SRA character and suitability - plagiarism with AI

[shadowlawyer]

I am about to finish university and am on a vacation scheme. I have found out I need to resit one of my papers which was flagged for a high AI content. My resit mark will be capped at 40.

A board convened to consider my case and I submitted evidence. They found in favour of likely AI misapplication and therefore gave me the punishment above.

I have done some reading into the SRA character and suitability guidelines and it does not seem clear how strongly they rule on plagiarism, even though it is noted as a factor. I read an FOI in 2022 which said that they had not refused to admit a candidate due to academic misconduct for several years.

One option I am considering is going an early assessment to get the result. However, I am worried that no time will have elapsed for me to show improved character.

Any advice or help on this would be appreciated.

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hiya @shadowlawyer

Very sorry for the late reply, especially given the stressful nature of the situation. I've put together some initial thoughts based on some brief chats I've had with others on the team about this issue.

You're right that academic misconduct (including plagiarism or inappropriate use of AI tools) is a factor the SRA considers under its Character and Suitability guidelines. While it doesn’t automatically lead to refusal, it’s treated seriously because it touches on honesty and integrity. You can request an early character and suitability assessment if you're concerned that this might prevent you from qualifying. But the SRA will still assess you again when you apply for admission. You can find more information about this on the SRA website here: https://www.sra.org.uk/students/resources/character-suitability/

I've attached SRA's guidance on academic misconduct below: