Rules & Regulations

1. Academic Integrity and Honesty

Academic honesty is assumed to be the norm for all academic activity. It is the foundation stone of an Educational institution. Academic dishonesty is a threat to the entire academic community. It is the most serious violation of trust that can occur in the university. All members of the institution are expected to maintain high standards of integrity. Academic dishonesty (or cheating) is not limited to examinations.

2. Examination malpractices and irregularities.

2.1 Malpractices in relation to coursework and research include:

1. Assisting a student to copy answers to course work or examinations;
2. Availing a student with prepared research to aid him or her to do his or her own coursework/research;
3. Presenting a similar coursework with another student;
4. Plagiarism;
5. Presenting a similar course work or research that has ever been presented by any student either in Valley University or in any other    institution;
6. A student who submits research or coursework not prepared by him/her;
7. Plagiarism (a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work);
8. Purchasing coursework or research from another person;
9. Engaging another person to do coursework or research on their behalf;
10. Falsifying marks awarded in a coursework or research.
11. Any other offence as determined by the Examination Irregularities   Committee (EIC)

Penalties

Any student who engages in any of the said malpractices will upon conviction be liable to any one or all of these penalties:

1. A caution;
2. Cancellation of the coursework or research;
3. Suspension from the University for a period not exceeding one academic year;
4. Dismissal from the University with disgrace.

The University Senate shall have the discretion to endorse any of these penalties, but will bear in mind the gravity of the student’s conduct, the student’s antecedents or prior conduct in the University and whether he or she is a first time offender.

2.2 Malpractices and Irregularities in relation to the conduct of examinations, internship,… includes:

1. Cheating in examinations. This includes, but is not limited to copying another person’s answer. Submitting information not based on personal study effort, using any material or mechanical or electronic means that would permit an unfair advantage over other students in the class.
2. Sitting an examination or attending internship with forged documents like examination cards, payment vouchers, answer booklets;
3. Sitting or attempting to sit an examination without valid  requirements;
4. Indication of having prior knowledge of the examination questions.
5. Impersonating, or attempting to take the place of a valid candidate
6. Entering an examination room after more than ½ an hour from its start without a valid reason;
7. Leaving an examination room 30 minutes before its scheduled end time without a valid reason and permission of the invigilator;
8. Entering the examination room with prohibited materials. These materials include any written or printed material that is generally or specially prohibited(lecture notes, summarized notes, coded formulae, text books, coursework materials, research work), cellular or mobile phones, iPods, laptops, etc, soft and alcoholic beverages and any other materials as may be specified from time to time by the Chief Examiner.
9. Papers, whether blank or with any writings, save for the examination card.
10. External assistance from any person in the examination room.
11. Sharing information in the examination room without the authority and supervision of the invigilator;
12. Substituting an answer script/booklet prepared outside the examination room/hall with the one already submitted to the Invigilator/Examiner;
13. Talking or conversing while in the course and conduct of an examination;
14. Uttering false documents in relation to eligibility to sit University examinations;
15. Entering or leaving the examination room with the answer booklets;
16. Refusing to sign the examination register after receiving the question paper;
17. Ignoring a lawful order given by the invigilator;
18. Indulging in a disruptive conduct within the examination room;
19. Fraudulently accessing or attempting to access examination questions before the examination is due;
20. Paying or inducing another person to illegally procure or make available examination questions/papers;
21. Delivering to the Examiner’s office or residence an examination script/booklet outside the scheduled time for delivery without due authority;
22. Impersonating another student/candidate;
23. Employing the services of another person to sit an examination, internship or school practice on behalf of the student;
24. Any other offence as determined by the Faculty Irregularities Committee

Penalty

Any student or person, who engages in any of the said malpractices, will upon conviction be liable to any one or all of these penalties:

1. A caution.
2. Cancellation of the examination results or research report.
3. Disqualification from the paper and the remaining exams
4. Suspension from the University for a period not exceeding one academic year.
5. Dismissal from the University.
6. Criminal Prosecution in courts of law especially on the basis of impersonation and the like.

Note:

(i) The University Senate shall have the discretion to award any of these penalties, but bearing in mind the gravity of the student’s conduct, the student’s antecedents or prior conduct in the University and whether he or she is a first time offender.

