Couch 166: The Un-hex-hexed Couch

Somebody copied anothers exam? Like word from word copied?

Some direct copying, some rewriting to make the same (lame) point. Same errors. They were sitting next to each other. And they're good friends outside of class, and one of them was obviously unprepared for the exam.

At least neither of them is a foreign student so I won't get a letter from their embassy asking me to excuse their cheating and not penalize them (really happened).

ETA: I do think it may be a case of the better student allowing his friend (the unprepared one) to copy off him or being copied off of unwittingly.

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I broke down and emailed my therapist. I want to leave work, but I don't want to go tell my boss I'm having an emotional breakdown.

Can you take a lunch break? Is there maybe some little project that won't require a lot of energy on your part but might be distracting enough for now?

Thanks. I did that and my arousal level has come down enough that I don't feel like I'm going to burst into tears at any moment.

I hate catching cheaters - so much more work for the professor.

How often does plagiarism/cheating happen? And does that mean the students involved automatically get a failing grade or does the professor give them a chance to redeem themselves? (Not saying they do not deserve a failing grade for the paper-just curious of the process) Im really surprised that with all the money it costs to go to school that these students who are essentailly adults would jeopardize their GPA.

My experience has been that plagiarism happens pretty frequently in any class where the assignment isn't structured in a sequenced way that makes it pretty difficult to do. A class that only has a final research paper at the end has been usually the worst. Most universities subscribe to a service like Turnitin to try to scan for violations. And in the last several years, it's been particularly an issue with Chinese students (my university has seen a huge influx of students from China), partly I think because of the pressures to be perfect, the emphasis being put on getting the grades and credential rather than a recognition of needing to gain skills for post college life, and because such corruption is rampant even among professors/business circles in China. There's been a lot of exposure of faked scientific research from China which has led to a drop in international research partnerships. To be fair, within the Asian cultures, much of what we consider plagiarism in research is considered normal procedure there. Not the exam cheating sort of plagiarism, but the lack of citation for others' work kind.

Usually it's the prof's discretion about how to pursue, but there are Univ policies that vary and make it a royal pain to execute.

I think it's that they don't think they'll get caught. Or that they're doing so poorly in a class they figure they'll fail anyway if they don't cheat.

Thats very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

I sit on my school’s committee for judging cases of academic dishonesty and penalties for those guilty (a special notation on their transcript, suspension, expulsion), and they are getting more and more common. Those are only the ones faculty report, though—many faculty simply assign their own penalty like an F on the assignment or the course, and instead of asking my committee for an extra penalty they may just ask the dean to add the student’s name to the school’s database of cheaters and provide documentation.

Cheating is seen as worth the risk because of the pressure to get a college degree and the pressure to have a high GPA. Odds of getting caught depend on the professor’s vigilance and/or the willingness of fellow students to complain to the professor.

ETA: and feralkittymom is right, a lot of the students we see are Chinese, or at my school Arabic too. The embassy that wrote me on behalf of a cheater represented an Arab country.

I understand taking the risk if they are failing anyway, but cant it also get a student put on some kind of academic probation? I guess like FKM said it depends on the institution.

I'm currently attending one of the highest ranked universities in the world. Cheating happens from time to time (though not often, in the last three years all the people I know who attend exams or supervise them, there was one case of cheating). If that happens they take your information and the situation is analyzed by some committee. They could in theory kick you out but if it is minor you're just gonna get a warning and the worst grade possible.

If you cheat on your thesis or on papers, that will be punished harshly. You will get your degree revoked if it was a thesis, and according to our rule book you will be kicked out and not allowed to study at the university anymore.

For those of us in Humanities areas who teach/assess writing, plagiarism is very easy to spot a mile away. The writer's "voice" shifts, syntax isn't consistent, etc. In a follow-up conversation with the student, it becomes obvious that they can't articulate the ideas they wrote about. When I started teaching, that was enough "proof" and departments would back up their staff's assessments. Now it's a lot harder, with most Univs requiring documented proof--tracking the sources stolen from--so services like Turnitin are needed. Otherwise, students get their parents to complain above your head and it becomes a s***storm. Never got a call from an embassy, thank God!, but often had to present the case to visa sponsors. Sigh.

Thats all very interesting to me. I mean of course I heard of plagarisim- I just never understood it on that level. I guess SD had a point when she said it makes a lot more work for the professor. Seems so.

It involves the school's ethics boards, reporting it to the board of bar examiners, various in school appeals and a bunch of other crap. If you are going to cheat, for the love of god be good at it.

Well, yes-they should be good at cheating if they are going to try it. I mean cheating from the person you are sitting next to in class makes it pretty hard not to get caught-I would think.

Documenting one case can take me as long as assessing all the rest of the students' work together. And it's depressing.

AT&T, we've had a lot of problems with our Saudi students, too, but at my univ they're usually in the pre-admittance programs, and they're usually a lot less sophisticated at cheating! But they also see it totally as a cultural norm--they just refuse to believe the prohibition as a value that will be enforced--they always think there must be some bribe/enticement way around it.

I don't teach grad students, but while it may be less prevalent at the grad level, it's more serious and involves more Univ personnel. I don't envy you that, SD.

Waiting for Info. Maybe today is the day she’ll be wearing a superhero costume with a giant I on the chest?

The triumph of hope over reality.

ETA - why students cheat. Not about therapists and their attire.

I hope you will let us know if thats the case.

Was just informed not to get my hopes up about working at home. Boo. We're supposed to hear today who got it this go-round. I'm just going to assume I didn't, not be upset about it (no point to that) and be happily surprised if I do. Hoping the manager sends out the email before I leave today.

How do they make that determination, Art?

I'm seeing a backup therapist for the first time tomorrow. My T set up the appointment for me, which was a nice gesture that instantly enhanced my maternal transference. Backup T is a colleague who works in the same office suite. I told my T to pick somebody who she wouldn't mind me talking s***t about her to. I haven't seen a new therapist in like seven and a half years. I'm surprisingly not nervous about it, though...