A student who posted on Facebook asking if anyone could do their assignment was among those disciplined for dishonest practices by the University of Otago last year.
Academic disciplinary reports released to the Otago Daily Times showed 35 students were dealt with for misconduct or cheating last year, down from 42 in 2014 and 72 in 2013.
By far, most of the cheating cases involved plagiarism, with punishments ranging from having to resubmit assignments, losing marks or receiving zero marks.
Four were caught cheating in final examinations - a radiation therapy student who had handwritten notes on the back of their hand, a medical student who took an internet-capable cellphone to two exams, a management student who brought a cellphone into an exam and a theology and religion student who took a book into an exam.
Perhaps the strangest case of academic misconduct involved a mathematics and statistics student who, "after being taunted by friends'', put a post on Facebook for a short time inviting someone to complete an assignment on their behalf.
The student received a warning, as the assignment in question was completed without help.
Students taking humanities courses accounted for 13 of the cases, followed by the sciences with eight, and health sciences and commerce with six each.
Two dishonest practices cases involved PhD students.
