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Practices and principles concerning studies

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Degree regulations

The degree regulations of Centria University of Applied Sciences are based on the University of Applied Sciences Act 932/2014, the Government’s decree on universities of applied sciences 1129/2014 and Centria University of Applied Sciences Ltd’s operating license. The degree regulations were approved by the rector of Centria University of Applied Sciences 1.4.2022.


Centria University of Applied Sciences

The mission of universities of applied sciences is to deliver higher education that is premised on both working life and its development and on research, art and culture for professional expert jobs and support the professional development of students.

Additionally, the task of universities of applied sciences is to engage in research and development and artistic education that serve university of applied sciences education and promote working life and regional development and reform the region’s business structure. In the discharge of their tasks universities of applied sciences are to foster lifelong learning.


Polytechnic degrees and postgraduate degrees

The following Bachelor’s degrees can be studied and obtained at Centria UAS:

  • Humanities and education degree, Bachelor of Humanities, (Finnish degree programme)
  • Culture degree, Bachelor of Music, (Finnish degree programme)
  • Business administration degree, Bachelor of Business Administration (Finnish and English degree programmes)
  • Engineering degree, Bachelor of Enginee­ring (Finnish and English degree programmes)
  • Social services and health care degree, Bachelor of Health Care (Finnish and English degree programmes)
  • Social services and health care degree, Bachelor of Social Services (Finnish degree programme).

The bachelor’s degree in the field of business can only be completed in the degree programme in business administration.

The bachelor’s degree in the field of technology can be completed in the degree programmes in

  • information and communication technology
  • process and material technology
  • electrical and automation technology
  • industrial management
  • mechanical engineering

The following postgraduate Master’s degrees can be studied and obtained at Centria UAS:

  • Humanities and education postgraduate degree, Master of Humanities (Finnish degree programme)
  • Culture postgraduate degree, Master of Music (Finnish degree programme)
  • Business administration postgraduate degree, Master of Business Administration (Finnish and English degree programmes)
  • Engineering postgraduate degree, Master of Engineering (Finnish degree programme)
  • Social and health care postgraduate degree, Master of Health Care (Finnish degree programme)
  • Social and health care postgraduate degree, Master of Social Services (Finnish degree programme)

The license of Centria to operate as an independent university of applied sciences took effect on 1 January 2014. This license states the degrees that can be studied and obtained in Centria UAS. Even if some previously offered degrees can no longer be studied nor obtained at Centria UAS, the students who have started their study before 1 January 2014 in these degree programmes have the right to complete their study in Centria UAS according to the previously accepted degree regulations.


Degree programmes and their common aims

Studies leading to polytechnic degrees and postgraduate degrees are planned and structured as degree programmes in Centria UAS. The degree programme is a study module with specific aims planned and structured. The study module is geared towards professional expertise and development in the fields of: Humanities and Education; Culture; Social Sciences, Business and Administration; Technology, Communications and Transport or Social Services, Health Care and Sports. The student is able to adopt the principles of lifelong learning.

The degree programme teaches the student:

  1. to assimilate and assess information and solve problems independently;
  2. to operate professionally, take fundamental decisions in matters relating to everyday situations, perform common tasks based on the degree programme in his/her area of responsibility and broaden his/her knowledge and expertise;
  3. to cooperate and communicate effectively at home and abroad.


Curricula

The rector annually confirms the objectives of education and curricula.


Teaching and degree language

The language of instruction and degrees studied in Centria UAS is Finnish. Foreign language degree programmes are taught in English. Degree programmes conducted in Finnish language can include study modules conducted in English language when this is suitable regarding the field of study and supports the student’s internationalization efforts. Similarly, degree programmes conducted in English language can contain modules conducted in Finnish language if they support the student’s integration to Finnish working life.


Degree programme length and study completion

Technology, Communications and Transport degree programmes and the Public Health Nurse option in the Social Services, Health Care and Sports degree programme are structured to take 4 academic years which require 240 ECTS credits.

