Academic Integrity

Lexico, the online Oxford Dictionary, defines collusion as a 'secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy in order to deceive others.' (Lexico, n.d.)

Collusion can include, but is not limited to:

• You let someone else do your individual task or assignment.
• You do a task or assignment for someone else which they then pass off as their own work.
• You let someone copy out your work in their own words. This is called paraphrasing.
• In a group work assignment, you claim to have done work that has been done by someone else. In this case, the other group members have also colluded to cover up for you.

However, collusion is not the same as cooperation. For example collusion IS NOT:

• Practicing for an exam in a group, or
• Working together to complete a group assignment, or
• Getting someone to read over your assignment before you submit it. In this situation, the person proof-reading your work can suggest minor changes, such as spelling, punctuation or structure, but the work you finally submit MUST be your work.

Penalties can apply if you are found to have colluded.

• You may receive no mark for your work. This includes where you have done the work but then allowed someone else to copy or paraphrase your work.
• You may be asked to resubmit the work, and
• Depending on the severity of the situation, the School may impose additional penalties.

Ultimately, the biggest loss is that you have compromised your reputation.