Last semester, I was charged of academic dishonesty because I searched the online solution on one of homework assignments. However, the specific policy that “internet is not allowed” is not mentioned in class or written on the top of the assignment.
The professors for other classes that have specific rules (like prohibition of internet on take-home exams) either talk about the policy in class or include it in the honor pledge on the exam. However, the board refuses to consider my case as ignorance of policy because the policy is written in the syllabus (who will read academic honesty policy closely in syllabus???), and board members want to directly kick me off because this is not my first charge. I am wondering whether it is possible to get rid of the mess by claiming that I feel targeted and discriminated.
For example, after I was charged of academic dishonesty, he did not grade my draft paper until the second draft was due. Even though it was graded at a very late point, he did not give me any feedback on the draft (while he was supposed to so). At the end of the semester, he did not grade my second draft, peer review, and final version of paper. At that time, the case hasn’t been reviewed by the board yet. Even though I know that I am going to fail this course because of this charge, I still managed to complete all assignments. But isn’t he supposed to grade all assignments submitted??? Thank you all for reading and I need some advise!
Besides, on school’s website, it is said that the instructor must mention the course-specific academic honesty policy in class within first two weeks. Can I appeal by saying that he never mentioned this policy in class? I had professors who allowed the use of online tutorials and Chegg on homework in the past. this is my first time having a professor who gives very challenging problems on homework, hates students to use internet on homework, does not provide solutions to homework, offers no TA office hours, and only have 1 office hour each week (which often gets canceled).
“The board refuses to consider my case as ignorance of policy because the policy is written in the syllabus (who will read academic honesty policy closely in syllabus???), and board members want to directly kick me off because this is not my first charge.”
The policy WAS stated in writing in the syllabus and your supposed ignorance of it is NO excuse for what you did. You are in college and are expected to be able to READ.
Your Professors are HIGHLY educated professors who, trust me, have seen these kind of excuses from other students before. They are NOT going to let you off the hook, ESPECIALLY as this is not your first time trying to break the rules.
Its time to grow up and stop making excuses for YOUR dishonest behavior.
who will read academic honesty policy closely in syllabus??? <<< You lost me here. Your professor clearly addressed this issue in the syllabus. It was your responsibility to take it seriously and read that information. What other professors do is irrelevant.
Agree with the above poster. This is a very immature attitude to have. Accept responsibility and do better moving forward.
Agree with the other posters^^^^.
Ignorance of the policy is a weak excuse.
He did mention it in the first two weeks in a syllabus which you were required to read.
How were you targeted and discriminated? This makes no sense. The policy was in the syllabus. All the students are assumed to be ready for college and you are supposed to read everything presented by a professor, ESPECIALLY the syllabus because that’s how you are graded.
Additionally some professors have 400 students. They’re not going to hold your hands and do what your teachers did in high school-make corrections and get it back to you so you can get a higher grade. That doesn’t happen in college; you’re supposed to be able to know what to do. He can get it back to you anytime he wants; it’s his class.
So what? You can’t use the excuse that because other professors allow things, that this professor should too.
College professors are preparing you for the real world and for job opportunities. Employers don’t want people that don’t know how to work for themselves or figure out solutions from paperwork.
My husband interviews new candidates. He gives basic written test questions during interviews. If a candidate doesn’t pass this basic test, he doesn’t consider hiring them because they can’t problem-solve. My sister also does hiring for her firm. If the person doesn’t pass her mini test, she doesn’t consider hiring them.
A generation or so, when we were in school, there was no such thing as Internet. We had to research in books from the library. Your professor may be my age and he’s doing the right thing.
Also, based on your weak writing skills on this post, I’m wondering if reading and writing is a significant weakness of yours? It appears to adversely impact your interpretation of printed information.
Should be: I was charged with
Should be: kick me out
You have multiple errors with knowing which preposition to use in a sentence; you also have errors with past and present tense in your sentences, so I think this is affecting your reading/writing skills.
Really?!? People who want to pass the class, maybe?
