Naughty! Six students EXPELLED for cheating last year

Six hasty students were expelled from Newcastle for cheating last year. 

A Freedom of Information request made by The Tab exclusively reveals that 1200 ballsy students have been caught red handed in the last four years.

And 300 people have been caught cheating in the last year alone – which includes plagiarism, colluding with mates, and using notes or phones in exams.

Many sneak their phones into the exam hall

Punishments slapped down by uni officials range from fails for the course and being expelled. They also include sanctions, cautions, and written warnings. But last year 101 students were let off lightly with no discipline at all.

Over 200 have been caught cheating each year – in 2012-2013 the uni nabbed 244 students and in 2011-12 they found 209. Most students caught were found guilty of plagiarism and 75 per cent were penalised for it last year.

These figures do not include stealthier cheats who escaped unnoticed.

Naughty…

Lucy Perkins, a second year Psychology student, said: “I’m not surprised by the enormity of this figure but more about the fact that these students have been accused of cheating.

“In many cases, plagiarism is a genuine mistake where you fail to state where a quote or an idea is from.

“I think these figures show that students need to be more well-informed as to how to properly quote a source rather than being branded as cheats.

Harriet Powell, a second year English student, added: “It’s amazing that people are willing to risk their degree and the amount of years and money they have spent on university just for a few extra marks.

“A bad grade is something you can progress from but getting kicked out is final.

“Having said this, so long as there are ways in which you can get away with cheating, there are always going to be people who will try.”

A feeble attempt to scrape a few more marks

Hamish Rawson-Smith, a second year Agribusiness student said: “I would definitely cheat if I thought I could get away with it.

“At least no teachers were found colluding with students and nobody was hauled out of their exam drunk.”