Studies for the Music degree programme are structured to take 4 academic years of full-time study requiring 240 ECTS credits of which 60 credits represent teaching studies.

Social Sciences, Business and Administration degree programmes, Humanities and Education degree programmes, Nursing and Bachelor of Social Sciences option in Social Services, Health Care and Sports degree programme are structured to take 3½ academic years of full-time study which require 210 ECTS credits.

Polytechnic postgraduate Master’s Degrees are structured and organized so that in Technology, Communications and Transport degree programmes and in Culture degree programme they comprise 60 ECTS credits to be completed in 2 years’ time, and in other fields of education they comprise 90 ECTS credits to be completed in 3 years’ time. In this case, studies are part-time. MBA training is also available as full-time studies, completed within 1.5 years.

In the university of applied sciences, the completion of one academic year’s study requires an average input of 1600 hours equating to 60 ECTS credits.

Within degree programmes studies are organized for students to achieve 60 credits per academic year. One academic year comprises 40 weeks.

The student must complete his/her studies within the allotted time framework mentioned above according to degree regulations. If there are special grounds, students may apply for an extension from the university of applied sciences’ rector or a person authorized by the rector. As a rule, the extension period is granted once for one year. A fee of EUR 50 is charged for processing the application (A1440/2014 section 3).

The recommended study period for Open University of Applied Sciences path studies (45 credits) is one (1) year. After this, the study entitlement period may be extended for a weighty reason at your own request. You send the request by email to the Student Affairs Office (Opintotoimisto) at opintotoimisto(at)centria.fi. A prerequisite for extending the right to study is that you have at least 25 study points recorded in the study register. The study entitlement period can be extended six months at a time. The study entitlement period for path studies is two years.


Degree programme structure

Degree programmes leading to a Bachelor’s degree comprise basic studies, professional studies, elective studies, practical training, dissertation work and a maturity test.

Degree programmes leading to a polytechnic postgraduate Master’s degree comprise more advanced professional studies, elective studies, dissertation work and a maturity test.

Basic studies, professional studies, advanced professional studies and elective studies consist of courses. These may be compulsory, optional or elective studies.


Language studies

Students must reach a certain level of linguistic attainment as set down by the Government decree on polytechnics (1129/2014). The rector or a person authorized by the rector may, in specific cases, exempt a student partly or fully from the above-mentioned requirement. This exemption only covers compulsory language courses and must be applied for no later than during the second year of study, and the student must take other language study instead. The maturity exam included in the dissertation should be written to an acceptable language level. The university of applied sciences decides on the language of the maturity exam when a student’s language of education is neither Finnish nor Swedish. The language skills of a student will be stated on his/her degree certificate.


Practical training

The aim of practical training in degree programmes is for the student to be directly familiar with tasks central to his/her professional studies and to adapt the knowledge and skills acquired to working life.

This practical training is planned as a course component within the degree programme for which specific aims, content and performance requirements are set out in the curriculum.

The head of the degree programmeis responsible for arranging this practical training in accordance with the degree programme. The practical component represents 30 ECTS credits of the degree. Exceptions are nursing 75 ECTS credits (Retraining and Upgrading of Qualifications 30 ECTS credits), public health nursing 86 ECTS credits and social services 45 ECTS credits.

10§
Dissertation

The dissertation is an integral course of appropriate research and development work.

The student must prove his/her familiarity with a subject area contained in the degree programme and successfully pass a maturity exam.

The dissertation may be written individually or with other students where each student indicates his/her contribution to the dissertation work. The dissertation represents 15 credits of the polytechnic Bachelor’s degree and 30 credits of the polytechnic postgraduate Master’s degree.

The dissertation is a public document. If the dissertation includes confidential material related to business operations or production processes, an appendix classified as confidential may be attached, which is then submitted to the partner (company) but not included in the public version and not assessed.

