<p>If a professor submitted a claim for plagiarism against you to the disciplinary office about your assignment or papers, what's the sanction for this? And what could the guy do to alleviate the sanction.
Thank you so much.
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<p>The penalty varies from school to school, but generally the punishment starts small, and escalates with repetition. For example, for the first instance you may get a zero for that assignment, for the second instance you may get an F for the course, and for the third instance you may get suspended or expelled. This applies across courses and semesters - you may get a zero on a paper now, if you do it again next semester then you would fail that course.</p>
<p>As far as what you did, you only have two things you can really do - show that you did NOT plagiarize, or else admit it and show contrition. It really depends on (a) what you are accused of and (b) what you feel you actually did.</p>
<p>Care to offer any more details? Bear in mind that this is all anonymous, and that the more information you share the better advice you can get.</p>
<p>At many schools, plagiarism, even a first offense, is grounds for expulsion, either temporary (with the option to reapply after a set amount of time) or permanent. Much depends on the extent of plagiarism. For example, a single lifted paragraph may be treated more leniently than an entire paper hobbled together from one or more sources. </p>
<p>Usually, a student caught plagiarizing is brought before the university’s disciplinary committee, where the evidence is weighed. Occasionally, a professor decides to deal with it himself, by giving, as Cosmicfish says, an F for either the paper or the course; however, if the professor brings it to the chair of the department, it usually has to go to the university, following the procedure as outlined in the university’s rules and procedures. Generally, the professor will not begin such proceedings without solid proof, so it’s usually to the student’s advantage to show remorse rather than try to out-argue the committee. Again, depending on the severity of the infraction, the committee will decide what they deem appropriate punishment, whether academic probation, temporary leave, or expulsion. Once they decide, usually the student cannot appeal. In most cases, the disciplinary action will remain on the student’s record, even if he returns after a leave of absence.</p>
<p>At the graduate level, the punishment is more likely to be swift and final. The university and the program cannot risk granting an advanced degree to a student who has exhibited a lack of academic integrity.</p>
<p>Despite common “wisdom” on CC, plagiarism is a form of cheating – it is treated the same as copying from another student’s exam or doing another student’s problem set.</p>