A student broke his arm and was in hospital for several days. This meant he was not able to write his assignment for one subject. To solve this problem, he submitted an assignment that he had submitted for a different subject in the previous year.

Is the student’s behaviour acceptable?

Question

A student broke his arm and was in hospital for several days. This meant he was not able to write his assignment for one subject. To solve this problem, he submitted an assignment that he had submitted for a different subject in the previous year.

Is the student’s behaviour acceptable?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question presents a scenario: a student broke his arm and was hospitalized for several days, preventing him from writing an assignment for one subject. To solve the problem, he submitted an assignment that he had submitted for a different subject in the previous year. Is the student’s behaviour acceptable?

Option analysis context (note: the provided data shows an empty list for answer options, but the scenario implies a binary judgment and likely a standard ethics answer such as Yes/No):

- If the implied option is “No” (that the behavior is not acceptable): This aligns with common academic integrity standards. Submitting work that is not your own or presenting it as new work when it was originally created for a different subject constitutes plagiarism or academic dishonesty. The core issues are misrepresentation of authorship and attempting to gain credit for work not earned under the current assessment, which undermines fairness and the integrity of the evaluation process.
  - Why this is not acceptable: the student is using a previous year’s assignment to fulfill a current requirement, which is not an original submission for the current assessment. It bypasses the learning objectives of the current course and misleads instructors about the student’s current understanding and effort.
  - Supporting considerations: many institutions require medical documentation and extension requests when illness or injury prevents timely completion. If approved, a legitimate path would be an extension or an alternative assignment, not reusing prior work.
  - Potential consequences: academic penalties such as a formal warning, a reduced grade, a requirement to redo the assignment, or more severe sanctions depending on policy and repeated behavior.

- If there were alternative options (e.g., “Yes, acceptable” or “Only acceptable if approved by the instructor”): It would be essential to consider institutional policies. Some systems allow substitution of work or extensions if the student formally communicates with the instructor and provides medical evidence. However, simply submitting prior work without authorization tends to violate integrity rules in most settings.
  - Why these alternative options might be incorrect: unsolicited reuse of past work is typically not allowed unless the policy explicitly permits it and the student discloses the circumstances and obtains explicit approval.

- What a more appropriate course of action would look like: notify the instructor or exam coordinator about the hospitalization and inability to complete the assignment on time; provide medical documentation if required; request an extension or an alternative assignment; if permitted, submit new work reflecting current understanding and learning outcomes; or discuss a reasonable accommodation under the institution’s student support services.

- Important nuances to avoid misconceptions:
  - Reusing your own prior work can still be considered self-plagiarism unless the policy allows it and proper acknowledgment or adaptation is made.
  - The acceptability of extensions or alternative assignments depends on institutional rules, course policies, and the timing of the request.
  - Merely blaming illness without following proper procedural steps (informing, documentation, and approvals) does not automatically excuse improper submission.

In summary, under typical academic integrity standards, the behavior described—submitting a previous year’s assignment to fulfill a current requirement—would generally be deemed unacceptable unless there is explicit authorization and a formal accommodation process has been followed. If the data provided included multiple-choice options, the one that reflects the standard view would be that the behavior is not acceptable, with the rationale centered on misrepresentation and breach of policy. If you encounter this scenario in practice, consult your institution’s academic integrity policy and speak with the instructor or academic support services to determine the correct, policy-aligned course of action.

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