At 06:16 PM 12/23/2001 -0500, you wrote:
I ask that the members of the communities be strangers to each other at the formation
of the community in order that there is a minimal possibility of "ganging
up" and because most students when they leave college will enter a work
place usually filled with strangers to them. Part of my educational
philosophy is that students should have a social experience in the
classroom. They rarely have the opportunity to develop people and
communication skills they so sorely need in the workplace, and they seldom
get to realize and learn how to work with and depend on and be depended on
by other people.
I think that most of us would agree that your case is one of 'academic dishonesty'. I know that it is personally painful when a student, or students, with whom you have build some trust destroy that trust with their acts of dishonesty. Such are some of the drawbacks of our profession. However, these personal disappointments should not be the basis for a penalty. The students lied about a component of an assignment and that lie may have contributed to a higher grade than they would have otherwise received. You are in the best position to judge the extent to which they benefited from that lie. As such, I feel that the penalty should be primarily based on whatever advantage these students gained from their lie. In my view, a fair penalty in this situation would be to somehow estimate the extent to which they benefited from the association, deduct that portion of the grade from their final grade and perhaps as a penalty, deduct another like portion from their final grade. I think that is how I would try to deal with your situation.
You then wrote:
"Do I list all the
possible penalties for all the possible dishonesties that may occur? That
wold take volumes. And, then, there would be some I didn't think of. No.
I leave myself as much flexibility to take into account the individual and
human factors. I do say that there are consequences when they go outside
the rules. That may to too vague for some, but it works in a classroom
where there is a bond of mutual trust and respect. The key is fairness".
Louis, as you point out, it is impossible to list all possible penalties for all possible acts of cheating. Although I appreciate your exercising of flexibility in applying penalties, I think that by listing some of the more common infractions along with some of your penalties, students can be put on notice that 1) you are aware that students cheat, 2) that you do not tolerate such behavior, and 3) that meaningful penalties will be exacted on those who cheat.
Most of us know that in spite of clearly stated policies on academic dishonesty students will nevertheless cheat. However, some clear, objective guidelines can be helpful, not only to you (see Mike Scoles' comment), but also to your students. Believe me, students will think twice about cheating in your class if they know up-front that you are serious about this matter and that you will not tolerate that type of behavior.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Notre Dame Division of St. John's College
St. John's University
300 Howard Avenue
Staten Island, New York 10301
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