‘I was cheating my own future’: don’t risk the consequences of cheating
If you cheat and breach academic integrity, you’re endangering your studies, your place at the university and even your future career. We have caught students who tried to cheat and they faced major consequences.
Always demonstrate academic integrity when completing assessments, and seek help in the right way if you need it.
Here are stories of just some of the ways that cheating can negatively impact your study and career goals.
‘You’re threatening your course and career.’
Gregory had dreamed of being a lawyer since a young age. He worked hard in school for good grades and got into the course he wanted. A few trimesters in he found himself falling behind, so he paid another student to complete some of his assessments for him.
Things came crashing down when he was summoned before the Academic Integrity Committee and asked to explain himself. He was found to have had numerous substantiated breaches of academic integrity for contract cheating.
Now he’s been permanently excluded from the University, found it difficult to find entrance into another university and could be refused admission to being a lawyer.
‘You’re risking more than just your studies.’
Elizabeth didn’t think it could hurt her to buy a completed essay from a service her friend sent her. She thought it was an easy way to get through her unit. The service seemed friendly and polite and assured her that she wouldn’t get caught and that she’d get a high grade.
Things seemed to be going fine until a few weeks later when the service contacted her again. They were less friendly and polite now. They threatened to tell her university, her family and potential future employers what she’d done if she didn’t keep paying them.
She lost hundreds of dollars, and this blackmail may have continued well beyond her graduating if she hadn’t been caught by the University.
‘It’ll catch up with you eventually.’
In Zachary’s second year of study, he found himself struggling with effective time management as well as with the more complex content in his studies and assessment. Rather than reaching out to Deakin’s study support services for assistance, he thought it would be easier just to download material from an online file-sharing site to submit as his own work.
After he had finished his final assessment, he was offered a job in his field and was very excited. That same week he also received a notification from his Faculty’s Academic Integrity Committee that several suspected Academic Integrity breaches from his second and subsequent years of study had been detected. Zachary was required to respond to these allegations and attended a review meeting with the Academic Integrity Committee. The Committee found the allegations substantiated so Zachary could not graduate or accept his new job.
Improvements in cheating detection methods can detect cheating from previous study periods and even years.
Cheating could ruin your degree and career
The consequences for cheating can be:
- Failing your current unit or course
- Being suspended or permanently excluded from studying at Deakin and potentially other universities
- Losing your professional accreditation – if contract cheating is on your record, many professions won’t ever let you register to practise, limiting your future career path and prospects
- Being extorted by cheating service operators – the people who supply your assessment can force you to pay even more money by threatening to report you to the University
- Losing your student visa – if you’re an international student, any instances of academic misconduct could lead to the cancellation of your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) and your student visa.
What happens if you’re investigated?
You’ll be informed if you’re investigated for an alleged breach of academic integrity. You’ll have a chance to tell your side of the story before a decision is made. Strict timeframes apply, so read any email you receive from Deakin and follow the instructions carefully.
- Familiarise yourself with the Breaches of academic integrity webpage and the Student Academic Integrity or Student Research Integrity procedures
- You may choose to accept a standard outcome offered to you or ask for a review meeting.
- Deakin University Student Association (DUSA) advocates are available free of charge if you need help understanding the process.
Seek help the right way
It’s okay if you need help. We’re here to offer you support in succeeding in your studies the right way.
- If you need help with an assessment or improving your study skills, Study support has online resources, student mentors and staff available.
- Complete the Study Success: Acting with integrity module to further develop your academic study and writing skills with integrity.
- We have quality medical centres, counselling services and a range of other services available to support your health and wellbeing.