In programmes taught in Finnish the dissertation is written in Finnish, and in English in programmes taught with English language instruction. In programmes taught in Finnish students may write the dissertation in another language if required by the dissertation’s content or the commissioner’s needs as long as the work has a supervisor and examiners. The decision on the change is made by the programme coordinator.

The dissertation is written following the guideline document issued for dissertation writers. The student shall upload an electronic version of the dissertation in the Theseus online library.

As a rule, the thesis is completed as a degree student. This can be done at the Open University of Applied Sciences when it is part of studies that complement the previous degree.

11§
Admission

University of applied sciences regulations govern admissions. Admission to a university of applied sciences is organized as either a joint application procedure or a separate admissions procedure according to approved admissions criteria. Students at the Open University of Applied Sciences may apply to be admitted as a degree student in education leading to a university of applied sciences degree in a separate application procedure.

Act 953/2011 and decree 1035/2011 (known as the SORA legislation, which concerns prerequisites for admission, forfeiture of study right, revoking of access to information related to admissions and study right, drug testing and disciplinary action) are applied in the application and selection procedures.

Student admissions are conditional until the university of applied sciences has verified the applicant’s school and employment certificates. Students are admitted conditionally until the university of applied sciences has checked the applicant’s educational and employment certificates. The applicant is responsible for all provided information.  If a student is dissatisfied with the admission decision, he/she may lodge a request for rectification in writing with the university of applied sciences’ Board within 14 days of receiving the decision.

A study right may be granted to a transfer student who has a valid study right at a university of applied sciences. A transfer student refers to a student whose study right is transferred from one higher education institution to another or within a single higher education institution from one degree programme to another so that the degree title changes. The transfer is applied for using an electronic form through the Studyinfo service. The student is responsible for transferring his/her study right to the new university of applied sciences and resigning from the current school.

Within a single university of applied sciences, a student may transfer from one course to another within the same field of study to complete the same degree/degree title. The transfer is applied for through the Peppi Eservice. Internal transfer from nursing to public health nursing, and vice versa, in the social and healthcare field is also possible. 

The transfer is applied for with an online application.

12§
Study right

Unless a student has applied for and been granted an extension to the normative duration of studies on the basis of special grounds, his/her study right will be revoked if he/she fails to complete the studies in a time period of at most one year exceeding the normative duration of the studies. Extensions are applied for through the Peppi Eservice 1.1o-30.11., if the study right expires 31.12, and 1.4-31.5., if it expires 31.7. During the granted study right period the student does not have the right to be absent. If the student fails to complete his/her studies within the extension period, he/she forfeits the study right. The extension period is applied for with an online application.

The study right of a student completing a professional specialization programme is restricted by the delivery time of the education. A student in a professional specialization programme may be granted a maximum extension of six months to the duration of studies in order for the studies to be completed. Extensions must be applied for in writing. Decisions on the extension to the duration of studies are made by the manager of academic affairs.

A student who has withdrawn or resigned from a university of applied sciences or whose study right has expired may apply for afixed time periodreinstatement of his/her study right in the same or equivalent education in which he/she previously had a study right. The applicant continues in the university of applied sciences degree programme he/she previously began in Finland either in the same or equivalent training programme in order to complete the degree. The right to study is applied for in the Studyinfo service when applying for an incomplete degree, and the right to study is granted for a maximum of two years.

During the granted study right period, a student is not eligible to register as non-attending. If a student fails to graduate during the normative duration of studies, he/she must reapply to the university of applied sciences for admission through the joint application procedure.

The operational model for revoking study rights in the University of Applied Sciences Act is defined in the university of applied sciences’ SORA guidelines. Withdrawal of study rights at Centria UAS according to the SORA guidelines is applied only to the Social Services and Healthcare, Humanities and Education disciplines.

The study right of degree students from non- EU/ETA regions is dependent on payment of tuition fees according to valid Centria UAS decisions. The university of applied sciences has a scholarship system to aid students participating in fee-charging degree programmes.

