Collusion
What is collusion?
The La Trobe University Academic Integrity Policy (2011, p.2) defines collusion as ‘Unauthorised collaboration on assessable work with another person or persons’. In other words, collusion is a form of cheating which occurs when students work together in a deceitful way to produce work for an assessment which is restricted to individual effort.
The policy also states that avoiding unauthorised collaboration is a student’s responsibility. Students must ‘write their assignments independently, except when they are asked to work on a project as a member of a group which is to submit a joint report as equal contributors’ (Academic Integrity Procedure, 2011, p.5).
Collusion vs collaboration: an example
Situation: Two students who share the same house have been helping each other with their studies. May is good at maths and is explaining how calculations work to Bruce, who has been struggling with measurements in one of his subjects.
Bruce writes well and wants to help May, so he writes an essay which they can both submit for the same subject. May is pleased with this and makes a further contribution by checking that all the references are done correctly. There are over 2000 students doing this subject, and May and Bruce know that the lecturers won’t be checking all the essays.
Is it collusion or collaboration?
May is not colluding when she explains calculations to Bruce – this is appropriate collaboration because May is trying to help Bruce to learn.
On the other hand, Bruce and May are colluding when they agree to submit the same essay. They could receive zero for the essay and / or they could be referred to the Faculty Academic Misconduct Officer for further penalties (see the Academic Integrity – Examples of Penalties for Academic Misconduct, 2010, p.4).
