The Honor Council found that a junior in a science course was not responsible for seeking unauthorized assistance on an exam. In a hearing, the course’s teaching assistants said they saw the student looking at neighboring exams, but, upon examination, it was unclear whether the student had copied others’ work onto his own exam. The Honor Council suspended the hearing pending a review of more evidence, including an analysis of other students’ exams. When the Honor Council reconvened, it found the student not responsible for cheating.
The Honor Council found a sophomore in a social science course responsible for unauthorized assistance on a weekly assignment. In an expedited hearing, the student said he collaborated with another student to prepare for a component of the course in which students teach the rest of the class. Although the Honor Council recognized the student wanted to better his content for the enrichment of students’ learning, collaboration was prohibited. The Honor Council considered the student’s intentions when deciding the penalty. The student was found responsible but received a mitigated sanction of a zero on the assignment and a verbal warning.
The Honor Council found a senior in a science course responsible for plagiarism on a final paper. The student failed to properly cite sources, and the paper appeared to include information from another student’s paper. The student admitted to meeting with another student to discuss ideas but said the other student did not give details used in their paper. In a full hearing, the Honor Council found that the student used other means to find her classmate’s work online. The Honor Council recommended the standard sanction of an F in the course and a two-year mark on her record.
