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Untitled Document
1) Why is the Student Resource Guide being updated?
2) What is the difference between collaboration and plagiarism?
3) Plagiarism seems pretty subjective. How does CASB know if a student has submitted someone else's work as their own?
4) What are the penalties for students caught plagiarizing?
5) If another student copies my work, why should I be penalized for enabling plagiarism?
6) Isn't ethical behaviour and professionalism just common sense?
7) Why are templates discouraged when they are part of our everyday work with our firm? This seems to be out of step with the real world.
8) What is the process if a student is accused of dishonesty in the CASB program?
9) What are the penalties for students found guilty of dishonesty in the CASB program?
10) Does CASB really find and penalize students who plagiarize?
1) Why is the Student Resource Guide being updated?
The Student Resource Guide is being updated to provide greater clarity for students, employers and facilitators around several issues, including professional values, collaboration and dishonesty. In particular, CASB wants to clarify the difference between collaboration and plagiarism.
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2) What is the difference between collaboration and plagiarism?
The most important point to understand is that collaboration is the process used in learning how to get an answer, but it does not extend to composing an answer.
Collaboration is encouraged in the CASB program because it can help ensure that students have a deeper understanding of module material through active knowledge sharing, such as a discussion of the topics, sharing of ideas and research resources.
Plagiarism is when a student submits someone else's work as their own. This can take many forms, such as copying the answer(s) of another or former student's submission, or copying answers from other sources, such as websites or textbooks.
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3) Plagiarism seems pretty subjective. How does CASB know if a student has submitted someone else's work as their own?
When a case of plagiarism is suspected, CASB investigators carefully compare student submissions, looking for substantially similar word or number choices, phrasing, logical argument flow and/or formatting. This comparison process makes use of a sophisticated software program called Wcopyfind, which was developed by the University of Virginia . The software examines documents for text portions that have matching words and phrases and generates reports identifying substantially similar task submissions.
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4) What are the penalties for students caught plagiarizing?
Students found guilty of dishonesty in the CASB program will face severe penalties, which may include a $500 fine, repeating a module, a letter of reprimand, a letter to the student's employer, a six month suspension, and/or a complaint to the provincial institute's professional conduct committee (the penalties for dishonesty are explained in more detail in an updated Education Policy Manual section B1.2.5 - Offences of Dishonesty in the CASB Program).
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5) If another student copies my work, why should I be penalized for enabling plagiarism?
Enabling plagiarism is also a breach of CA values. When a CA student allows another student to plagiarize their work, such as providing a student with a copy of a previous task submission or allowing another student to view their answers, this is equivalent to condoning cheating.
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6) Isn't ethical behaviour and professionalism just common sense?
It's important for students to understand that when they join a profession there is an expectation by members of the profession, the public and other students that students adopt the values of the profession. The core CA values of integrity and trust are the hallmarks of the profession's reputation. Unlike high school, college or university, CA students are expected to conduct themselves as professionals, which make them accountable to an entire profession—including peers, employers, facilitators and CAs.
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7) Why are templates discouraged when they are part of our everyday work with our firm? This seems to be out of step with the real world.
CASB discourages the use of templates in task submissions, because—when used without real understanding—they can jeopardize a student's learning.
In certain tasks, (e.g., the first time in the CASB program a particular issue is presented) students will be explicitly instructed to build the tool themselves. In other tasks, use of a generic template tool will be permitted as long as the student acknowledges the source of the tool.
Remember that if you are unsure as to whether or not a template is permitted for the task, always check with the online facilitator for clarification.
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8) What is the process if a student is accused of dishonesty in the CASB program?
If dishonesty is suspected, module facilitators and evaluation invigilators inform the Module Lead Facilitator or Evaluation Centre Presiding Officer. A report of the incident is prepared and the Module Lead Facilitator/Evaluation Centre Presiding Officer determines what actions to take. This may include:
- No further action
- Informal discussion between facilitator and student
- A warning letter to the student
- A formal investigation by the Director of Student Standards
The Director of Student Standards will investigate all cases referred to the office. The investigation will include gathering all materials related to the alleged act of dishonesty, interviewing the student(s) involved, and obtaining any required independent advice from technical experts.
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9) What are the penalties for students found guilty of dishonesty in the CASB program?
A student found guilty of dishonesty in the CASB program faces significant penalties that may include:
- A $500 fine;
- A requirement to repeat a module;
- A letter of reprimand in the student's official file;
- A letter to the student's employer, which can lead to termination of employment;
- A six-month suspension;
- A six-month addition to the required term of service; and
- A complaint to the provincial institute professional conduct committee, which can lead to expulsion from the profession.
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10) Does CASB really find and penalize students who plagiarize?
CASB is serious about prosecuting students who engage in any dishonest behaviour. Click here to see the plagiarism cases prosecuted in the 2007-08 school year.
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