Hi Greenteaa. I’m not going to address the merits of whether you engaged in academic dishonesty, but am responding to whether you may have experienced discrimination. In terms of being accused of academic dishonesty, you haven’t stated anything that would support your concern–a great example would be if you were aware of another student who had engaged in online research (and which, of course, the professor was aware of), yet didn’t get reported to the board or they are treating more leniently. However, because you stated that this is at least your second violation, you’d really need to compare yourself to someone else who had at least two known violations.
If you are saying you were discriminated against because the professor was late in reviewing and grading your drafts, it’s irrelevant to your main concern regarding academic dishonesty. In other words, even if the professor really should have graded your paper sooner, that wouldn’t excuse the academic dishonesty; they are two separate things. Hope this helps.
What does what happened after you were caught cheating have to do with the cheating charge? It sounds to me like you were caught cheating (again) and if you can’t wriggle out of the consequences by claiming ignorance you want to lie and say the professor accused you of cheating because they were “targeting and discriminating” against you so they’ll drop the cheating charge. Is that right? You’d be willing to add a huge black mark to this man’s permanent career record so you can get away with cheating? If so, you deserve to be expelled.
You cheated, you got caught and you are trying to weasel out of it with any excuse you can think of. Take responsibility for your actions.
There is a well-known legal principle which works against you: Ignorantia juris non excusat - ignorance of law excuses no one. Any claim that you were “targeted” and “discriminated” against says more about you - and not in a good way.
Your first sentence in your post #1 (your reply to yourself) seems to be the only possible grounds for appeal. Targeting, discrimination, your experience in other classes, and your experience since your violation have nothing to do with it.
“Besides, on school’s website, it is said that the instructor must mention the course-specific academic honesty policy in class within first two weeks.”
If the web site really says that exact wording, maybe this is your grounds. But I think the meaning is that the policy was communicated during the first two weeks, and it was, on the syllabus. I don’t know how you are going to prove that the professor never said it in class, unless he/she backs up that statement.
One would think if they were already accused of academic dishonesty once, they’d be super careful not to let that happen again.
I think that this sentence sums up everything that is wrong with your attitude.
What you did was academic misconduct. It is not “the mess”, it is “your mess”. Own up to it, see what you can do to make it better.
On you other threads you said you’re in a top 40 private university, and been for a few years, plus had academic dishonesty charges before. And you still don’t read the syllabus and don’t know getting the homework solution online is wrong??
Moreover, you’re thinking of filing a frivolous and untrue discrimination claim which will cause a lot of headache not only for your professor but for his superiors, just to avoid responsibility for your actions. Such claims give anti-discrimination measures a bad name and make it harder for those students who have actually experienced discrimination.
I hope it’s not too late for you to mend your ways and I hope they will find a way to discipline you without expelling, but if they do kick you out that will be richly deserved.
Communication of policy can be in writing. Does not have to be verbal. You have no grounds to appeal. You should be thankful if you’re not kicked out.
Posting on a public forum that you might make up a discrimination charge as a way to get out of/get revenge for cheating, which is due to your failure to read material that was provided you, is a great way to put a big black mark against your name for the rest of your life.
The internet is not anonymous.
The syllabus language on academic integrity doesn’t need to be repeated at the top of every assignment as the OP writes in his or her first paragraph. Uggh.
What happens when the professor sues you for a frivolous lawsuit?
At my D’s college the students are given lots of assignments where they are not allowed to use the internet and/or other people to help them. Sometime they CAN use materials supplied by the instructor such as the book or class notes. The specific rules are always detailed in the syllabus. Occasionally they will be reiterated on top of an assignment, but not always. My D is constantly checking the syllabus if she’s not sure. In one class there are 4 different types of assignments given and all have different levels of help they are allowed to get and/or resources they are allowed to use. It’s her responsibility to know the difference and follow the rules. It sucks at times because she’ll have to turn in things she knows are wrong and I’m sure there are some students who don’t follow the rules who get higher grades. But it’s just not worth the risk and it’s not the right thing to do.
I’m not sure how your a couple of years into college and you haven’t figured out yet that you need to be carefully reading your syllabus. I also wonder how many times you’ve cheated and haven’t been caught.
@greenteaa, I’m sure you’ve had time to read through some of the posts here. We haven’t heard from you, but given your history, we understand.
It should help you to figure out what to do, but make sure that you READ through the posts.