By Graham Huband and Grant Smith, education reporter

Dundee University rector Craig Murray said yesterday he was sorry for 219 nursing students being forced to re-sit a key exam after vital information from the paper was leaked.

Students were informed by letter on Monday they would have to retake the exam on August 27 because some of them may have had prior knowledge of last month’s test.

When the allegations surfaced, the university moved quickly to declare the examination void and order that all first-year nursing students—219 across the Dundee and Kirkcaldy campuses—take a second paper.

The university said yesterday that academic integrity was paramount and no other course of action could ensure the examination was fair.

Mr Murray said he understood the university’s position, but was concerned for borderline students who may have passed the first paper but could go on to fail the second time.

He said he had met the university’s academic secretary, Ian Francis, and had sought assurances the students affected by the situation would be dealt with sympathetically.

He said, “It is appalling for them. I feel really sorry for them as most of them are out there doing a job of work in the NHS and they are now going to have to come back and sit a crucial exam again.

“It seems that nobody really understands what happened yet.

“It is not known whether students were cheating or whether one of the lecturers gave the students too much information about what was going to be in the exam for whatever motive.

“It is too early to say this is definitely a case of cheating—something has obviously gone wrong but it is not clear whether it is the fault of the university or the students.

“The majority of students at this university aren’t people who want to cheat and it seems very unfortunate that they are having to take the exam again.

“I understand the university is in a very difficult position, but what worries me especially is the case of the student who narrowly passed the first time and then goes on to fail the second time.

“That (scenario) doesn’t necessarily indicate that student was cheating and I wanted to make sure that someone in that position would not be chucked out of the university.”

A university spokesman said the new paper would be held on a first-sitting basis—meaning students would have all the normal rights of appeal available if they should fail.

He stressed the exam constituted only 25% of a student’s mark, with the other portion based on performance throughout the academic year. Anyone who failed the new exam would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

With regards to the leak, the spokesman could only confirm an investigation was continuing.

If cheating took place, a range of options are open to the university.

Its rules state, “The penalties for academic dishonesty can be very severe. This is because cheating strikes at the heart of the award of degrees.

“There can be a warning which is recorded in a student’s file and may well have consequences for references. There can be a requirement to take an entire module again.

“There can be a refusal to award a degree. There can be fines. There can be expulsion from the university. All these penalties have been used.”

There is no exhaustive list of cheating, but it can include taking unauthorised materials into exams, colluding with others in submitting work and falsification of data.

Should a staff member be found to have acted negligently or to have deliberately leaked information, the university could take disciplinary action.

Dundee University secretary Dr David Duncan added, “It’s tough on the students and we offer an unreserved apology to all students affected by this unfortunate incident.

“We don’t know exactly how many students had sight of the exam questions and which didn’t so that is why we have had to ask everyone to re-sit the exam.”

He added, “We don’t know how some students got access to the questions and we are undertaking a full investigation.

“We follow the rules of academic dishonesty and which are made available to students and staff.

“The most severe penalties could include expulsion for students or disciplinary action for staff.”