Lisa wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Well, it's happened... Call me naive, but I'm shocked. I'm a first year
faculty member teaching an advanced (i.e., juniors, seniors and graduate
students) Psychology of Sexualities course. As a first assignment, I gave
a simple syllabus critique assignment. The assignment is designed to
ensure that students have carefully read and understood the syllabus. It
also gives them an opportunity to provide feedback about the course, due
dates etc. In addition to stating their level of agreement with
statements
(e.g., the syllabus clearly states course objectives), I ask them to
provide a course learning goal and to proofread the syllabus (as practice
for the proofreading that I hope they will do when they hand in their
papers). The assignment is very easy and should take the average student
10 minutes to do. In return, they get to earn 5 points.
Yesterday, I sat down to grade the assignments and found to my surprise
that two students (they are roommates) had typed up and handed in the
EXACT
responses to the questions. They didn't even bother to change the font,
page margins or one word! I might add that my syllabus has a section
about
academic honesty that says that "... submitting work that belongs to
someone else as your own is plagiarism." I plan to give both students a 0
for the work (in addition to the blatant copying, they both failed to
answer a question, and one did not address the learning goals statement)
but would also like to send a very strong message about how serious (not
to
mention disrespectful. How stupid do they think I am?)this offense is.
What's the best route?:
1. Write on their papers that this is academic dishonesty and serious,
and
that they should consider this a one-time only warning?
2. Ask them to come and see me together and then talk to them about
academic dishonesty?
3. Other?
Thanks, I look forward to your suggestions.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
1. Grade the paper fairly.
2. Indicate the grade on both copies.
3. Add a note that you aren't sure which of the two students who
submitted it deserves the grade, so you'll enter it when they inform you
who gets it (and that the other submission will receive a "0").
4. Discuss the topic of academic dishonesty in your next class and make
it clear that _any_ future examples you receive will be referred to the
disciplinary committee (or the appropriate administrative unit in your
institution)-no exceptions!
Obviously, both students will end up with a "0" (one is unlikely to "turn
in" the other), but the point will be made.
Rick
