<p>Okay, during a final exam in my GIS class I allowed this girl who I have gotten to know quite well over the semester to copy the answers off my test paper. She's not good at GIS and I am so I kind of caved into pressure and let her copy. The professor noticed the similarities and sent us an email two days ago (Tuesday) that we have been charged with academic dishonesty. The girl and I spent all day Tuesday trying to convince the professor we didn't cheat but to no avail. I saw her exam for the first time on Tuesday and was shocked at how she literally copied my answers word for word. The girl thought we had a strong case to show we didn't cheat but I didn't, considering I am the one who actually knew how to get the answers and saw how she wrote down the answers verbatim. She was willing to fight a month-long legal battle over this but I didn't want to. </p>
<p>I confessed to my professor and the coordinator at the Office of Student Conduct yesterday (Wednesday) that I let the girl copy off my test paper. They both seemed pleased that I came forward early and they said that an informal resolution might be possible for me, as opposed to the possibility of getting an 'XF' (failure due to academic dishonesty) on my transcript. What surprises me though is that I told the girl that I confessed but she has not confessed herself to the professor yet. She was quite adamant in wanting to fight the charges and kept telling me to "not give in". </p>
<p>Naturally, I am very scared about what will happen. Has anyone been in this situation before? Do you think I will get an 'XF' or not? Is there a possibility of getting an easier punishment? What kind of punishments can I be dealt? </p>
<p>P.S. I know what I did is wrong and I'll never do it ever, ever again so please spare me the lecture.</p>
<p>It is impossible for any anonymous internet people to guess what your school will do. It will depend on your school and their policies. Is there a written policy at your school? At my daughter’s school there is a printed policy and there are different levels of academic integrity violations with corresponding sanctions. Cheating in an exam or helping someone else cheat would be a level 2 violation at her school and the sanction would be a F! (equivalent to your FX) for the class and on the transcript. </p>
<p>I would be surprised if they show much leniency in this situation, to be honest. Maybe you will be lucky and they will just give you an F or a WF.</p>
<p>You need to be really careful here. This girl could claim that you initiated the academic dishonesty by knowing she was having trouble in the class and then offering to give her the answers in exchange for sexual favors. Try to resolve it as quickly as possible by offering to take a WF now and encourage the school to drop the charges against the girl. I know that would be a bitter pill to swallow but she holds all the cards and a WF is the best you can hope for if she decides to do whatever she has to fight the charges.</p>
<p>Lematire1: I’m gay and the professor knows that so I don’t see how “sexual favors” can play into this. And why should I take a WF and let the charges be dropped on the girl when she pressured me to give her the answers? Honestly, you gave a stupid answer.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how your school operates, but at my school you would get the Academic Dishonesty on your record and be on academic probation for the rest of your attendance at school.</p>
<p>I would seriously look into finding the written policies for your school. If it is a large school, I truly doubt they will just let it slide. Large schools encounter way too many instances of academic dishonesty and thus usually have a policy in place that they must hold to for each case.</p>
<p>Well if you really wanted to lie, you could have pulled the “I didn’t know she copied off me” card, and then further proved to the prof that you knew the material and she didn’t. Not that I’m recommending being more dishonest, any-who, this option is off the table since you confessed.</p>
<p>You can petition the University of Maryland to remove the “X” portion of your grade after one year.</p>
<p>[Office</a> of Student Conduct](<a href=“http://www.osc.umd.edu/Info/Faculty/AcadQa.aspx]Office”>http://www.osc.umd.edu/Info/Faculty/AcadQa.aspx)
"What penalties are imposed for academic dishonesty at Maryland?
Strict penalties are necessary, so academic dishonesty is not trivialized. For example, the common practice at many colleges of simply awarding a failing grade for academic dishonesty is no deterrent to a student already in danger of failing the course.</p>
<p>The standard sanction for academic dishonesty at Maryland is the “XF” grade penalty, noted on the transcript as “failure due to academic dishonesty.” Students may petition the Honor Council for removal of the “X” from the transcript one year after being found responsible for an offense if they successfully complete an academic integrity seminar."</p>
<p>That really sucks, it is much easier to not let people copy you even if you have to be a dick. I remember back in Dynamics I bought a solutions manual that nobody could get without paying so I was nice and gave it out and eventually the entire class had it. Now I use solutions manuals to actually help me with classes, I never just copy them but most people are stupid and do just that. Long story short, the professor caught onto this and ended up just giving us in class quizzes every class instead of homework. So moral of the story is be a dick if you have to, it’s not worth the chance of having to retake the class or even getting kicked out of school.</p>
<p>Academic cheating shows you are a suitable candidate for law school and you should apply. Lawyers, more so than any other profession, are prone to cheating and other forms of dishonesty and it is more tolerated there than in other professions for some reason. Maybe because the opportunities for dishonesty and bad ethics is more prevalent in law.</p>
1st you cheated and then you lied. Finally in the face of overwhelming evidence you admitted guilt.
Take? I doubt that Maryland will give you a choice. Consider it a reward for violating their Code of Academic Integrity.</p>
<p>"Is the Maryland Code of Academic Integrity an honor code?’
Yes, if by “Honor Code” you mean that students are asked to sign and abide by an honor pledge; assume responsibility for educating their peers about the importance of academic integrity; and are given significant authority to resolve academic dishonesty allegations…
Great. It is good to see that you are taking responsibility for your actions and not blaming others.
Good Luck.</p>
<p>Aglages: Lemaitre1 said I should take ALL the blame and try to get the university to drop the charges against the girl. I said things like “why should I take a WF” because I meant to say why should I be the ONLY one to be punished me when we both committed the act? I thought that was implied in the post. </p>
<p>And yes, I did feel pressured to cheat and lie. And I did feel guilty about what I did. You probably think that a cheater is a one-dimensional devil, but there’s more to it than that and I won’t let you make derogatory statements while I sit quietly. If there is anything I learned from this ordeal, it’s that I need to not compromise my self-respect so others can use me and judge me. If you are going to insult and demonize me without knowing the facts, that please don’t post anything.</p>
Glad you learned something. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for the University of Maryland to decide whether the Maryland Code of Academic Integrity applies to only cheating one-dimensional devils, or all cheating and lying students. Good luck.</p>
<p>Xionio654, I am an alumnus of the University of Maryland College Park. When I read your first posting I knew that the best you could hope for was an F of some sort for the course. You did not mention you were gay and would be perceived by the professor and Honor Council as above any suspicion of cheating in exchange for sexual favors from this girl.</p>
<p>I gave the advice I did because I was not only concerned about academic sanctions you would be subject to but was also concerned that you could be in some legal jeopardy. You said that she was willing to take legal action and was utterly committed to escaping punishment for her role in the cheating. It was my impression that this girl was the type of person who would make an allegation that you would only provide her the answers in exchange for sex and in these types of situations the girl is the one that is more likely to be believed by both the University and possibly the police. Since it was clear you were going to receive an F for the course I saw no point in fighting that but hoped that if the girl was reasonably satisfied with the outcome she would not take actions that could have caused additional severe damage to you.</p>
<p>I thought you would see it as a gross injustice and not like it but hoped you would realize that you could not escape an F and your objective would have to turn to containing any further damage to you academically and legally.</p>