13§
Student enrolment

Students studying in degree programmes must register as present or absent students between 1 April and 31 July each academic year through the Peppi system. Students subject to tuition fees do not register themselves in the Peppi system. Registration for the academic year of students subject to tuition fees is recorded in the Peppi system by the applicant services after the student has paid the first instalment of the tuition fee for the following academic year. Registration for the spring semester can be changed with an application in Peppi Eservice between 1 and 31 December. 

The foreign student must visit with the Student Affairs Office in person after arriving in Finland in order to register. Students must provide their Finnish personal identity code and municipality of residence. In addition, the student must submit the original certificates for inspection.

In programmes that are terminating, non-attending students may be required to register earlier.

A student who has registered as attending is granted a study right and may complete university of applied sciences studies which are entered as credits on an academic transcript. A student who has failed to enroll and register forfeits his/her study right and may not study at a university of applied sciences and his/her credits are not entered on an academic transcript. The student may reapply to have his/her study by Peppi Eservice. An application handling fee of 50 Euros will be charged (A1440/2014 §3).

A student who has failed to enroll and register may have his/her study right reinstated if it is possible for the student to complete the studies after reinstatement during the remaining study right period or an extended study right. If the student is still eligible for non-attendance, the time after he/she failed to enroll and register is counted as non-attendance. When all allowed non-attendance periods have been used, the time after the failure to enroll and register is counted as attendance periods and reduces this time. The right to study will be restored from the beginning of the following month, and the period until then will be counted as used.

Students register for attendance or non-attendance when they accept a student place. If a student fails to enroll and register, he/she may have his/her study right reinstated on application in Peppi E-Service.

A fee-paying student has to pay the tuition fee in order to enrol as an attending student. If a fee-paying student does not pay the tuition fee by the informed deadline and does not enrol as non-attending, the student has failed to enrol and will lose his/her study right.

A student who began his/her education prior to 1.8.2015 may register as non-attending for a maximum of two academic years, however for one year at a time only. Non-attendance is excluded from the normative duration of studies. A student registered as non-attending may resume studies during an academic term at the start of a new semester by registering as an attending student.  

A student who began studies after 1.8.2015 may enroll as non-attending after accepting a student place only if he/she is participating in conscription service, non-military service or women’s voluntary military service in accordance with their governing acts, is on maternity, paternity or parental leave, or is unable to begin studies due to a medical condition. The legal basis for absence must be verified with appropriate documentation. If a student registers as non-attending during the first academic year and fails to provide sufficient documentation for the absence by the time period specified by the higher education institute, he/she forfeits his/her study right. If the student later wishes to start or resume studies, he/she must reapply to the higher education institute for admission.

Periods of absence up to a maximum of two academic terms are excluded from the normative duration of studies when the student is registered for absence.

14§
Personal study plan

A student draws up a personal study plan (known as PSP) according to counselling and Centria UAS curriculum. The student also has the opportunity to complete virtual studies on-line through AVERKO and Campus Online portal. The head of the degree programme or a teacher tutor confirms these personal study plans according to Centria UAS curriculum.

A course within a degree programme may be replaced, with permission from the head of the degree programme or equivalent, by other courses with corresponding content and aims or by some other informally achieved knowledge (Recognition of Prior Learning; AHOT in Finnish). Fulfilling the aims of a degree programme and corresponding study modules for degree completion is a precondition to credit transfer of studies as part of a polytechnic degree.

The student can always include a number of higher education elective studies which relate to the curriculum for his/her degree.

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is acknowledged at the beginning of study when personal study plans are confirmed.

At the beginning of each course students receive a description of course aims and content. The course description also contains information about successful course completion and assessment.

15§
Grading and study records

Courses are graded as follows: satisfactory (1 or 2), good (3 or 4), excellent (5), fail (0) or pass (S).  A student who has enrolled for a course but does not complete it, receives grade fail (0). A numerical course grade cannot be changed to passed (S).

When recognition of prior learning (RPL) is applied, courses completed at the university of applied sciences or abroad are validated based on the grades awarded, provided this is possible. Likewise, informal and non-formal prior learning are graded by grades 1-5. Grade passed (S) is only used if a numerical grade is not purposeful.

