A student was referred to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) for stealing from the university bookstore after a security officer observed and identified the student with security cameras. The student admitted to stealing over $175 worth of merchandise over multiple days. When he met with a Judicial Officer, the student agreed to be placed on Disciplinary Probation for two years. If a student on probation violates the rules again, he or she will likely be suspended or dismissed from the University. In addition to this disciplinary sanction from SJA, the student agreed to pay $1,400 in restitution to the bookstore.
Overnight Success
A student was referred to SJA for allegedly plagiarizing an essay in an English class. The professor noticed that the essay was significantly better than the student’s previous work and suspected that it was not the student’s own work. When the student was called into SJA, she explained that a friend of hers had proofread the paper, pointed out mistakes and corrected errors. She asserted that she did not have anyone proofread her earlier papers because she wanted to show improvement by the end of the quarter. The SJA officer in charge of the case did not find this explanation credible, but was not able to find a source that the student had clearly plagiarized from. In the end, they agreed to resolve the case with a Censure. A Censure is a written notice that a violation has occurred — and in this case the student admitted that she had probably received more help than allowed from her friend. If the student is found in violation again, she will likely receive further disciplinary action.
Not-So-Smart Phone
An economics professor referred a student for using unauthorized materials during an exam. The professor noticed that the student was looking at his cell phone, which he held between his knees during the exam. When asked to see the phone, the professor found many pages of typed and scanned notes on the screen, containing information that the student was being tested on. The student admitted to having his cell phone out but alleged that he was not looking at the notes on the screen. However, simply having a cell phone out and on is prohibited during testing — whether or not a student intends to cheat using the phone — and constitutes as “use of unauthorized materials during an exam.” The student agreed to Deferred Separation, meaning that if he is found in violation again, he will likely be suspended or dismissed from the University.
