False move
A student was recently referred to Student Judicial Affairs for providing false information to a professor in an upper-division economics course. The sophomore told his professor that he had not submitted any work for the course and asked to be given a “No Work Submitted” grade for the class. The professor told the student that as long as he had not submitted any work, the NWS grade would be given. The professor then received an e-mail from a teaching assistant stating that the student had frantically e-mailed the TA and asked him to throw away a homework assignment that was submitted earlier in the quarter. The student admitted to providing false information during his informal meeting with an SJA officer and agreed to probation until winter 2011 and 15 hours of community service. Although this student was in an upper-division course and lied to a professor, his forthrightness and lack of prior offenses were taken into account when a sanction was decided upon.
Disorganization can be dangerous
A history graduate student was referred to SJA in winter quarter 2010 for plagiarizing on a preliminary examination for her Ph.D. The student acknowledged that the examination contained plagiarized material but stated that the plagiarism was due to poor handling and labeling of notes. The student claimed that her lack of organization led her to inadvertently include material from primary and secondary sources. The student admitted that this was her fault and agreed to a disciplinary sanction of deferred dismissal through graduation. With deferred dismissal, the student is allowed to remain in school but agrees to waive the right to a formal hearing if found in violation of the Code of Academic Conduct at any other point before graduation; if the student does violate the code again, she will likely be dismissed from the university.
Collaborating for a zero
A professor referred two students for collaborating during an exam. Both students had taken the same version of the exam even though they were sitting next to each other, and during the test, the professor noticed the students talking, comparing Scantrons and erasing and re-bubbling answers. Because both students were first-years, had no prior offenses and took immediate responsibility for their actions, both students were offered and agreed to disciplinary probation through winter 2011 and 10 hours of community service. Disciplinary probation means that if a student is found in violation of another offense, they will likely be suspended or dismissed. It should also be noted that both students received zeros from the professor on the exam, in accordance with Academic Senate rules. Most instructors do assign a grade of zero to any work in which academic misconduct is established to have occurred.
Members of the student for judicial affairs compile the campus judicial reports. Additional information about SJA and the Campus Judicial Board may be found at sja.ucdavis.edu.