It is possible to re-take a failed course twice if the student has completed credits in the course in question. If the course is re-taken, this must occur within one year of the end of the course at the times specified by the teacher. You may improve the grade for an approved course once at maximum within one year of the end of the course, except in the courses included in the artistic process. The student must notify the teacher of the course if they wish to re-take a course or improve their grade no later than one month before the end of the one-year period. The decision on the method of re-taking the course (exam, assignments or other method) is made by the teacher of the course. It is not possible to improve the grade of the thesis.

Centria UAS keeps a record of courses taken by students. Teachers responsible for course performance are obliged to record performances in Peppi service within one month of the termination of the course. A student has the right to a transcript of records from Centria UAS.

Examination papers and other equivalent assignment documents are kept confidential for six months after releasing the results after which they may be collected by the student during one week. The maturity exam is kept for one year.

A student dissatisfied with the assessment of a study attainment or with the recognition of either studies completed elsewhere or of prior knowledge demonstrated in some other manner may lodge a rectification request orally or in writing to the teacher who awarded the grade or made the decision on recognition. The rectification request must be made within 14 days of the date on which the information about the grade or application of the assessment criteria to the student’s work became accessible to the student.

A student dissatisfied with the decision on the rectification request may seek rectification from the university of applied sciences board of examiners within 14 days of receiving the notification of the decision.

Studies completed in student exchange or work placement abroad are approved by thehead of the degree programme or another appointed member of the unit within 6 months of the termination of the exchange programme.

16 §
Student disciplining

If a student commits fraud in an examination or other situations involving assessment, the student will be ordered to immediately leave the premises, and the student’s work will be disapproved. In addition, whenever the fraud is identified only after the work was submitted in the examination or other assessment occasion, the work is subject to disapproval. Fraud is defined as plagiarism and dishonest behaviour that violates the rules of academic conduct in an examination or other studies assessment.

A student who in the university of applied sciences has committed fraud or otherwise violated rules and regulations of academic conduct, is subject to disciplining with a penalty that depends on the seriousness of the violation, that is, with a notice, a warning or a suspension the maximum time of which is one year. Before the decision is made, the student must be allowed to be heard in the matter. A written and signed memo is written about the hearing.

The head of unit decides about the notice, the rector decides about the warning issued to a student, and the rector decides about the suspension of a student, based on the proposal of the unit. All measures of disciplining are recorded on the student administration system.

The university has separate instructions on dealing with cases of dishonest behavior and plagiarism. For all fields of study, disciplining procedures and drug testing are also covered in the SORA instructions.

17 §
Degree completion

A student is awarded a university of applied sciences degree, Bachelor’s or Master’s, on successfully completing the courses relating to his/her degree programme. The student must successfully show his/her knowledge of the study modules intended for accomplishing the written dissertation work and maturity test in accordance with 10 §.

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Degree certificate

A student is awarded his/her degree certificate by Centria UAS on successful completion of his/her degree programme. The certificate or its supplement displays the degree, the degree programme, degree content, grades and other relevant aspects.

Degree certificates also show the linguistic skills achieved by the student in accordance with degree regulations: 1) education language, 2) maturity test language, 3) the equivalent polytechnic language studies which meet the requirement for bilingual competence as established in §6 of regulation 424/2003 by national authorities for linguistic skills or a note indicating the student’s written and spoken level of competence in the second national language as ‘good’ (grades 4 or 5) or ‘satisfactory’ (grades 1, 2 or 3) and 4) attained written and oral proficiency in a compulsory language necessary for professional engagement and professional development.

Centria UAS gives all successful degree students a Diploma Supplement especially for use abroad. Diploma supplement provides the relevant information about the university of applied sciences as well as the intended studies and course performance for the degree certificate and their level and significance in the course structure.

