Investigation into possible plagiarism

But the only reply I’m getting from them is that they can’t share any information. They are not even picking up the phone. I don’t know what can I do now. Any advice?

 

With any sort of checks, there are bound to be ‘false positives’. The question is what is the institute doing to ensure that students like us are not wrongly implicated?

 

Who is carrying out this 'investigation'? Is it an investigation according to the disciplinary scheme or what? Have they clarified what will happen if you make a categoric denial of plagiarism and don't provide any 'evidence'? Have they clarified what 'evidence' they consider necessary to satisfy them there was no plaigarism? Why is it you are required to provide any 'evidence' now - why can't you do this at a later stage? I repeat if they are refusing to tell you what the case against you is or what evidence they have it is based upon that you tell them they are violating natural justice and your human rights. There are actuaries out there, some who have already left IFoA, who I understand are willing to help out here send me a direct message.

You write to them asking them asking for confirmation of the status of this investigation and whether it forms part of a formal disciplinary investigation. State in your letter a reasonable time-frame for response such as 10 or 14 days. If it falls outside a disciplinary investigation then ask them to clarify on what basis you are obliged to respond to this letter and what are the consequences of not doing so. If it's not stated in the letter you ask them for details of who exactly in IFoA is making accusations against you and ask whether those individuals are themselves regulated at all. You ask them for written reasons why they can't share with you the case to be met, bearing in mind their own disciplinary process requires them to comply with natural justice. Tell them the matter causes you great distress and concern about your human rights and wish to refer their response, or lack of it, to your MP, FRC and human rights organisations as well as actuaries on IFoA Council including IFoA President.

 

Can I check if this was an actual letter received in the post or did anyone get an email about this? My IFOA address is down as my old employer so I wouldn't have seen any letters, if they're investigating people for bookwork answers I'm concerned now I could have got one.

This just tops off the utter train wreck that was the April exam, I thought the IFOA might have learned from the reception to their initial response to the situation but it seems they're as disastrous as ever.

 

A massive issue I have noticed based on other students comments is the separation between ACTED and the institute. You go to uni, the lecturers who set the exam are the ones teaching. Other qualifications, such as underwriting, for example, the texts etc are included with exam entries. It seems that there is no liability for a lot of students failing exams, instead the institute is seeking this in order to continue have the reputation of being a hard qualification. If a lecturer in uni had a 35% pass in one of their modules he/she would surely be investigated for his/her quality of teaching. A previous comment touched the right point, what is the point of exams? For me it should be about learning, making sure the actuaries of the future are at high standard.


PS: In no way this is a comment about the quality of teaching of acted, they do the best with the information provided by the institute.

 

This came in the form of an email to the email address registered for communications with the IFOA, not in the post @AllRight
I have heard of cases where it went into people's junk emails also.

 

Thanks for confirming, I don't see anything from them at least. It's still just a ridiculous situation that anyone could easily be in, and would be if they memorised the definitions perfectly as we have always been advised to. I count myself lucky that I sat an SA where there wasn't a large amount of bookwork needed.

 

Those accused, is it that they think you've copied and pasted it from an electronic source or is it that typing it up isn't acceptable.

If the second, I don't think I know of any open book exam anywhere that operates in this fashion. If you can bring the notes in, you are allowed to write down things from them.

 

Are you sure about this Trainee_Act? A lot of people are saying they received letters (i.e. via posts). Can anyone who received such communications from the IFOA confirm how they received it please?

Secondly, could you also confirm which country you're based in? It's just that if people living in the UK are only receiving letters (by post) now, then I can only imagine how long it'll take to reach the rest of the world (especially for us not in Europe).

 

based on the FACS they are telling students to search online what open book and plagiarism is.

"If you require further detail on what constitutes ‘fully open book’ assessment this is widely available online."

I wonder if people in charge of this ever worked in a school or uni!
A open book exam can be sightly different depending on the uni/school. I have sat open book exams were taking from the allowed material was allowed, they were testing our understanding not ability to make up definitions. Are we reinventing the wheel?
@mavvj , yes, same experience here!

Although in my experience, is important to be able to interpret and show understanding on what you have quoted by expanding on it. It was also important to clearly indicate that is a direct quotation so it is clear that you aren't taking credit for someone else's words.

asking us to "google it" is extremely lazy.

 

Just to clarify, when I initially said letters at the start of this thread, it was letters attached to an email rather than letters sent via post.

 

I suggest that those who are reading this but didn't receive a letter contact the institute to get clarification on this as it will affect us all eventually. I have already done so.

Those who did receive letters, my sympathies are with you.

 

I must have followed the regulations as I didn't receive a letter. My paper had little bookwork on it but it did have some. I have no insight as to why I didn't receive a letter.

 

Demand they define it and if they can't they should withdraw the accusations.

 

Has anyone who received these letters been able to speak with someone in the institute or received a reply to your email response (other than their standard automated response)?

 

to me they said they cant discuss my case.

 

it says until the investigation process is finalised, no examination results will be released.

 

Hi no examination results you mean for no one it will be released as it's scheduled to come out today.

 

It's like the old school witch trials where you're thrown in a lake with your hands tied - if you float (give the word-for-word definition) you are accused of plagiarism and investigated. If you sink (don't give a word-for-word definition) then you lose marks. Either way, you're at a serious disadvantage.

 

I didnt get one of these letters, thank goodness but I know several people who did. All say they are being "accused" of knowing core reading and having practised past papers often and well enough to have had notes from past papers in their answers, along with core reading.

What is the ask on students if prep is not to learn the core reading and practise past papers?

The whole thing is frankly bizarre.

 

What are you going to do about it? No doubt IFoA will rely on some badly written documents they produced before the exams to say you were warned to justify their persecution of you and blame you for not proving a negative.