re: Let's vote on plagiarism punishment

quote:

---

broke, i have a great idea.

You obviously can't name names, but you should make a point in class.

"So, as a point of reference, I discovered a clear case of plagiarism while grading this round of papers. The accused party has been given a zero on the assignment and reported to the dean of students. Ample evidence was provided to the dean and the student will now have an opportunity to defend him- or herself against the accusations. I wish them luck."

He will then sit there hoping that everyone doesn't find out.

---

he shouldn't have to do that in the first place. if he has a section in the syllabus on academic integrity and plagiarism, including what it is, how to avoid it, and clearly spelled out penalties there is no need to address it in class. and there is no appeal from a student who claims s/he didn't know, or feels the penalty is unduly harsh. it also gives you some leverage in your interaction with the student - if they ask for sympathy because their dog died or some shite, you can simply say it's policy and you can't change it. but if it's not an egregious case of plagiarism you can dole out a lesser penalty. but my general advice would be: CYA. put that shite in the syllabus.