St Andrews University right to expel student who plagiarised thesis

An independent inquiry has found St Andrews University used the proper procedures in kicking out a student guilty of plagiarism.

The PhD student who has not been named was accused of passing off someone else’s work as his own in his thesis. His case was considered at a hearing by the university board of adjudication.

The board decided that his studies should be terminated, with no right to complete his doctoral programme.

After his appeal against the ruling failed, the ex-student then asked the Scottish public services ombudsman to investigate. He claimed the university’s procedures had been flawed and his punishment was invalid.

But the ombudsman’s report released yesterday upheld the decision to end his studies.

It said: “We were satisfied that the university were able to demonstrate that they had followed the procedures set out in their academic misconduct policy.

“We were also satisfied that exceptional personal circumstances, disclosed in his appeal, were taken into account.”