Those who have completed a degree in public health nursing and whose degree includes a nurse’s qualification will receive a single diploma and Diploma Supplement. The appendix to the degree certificate contains information on the nurse’s qualifications included in the degree.

A student in a degree with foreign language instruction receives a degree certificate in both Finnish and an English.

The student submits an application for a degree certificate in the VALO graduation service and at the same time takes the AVOP survey (the national feedback survey of universities of applied sciences). When submitting the application, the evaluations of the studies required for the degree have to be saved in the Peppi system. The graduation dates are Fridays each week (holidays falling on weekdays may give rise to exceptions) between 1 August and 30 June. The final graduation date is 2 to 3 weeks from the date on which the certificate was sent for approval.

The degree certificate and its appendices are electronic and signed by the Rector of the University of Applied Sciences. The graduate must download the certificate from the Peppi system within 14 days from the graduation date.

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Validity

These regulations will take effect as of 1st August 2022.

Board examiners

Centria UAS has a Board of Examiners which processes requests for rectifications of decisions concerning study credits. The Board of Examiners is nominated by the board of Centria University of Applied Sciences.

The Board of Examiners consists of chairman and two other members of which one is a professor of Centria UAS.

The Board of Examiners 1.8.2021–31.7.2024:

SORA Legislation

The law that came into force at the beginning of the year 2012 enacts on, for example, factors that prevent admission, the revocation and reinstatement of the right to study, presenting a criminal record, drug testing and disciplinary actions. In Centria University of Applied Sciences the legislation is applied in all degree programmes of social services, health care and humanities and education. Sections concerning drug testing and disciplinary actions are applied in all fields of study.

The most central contents of the legislation are the following:

In Centria University of Applied Sciences, the amendments concerning the revocation and reinstatement of the right to study and the factors preventing admission to education  concern the following degrees:

Responsible conduct of research

Centria University of Applied Sciences has committed oneself to follow the guidelines for the responsible conduct of research. These guidelines are used in everything at Centria. More information about the Finnish national board of research integrity (TENK) and from the Guide for thesis and academic writing.

Guidelines of Centria on the use of artificial intelligence to support learning

Artificial intelligence applications such as Open-AI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, Microsoft’s Co-Pilot and others have rapidly become tools for everyday working life. This is due to the rapid development of the large language models (LLM) on which these applications are based.

Current online AI applications can produce human-like text, images and videos. In the future, AI applications will also be able to interpret source materials and produce new interpretations and works based on them. The functionalities of AI are developing rapidly, so it is important to take the existence of these applications into account in the teaching provided at Centria University of Applied Sciences.  

What are language models?

Language models are AI tools that can read, summarise and translate texts. They predict the subsequent words in a word series based on probabilities formed through machine learning, allowing them to create phrases similar to those spoken and written by people. A language model is a program that is able to respond to the input it is given with text that is generated based on the probabilities derived from its source material. The language model does not have competence or understanding of the content, even though its dazzlingly smooth and grammatically correct answer may give this impression. Substance competence is therefore required in order to assess if the AI-produced content is correct. 

Use of artificial intelligence during courses

Universities of applied sciences must prepare students to effectively use the tools of working life. Centria University of Applied Sciences therefore encourages teachers and students to utilise AI. On the other hand, universities of applied sciences are also responsible for student’s learning. Teachers can therefore independently determine whether to allow or restrict the use of AI during a course. AI produces texts whose origin and reliability are unclear. Applications based on AI must be used in a controlled manner.  

As a rule, AI applications can be used to support the creation of different works (tasks, presentations, etc.). The teacher of the course may restrict the use of AI applications if the teacher feels that the use of AI hampers learning. 

