Don’t be foreign to citing
An exchange student was referred to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) for plagiarism in a lower-division communication course. The professor stated that the student correctly cited his sources in the beginning of the paper, but did not toward the end, which led him to believe that the plagiarism was intentional. The professor also stated that there were paragraphs copied verbatim from the textbook without citations. When meeting with a judicial officer, the student admitted to the plagiarism and stated that he was having difficulty with the paper because English is not his first language. He also stated that he was confused about how and when to cite sources. Because this was the student’s first referral to SJA, he agreed to the sanctions of disciplinary probation for one year, tutoring at the Student Academic Success Center and completion of a writing assignment.
Keep your eyes to yourself
A professor referred this sophomore to SJA for copying/collaborating during an exam in a biological sciences class. The professor stated that she noticed the student look at the exam of the student sitting in front of her several times over the course of 15 minutes. The professor reported that the reader for the class also noticed the behavior. When the student met with a judicial officer, she stated that she didn’t cheat but admitted that her eyes might have been wandering, and asserted that this could have given the impression that she was cheating. Wandering eyes is a violation of the Code of Academic Conduct, so the student agreed to the sanctions of deferred separation until graduation and 15 hours of community service.
Two referrals later
This junior was referred to SJA for plagiarism in an upper-division history class. The professor stated that several paragraphs and sentences in the student’s paper were copied from Wikipedia and other Internet sources. When meeting with a judicial officer, the student admitted to the misconduct. He stated that he was ill when the paper was due and was anxious that he would not be able to complete the paper on time. Because this was his second referral to SJA for plagiarism, he agreed to a suspension for one year. In addition, when he returns to Davis after his suspension, he will be on deferred dismissal status until he graduates. This means that any further academic misconduct or dishonesty would likely result in his dismissal from the university.
Campus Judicial Reports are compiled by members of STUDENT JUDICIAL AFFAIRS. Applications to join the Campus Judicial Board are available on the third floor of Dutton Hall and are due March 15.
