Just a peek
A teaching assistant referred a student to Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) for copying off another student’s exam in an upper division economics course. The TA noticed the suspicious behavior and moved the student during the exam. After the exam, the TA reviewed both tests and discovered that they shared a number of identical wrong answers. During the meeting with the SJA officer, the student was apologetic and admitted to copying off the other student’s exam. The student stated that she was under a lot of emotional pressure due to family matters and would not otherwise cheat. Because the student took responsibility for her actions, the SJA officer proposed a lighter sanction. The student accepted disciplinary probation through Winter Quarter of 2014 and agreed to do 10 hours of community service as well. If a student breaks the rules while on disciplinary probation, they will almost definitely be suspended. Even after the probation is over, though, another similar violation (any kind of academic misconduct) would likely result in suspension.
I didn’t even want to be here
An upperclassman was referred to SJA for using unauthorized material during a final exam. The TA saw the student referring to the material under his desk and reported him to SJA after the exam. During his meeting at SJA, he told the Judicial Officer that he did not really want to take the course but it was the only one that fit his schedule. He said that he tried to study for the class but he just was not interested in the subject. After doing poorly on both midterms, the student decided to bring unauthorized material to the final exam to make sure he did not fail the class. In the end, he took responsibility for his actions and accepted Deferred Separation status and 12 hours of community service. Deferred Separation means that the student gives up his right to a formal hearing if he is referred to SJA in the future for academic misconduct. However, he retains his right to an informal hearing with a Judicial Officer.
The jig is up
A TA reported a student for changing her answers on a Scantron and then submitting it as proof that the Scantron grading machine must have made a mistake because she should have earned more points. When the student met with the SJA officer, she insisted that she had not changed her answers, and that the error must have been made by the machine. However, the TA then provided a full Scantron report indicating that two answers were clearly left unmarked. The student eventually admitted to her actions. The SJA officer proposed to resolve the matter with deferred separation status and 15 hours of community service. The student accepted, thus giving up her right to a formal hearing in the future. In terms of grading, the professor has the right to give the student a zero on the exam — and he did.