  • The teacher of the course must inform the students of the principles, benefits and disadvantages of the use of AI on their course. If the use of AI is prohibited, the scope of this prohibition should be justified. Equality must be taken into account during the course. The use of AI cannot be required within a study unit if this would incur costs for the student. 
  • In terms of accountability, AI does not fulfil the definition of an author. Works produced must be the author’s own – they must not present the ideas, information, words or other material of others without sufficient referencing. Authors are always responsible for the precision, accuracy, integrity and originality of their works, also when making use of AI. 
  • The use of AI in producing the content of a work must be clearly stated and explained when the work is returned by the student, just as is the case for other software, tools and methodologies. This is done in accordance with the Centria University of Applied Sciences’ instructions on referencing. 
  • The constraints listed above are applied with particular care in the case of theses. AI must not be used to support the preparation of a maturity test. 

When using AI tools, the student must pay attention to the following: 

  • The author is always responsible for their own work. 
  • AI systems are only programmes – they have their limitations. AI does not have competence in or understanding of the content it produces. Be aware of these limitations so that you can assess the suitability of the use of AI in different situations. 
  • Follow general ethical principles such as fairness, equality and respect for other students and teachers. 

If a student either (a) uses AI in a context where its use is prohibited or (b) does not report the use of AI in the appropriate manner, they are considered guilty of cheating. Such cases are handled in accordance with the Centria University of Applied Sciences’ guidelines on dealing with cheating. 

Centria’s equality and non-discrimination plan

In the learning environment and working community of Centria University of Applied Sciences, the aim of the equality and non-discrimination plan is to:

Procedures in suspected plagiarism and cheating cases

The activities of Centria University of Applied Sciences are based on openness, integrity, fairness and objectivity. The aim is for Centria students to succeed in their studies and at work and to act in accordance with responsible research and good scientific practices as well as professional practices in their field.

The practices and principles applicable to studies apply to all stages of studies and all fields at Centria. The aim of the study practices and principles is to secure the student’s learning in a way that respects the achievements of both the student and others. Learning requires independent intellectual effort from the student. A study attainment achieved by misconduct does not indicate the student’s actual skill level. Additionally, misconducts are disrespectful to both the teacher and the entire study and work community at Centria.

What is plagiarism or cheating?

At Centria, plagiarism and cheating refer to the use of material produced by another person without permission or appropriate references, such as copying and presenting their ideas, thoughts, writing, etc. as your own. Plagiarism violates the principles of research ethics and is always a punishable act. It is therefore also addressed in mild cases. Acts such as self-plagiarism, forbidden contract, falsification of data and possession of unauthorised material or electronic devices during exams also count as cheating. All Centria students and staff members are expected to understand and comply with the principles of research ethics.

Unethical conduct that violates good research practices can be classified as follows:

Unauthorised borrowing, i.e., plagiarism: using other people’s ideas, texts, information or other material produced by them without giving credit.

Examples:

  • A student copies the texts of another person without quotation marks and in-text references indicating the source texts.
  • A student presents another person’s ideas or theories in their own words without mentioning the source.
  • A student uses information that is not commonly known without mentioning sources.
  • A student does not mention their partners/classmates in joint homework or laboratory tasks.

Self-plagiarism: Using a student’s own ideas, words, information or other material produced by the student and delivered to Centria or other educational institution for evaluation or publication without mentioning this.

Example:

  • A student submits the same assignment in two different courses.

Forbidden contract: hiring a third party to deliver work that is then used or presented as part of an official assessment as if it were the student’s own work.

Example:

  • A student pays another person/company for work that is supposed to be their homework or thesis.

Unauthorised cooperation: working with others without giving notice or using the ideas or words of another person’s work without giving credit, as if it were the student’s own. If a student allows others to use their ideas or words without giving them credit, this can also be considered unauthorised cooperation.

Example:

  • A student requests a work from another student and delivers it as if it were their own.

Pretending to be another person in an exam or other study-related situation

Example:

  • Student A pretends to be student B and participates in student B’s exam.
  • Student A helps student B to pretend to be student C in an exam.

Fabrication, i.e., presenting fabricated observations or results as your own

Fabrication means falsifying or distorting information, results or other research findings or viewpoints. It may also be related to the presentation or storage of data; in which case the data are presented as if they were real. This may also concern documentation and falsification of the consents of people involved in a study.