(ii) The University Senate Examinations Committee shall also have power to refer any person, who has been found to be an imposter and fraudster to the police for investigation and criminal prosecution.

For purposes of this section, an imposter and fraudster is a person, who has been employed by a student whether the employment is free or is paid for, to sit an examination, or undertake an internship on behalf of the student.

2.3 Malpractice relating to the Hearing of the Malpractices and Irregularities include

• Interfering with the conduct of investigations into the matter or the hearing of an irregularity by the Examination Irregularities  Committee or a Special commission       appointed by the Vice Chancellor,
• Intimidating members of the Examination Irregularities Committee or other members of the University Staff or witnesses in the irregularity matter,
• Destroying evidence relating to an alleged irregularity,
• Forging or uttering false information in relation to an alleged irregularity,
• Bribing or attempting to bribe a University official witness or any other person in relation to an alleged irregularity,
• Harassing or procuring others to harass on his/her behalf a University official, witnesses or any other person in relation to an irregularity by making constant telephone calls, visits, etc or ,
• Doing any act with intent to interfere with investigations of the alleged offence.
• Any other offense as determined by the Examination Irregularities Committee

Penalty

Any student or person; who engages in any of the said malpractices will upon conviction be liable to any one or all of these penalties:

1. A caution,
2. Cancellation of the contentious examination or research work,
3. Suspension from the University for a period not exceeding one academic year,
4. Dismissal from the University,
5. Criminal Prosecution in courts of law.

Note:

1. Faculty members are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the learning and testing process. They should explain at the beginning of each semester what would be considered an integrity violation in their courses.
2. It is the responsibility of the student to avoid both dishonesty practices and appearance of dishonesty.
3. Each student should make the necessary effort to ensure that other students do not use his or her academic work.

2.4 Procedure for dealing with examination irregularities.

At the beginning of the examination season, examination rules shall be made known to the candidates by the academic office.

1. At the start of any examination, invigilators shall draw the attention of candidates to the rules and regulations that govern examinations.
2. When invigilators suspect a candidate of being involved in an irregularity in the examination, the invigilator shall, whenever possible confiscate the material(s) being used for irregularity and inform the candidate that a report to the incidence will be made to the Academic Office.
3. A candidate suspected should be handled in a proper manner to ensure that the privacy and bodily integrity of a person is not violated. Body searches should be done in the presence of another person. The person conducting the search shall be of the same sex with the suspect.
4. The candidate shall, nevertheless, be allowed to continue sitting the examinations until the end of the examination time for the paper.
5. Immediately at the end of the examination paper in question, an examination malpractice/ Irregularity form shall be filled and signed by the candidate caught in irregularities and any possible witnesses (staff or fellow students). It shall be submitted along with the invigilator’s report to the examination malpractice committee.
6. All cases of examination irregularities, including alleged unauthorized absence from examination, shall be reported to the examination malpractice committee which has the power to summon the students and members of staff and make decisions subject to confirmation by the senate.
7. In every hearing, especially where a candidate is alleged to have been found with an authorized materials, the materials shall be brought before the committee and the officer who recorded the malpractice incident shall state formerly in the presence of the student whether they are the materials he /she is alleged to have found in the possession of the students/candidates.
8. The student shall be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations of fact and may also call witnesses whose presence he/she considers important for the just and fair disposal of the case. This is for purposes of substantiating his/her defence.
9. The type of penalty to be issued is decided by the Examination Malpractice /Irregularity Committee and approved by the senate.
10. In case of dismissal from the University, the letter of dismissal shall be signed by the Vice chancellor.

3. Other types of Academic Dishonesty.

1. Forgery of signatures or falsification of data.
2. Unauthorized access to university files or accounts.
3. Removal, mutilation, or deliberate concealment of materials belonging to the university.

4. Rules of Natural Justice.

In the handling of examination irregularities and malpractices, the examination malpractice committee shall take into account the following principles of natural justice:

1. Fair and equal treatment of all students/candidates
2. The opportunity to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty
3. Fair hearing accorded to all suspected students/candidates
4. Right of students/candidates to appear and to defend themselves
5. Consistency in punishments, and
6. Speedy trial.
7. All persons involved in the malpractice case shall not sit in the hearing, discuss and pass judgment of their own cases except when needed.

Appeals to be entertained against any judgment.