconduct - one of the reasons I suggest students fess up as they could turn a bad situation into a much worse one for themselves or a repeat offence could also mean referral to the UMC. So try not to worry too much but make sure you do all your work yourself to avoid a repeat offence.

Hi trephena , i got ACO's email today , i have sent him the drafts and my workings , he said that it does not explain such a large exact match , he's asking me for more explanation, but i still have no clue about which passage he's referring to , because he didn't sent me the passage , what should i do now trephena ? I'm really worried , i told him that i used sample's to make my working better , but he's still not satisfied, I'm really worried please please help me

@trephena , please answer , this is a very stressful period

@trephena , kindly tell me how i should respond to him now , i have sent him all my drafts and notes , he's asking me to give a better explanation

@Usman - did you ever get a copy of the Turnitin report? You really need this as I guess he means the large tract that you say you took from the exemplar. (It would be coloured text in the Turnitin report). He probably wants to know where it came from e.g. wants to see a copy of the exemplar. Sometimes where another student has used the same exemplar it can match their work but of course sometimes it matches because students copied from each other (and so there was no exemplar from the internet in the first place) I do know that some ACO officers will tell you straight off that it matches another student so maybe he is holding back on this to see what you say. So don't lie about it as that will really get them going - they hate to be made fools of - and will increase the penalty. If you copied from someone make a clean breast of it. (But if you didn't get the Turnitin report you should say you can't answer properly without knowing what he is referring to - everyone has,a right to know what they are being accused of. You could try emailing the OBU ACCA Office [ [email protected] ] and say your ACO officer didn't send you the Turnitin report as they can probably sent you a copy if you give your Student reg. No. )

@trephena , shall i ask him again about the more precise detail ? Like the turnitin report ? And i told him that the truth , I don't know that student he's referring to , and I can't even comment on that :/

I don't even know him , never heard his name in my life , why would i copy at this stage ?

@Usman - you have GOT to see the Turnitin report (unless the ACO is referring to the Presentation or Spreadsheets?) Write and say you have not heard of this student but you need to see what it is that he is asking about. Can he highlight the particular passages he is concerned about? There are obviously some extracts that are the same and you have to consider yourself how this could have happened. If it was an internet source you need to find it and send the link or find a copy of it, to show that the other student used the same exemplar. Otherwise if there is a large amount the same the ACO is left asking How is this possible? Either one passed his work to the other/ they worked on it together/ the mentor or some acquaintance assisted with providing the material or something like that. He is looking at how it happened as matches should be low and obviously they are higher than can be expected by mere chance. He is not interested in why would you copy but how and who else was involved ? - as far as he is concerned there is too much that is similar to be just coincidental so wants to establish what has go on. (The ACO apparently have access to all submitted RAPs so can examine the other student's whole submission and know when he submitted and who his mentor was so: if you had the same mentor he may be looking for you to say the mentor gave you the exemplars)

@trephena , i need your help

@trephena, I just got a letter from ACO, stating Zero grade and he is not going to refer it to misconduct committee but he mentioned that ''the breach is of such a serious nature that I will be advising ACCA of this matter'' and i have right to appeal. Please tell me what are the consequences....since the word "serious" seems to be very disturbing.

All cases of Misconduct are reported to ACCA. However I believe this is in the form that a list of students who have been cautioned about Misconduct is sent to ACCA. Whereas the UMC is a formal hearing like a tribunal and cases of Serious Misconduct are put before the committee to decide on the basis of evidence and if found guilty full details are sent to ACCA. You are entitled to appeal but my advice is to quit while you are ahead. I think sometimes the ACO stop just short of sending cases to the UMC (so Misconduct of a serious nature in my book sounds like this) as referring cases to the UMC involves them in a lot of work and effort in putting together evidence and statements. The UMC can increase as well as reduce penalties if they think the ACO has been too lenient. So if you say you are going to appeal, the ACO will want to make sure your case sticks and pounce on every bit of evidence they can lay their hands on....and unlike you the officer Isn't going to be stressed out by the process. I think you should just accept what you got, move on and put the whole stressful thing behind you - but your choice.

Hi one of my friend received this email from ACO and wants to know what would happen specifically that would ACCA deregister him from the register . any comments would be highly appretiated? from ACO "I have now considered the evidence in your case and have made a recommendation to the Academic Conduct Office that your offence be treated as Serious Misconduct. I set out my evidence in the accompanying letter and the reasons for this. You are entitled to appeal against this decision (please see the Student Conduct Regulations) and appeals are normally considered by the University Misconduct Committee. Your case, if the ACO accept my recommendation, will be heard by the UMC who can impose a lesser penalty if they think that my decision is wrong or inappropriate."

yhm, As UMC cases are Serious Misconduct we do not think we can give reliable advice in the circumstances you should also read the section in the Information pack on Serious misconduct, familiarise himself with the OBU procedures You - or your friend should really contact OBU directly about the process if you are worried and find out from them what it means.

Dear Hammad Ahmad Qureshi, I have received the following results from the conduct officer: Disciplinary Outcome: Research and Analysis Project period 31 (Dear Hosa, The coursework you have submitted for assessment for the Research and Analysis Project has been referred to me for investigation because of concerns about its originality. Your project was passed through Turnitin and an overall match of 99% over 7 sources was identified in the RAP.) Please provide us the following: 1. Plans and early drafts of your RAP and SLS which demonstrate how your ideas developed, ideally with drafts annotated by your mentor. 2. Copies of emails between you and your mentor. 3. Notes you have made from books and articles used in the RAP and SLS. ) What maximum penalty can i get if i dont comply with the investigation since my tutor has disappeared and is not responding to my emails?

And also if it is proved that the work is not mine?