Example:

  • A student claims to have interviewed people or collected data using questionnaires even though they have not done so.

Possession of unauthorised materials or electronic devices during an exam or in other similar study-related situations

Example:

  • A student uses a dictionary in a Finnish language test even though the teacher has not allowed it.
  • A student uses their phone during a test even though it is not allowed.

The preceding list of plagiarism and cheating situations is not exhaustive, but it gives an overall picture of how you cannot or should not act at Centria University of Applied Sciences in order to comply with good, ethical study and research practices.

As teaching experts, Centria teachers will recognise assignments that have been copied from another source or that have not been properly referred to. Teachers may also use specialised programs such as (but not limited to) Ouriginal and Turnitin to verify the authenticity of students’ assignments. These tools can detect any text matching with an original source. The teacher also has the expertise and obligation to intervene in other forms of cheating described above.

Originality check is part of the assessment and evaluation of a study attainment. A student cannot refuse to use a system to check their study attainment if they want their study attainment to be graded. Upon request, the student must submit their study attainments in electronic format for assessment and grading.

The student’s consent is not needed for the temporary storage of the study attainment in the system when the study attainment has been submitted to the teacher for assessment or grading or when the study attainment has been assessed.

Cheating has been proven in a single assignment that affects evaluation

  • The teacher rejects the assignment and explains the reason to the student.
  • The information is entered in a register.
  • The student redoes the failed assignment or cheating is taken into account in the assessment as indicated by the teacher.

Repeated cheating in assignments or cheating in an exam/final assignment

  • The Director of Education asks the student and the teacher to write a statement on what has happened.
  • Based on the statements of the student and the teacher, the Director of Education makes a decision on issuing a note to the student.
  • The Director of Education notifies the student of the decision by e-mail.
  • The Director of Education enters the incident in a register.
  • The student redoes the failed assignment, possibly on a new topic.

The student continues cheating or cheats in their thesis

  • The Director of Education asks the student and the teacher to write a statement on what has happened.
  • The Director of Education invites the student, teacher and, if necessary, the Director of Education to attend a hearing. The student may also invite another person for support. 
  • A memorandum is prepared on the hearing and sent to the Director of Education.
  • The Director of Education makes a proposal to the Rector on potentially issuing a warning for disciplinary proceedings under section 38 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act.
  • The Rector decides on the warning and makes a separate D decision, which is saved in the case management system. 
  • The decision shall be sent for information to the parties concerned.
  • The student redoes the failed assignment on a new topic.

Student continues cheating despite the hearing or the warning

  • The Director of Education invites the student in question and the Director of Education to attend a hearing. The student may also invite another person for support.
  • A memorandum is prepared on the hearing and sent to the Rector.
  • The Rector makes a proposal to the Board of the University of Applied Sciences on the student’s temporary suspension for up to one year under section 38 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act.
  • The Board decides on the suspension of the student for a fixed period.
  • Information on the suspension is also entered in the Peppi system.

Good governance must be complied with when dealing with plagiarism and cheating cases. It is particularly important that the matter is dealt with without undue delay and that students are given the opportunity to be heard before any decisions on sanctions are made.

Students must also be given the opportunity to invite a support person in the personal hearing, reprimand or other meeting organised by Centria for discussing the matter. The process of handling allegations of misconduct is not public. When a case is dealt with, it will only be communicated to those who process the case as part of their duties or who can provide additional information on the matter. The student will be informed of the progress of the case.

The student may receive a written warning if they:

  1. interfere with teaching;
  2. behave violently or threateningly;
  3. cheat or otherwise violate the order of the university of applied sciences;
  4. refuse to present a drug test certificate referred to in section 36; or
  5. have, on the basis of the report referred to in section 36, used drugs for non-medical purposes in such a way that their functional capacity has deteriorated.

If the act or neglect is serious or if the student continues the inappropriate behaviour referred to in subsection 1 after receiving a written warning, they may be suspended from the university of applied sciences for a fixed period of no more than one year.