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[karmie]

I've been reading every thread I could find on these forums about plagiarism to 1) learn how to better make my assignments plagiarism-proof and 2) alleviate the anger and self-doubt that comes from discovering a student plagiarized (e.g. "How COULD hu?! Have morals gone the way of the dodo?!" or "Was I somehow responsible? Did hu not feel like hu could talk to me to help hu out with issues? Was I...*gulp* inaccessible?")

I've noticed that most reports of plagiarism include a personal meeting with the student...why?

I'm not referring to the cases which are ambiguous, but rather the cut-and-dry cases where the student cuts and pastes an entire article.  When I encounter those cases, I print out the plagiarized article/essay, highlight the plagiarized parts (if it was plagiarized in its entirety, I don't highlight anything), write a note on the student's essay noting the many times we discussed what constitutes plagiarism in class and directing hu to the Student Handbook if hu was still confused on the issue, and finally I make copies of the essay to have for my records (with my written comments and the source article). 

I very rarely have students meet with me outside of class to discuss the plagiarism.  None have seen me to deny it, but rather to plead for a second chance.  It seems, to me, that meeting with each student to inform hu of the detection of hus plagiarism is an invitation for bad excuses and cry-fests. 

Is there an institutional policy of which I am not aware that stipulates professors deliver accusations of plagiarism in person?

[llanfair]

Policies vary from place to place and department to department, so it's probably not a requirement.  However, I've found in my limited experience that a student is less likely to rear up and react angrily to my face than, say, via email.

I usually tell the student in my office, laying out the evidence carefully (printouts, marked passages, &c), and then tell them that the university requires me to follow a set procedure.  No matter how badly I feel about this (and, strangely, sometimes I do), the student's actions leave me no choice. 

I tell them that the only concession I can make is to tell them in private, to spare them embarrassment in front of their classmates, and that's the reason for the office discussion.  Generally, that forces them to think about how things could have been worse.  But YMMV.

[erzuliefreda]

I return the essay along with other student work in class. Instead of a rubric stapled on the back, however, I staple on a dated memorandum from me, to them, that outlines the sources from which the paper was plagiarized. I inform the student of the outcome (sometimes I allow students to rewrite for an F/50 points; in some classes, I simply issue a grade of zero). I close by encouraging the student to come talk to me if they have questions or wish to discuss the matter further.

In the past, I've done the tearful/angry meetings face-to-face, but life is short and I don't need the drama.

[llanfair]

In the past, I've done the tearful/angry meetings face-to-face, but life is short and I don't need the drama.

I suspect that I'll be foregoing this eventually as well, ErzulieFreda.  That part isn't fun.

[glowdart]

I return the essay along with other student work in class. Instead of a rubric stapled on the back, however, I staple on a dated memorandum from me, to them, that outlines the sources from which the paper was plagiarized. I inform the student of the outcome (sometimes I allow students to rewrite for an F/50 points; in some classes, I simply issue a grade of zero). I close by encouraging the student to come talk to me if they have questions or wish to discuss the matter further.

In the past, I've done the tearful/angry meetings face-to-face, but life is short and I don't need the drama.

I've gone this same route lately for the same reasons. 

[grasshopper]

I return the essay along with other student work in class. Instead of a rubric stapled on the back, however, I staple on a dated memorandum from me, to them, that outlines the sources from which the paper was plagiarized. I inform the student of the outcome (sometimes I allow students to rewrite for an F/50 points; in some classes, I simply issue a grade of zero). I close by encouraging the student to come talk to me if they have questions or wish to discuss the matter further.

In the past, I've done the tearful/angry meetings face-to-face, but life is short and I don't need the drama.

I've gone this same route lately for the same reasons.  

Ditto. The conversations all end up the same.

"But I didn't mean to."
"But you did."

"But I meant to put it in quotation marks."
"But you didn't."

"But I didn't know."
"But you should have."

"But I'm overwhelmed and stressed out."
"That's sad, but not an excuse."

Tears, optional. Anger, optional. Stoicism/acceptance, always a good choice, but rarely chosen.

Whatever the option the student chooses, most often, it doesn't do anybody any good. They can come see me if they have any questions. But whatever the reasons, the consequences are the consequences.

I used to think that I could shame or guilt them into understanding the nature of the offense. But of course I can't. I realize now that a big part of that was the feeling that somehow their plagiarism had something to do with me (ego, anybody?) It doesn't.

[verbena]

Is there an institutional policy of which I am not aware that stipulates professors deliver accusations of plagiarism in person?

Yes, at my SLAC profs are required to meet with students whom they accuse of plagiarism, to put their accusations in writing, and to provide the dean with copies of the accusation, the assignment containing the plagiarism, and the plagiarized work. I hate doing all this, and spend far too much of my time on it, but I also think it's a pretty good system.

My classes are fairly small, and I generally know my students well enough to get a sense of what's going on with them, how much they're working generally, and how guilty they feel. Frankly, their reactions vary. I often find that the conversation (my explanation/their tears, mostly, but not entirely) and the fact that they know their dean will find out really sends a strong a message. I tend to give F's when it happens, either on the assignment or in the course. But not always.

[systeme_d_]

At my place, the regs require a meeting with the department chair and the instructor prior to kicking the issue up to the Academic Dishonesty board.

It is the instructor's choice whether to kick the issue up.  The other option is to mark the assignment as failing, or to mark the student as failing the class.  If the student wishes to appeal when informed of the instructor's decision, then it can go to the AD board.

[llanfair]

At my place, the regs require a meeting with the department chair and the instructor prior to kicking the issue up to the Academic Dishonesty board.

It is the instructor's choice whether to kick the issue up.  The other option is to mark the assignment as failing, or to mark the student as failing the class.  If the student wishes to appeal when informed of the instructor's decision, then it can go to the AD board.

I take it the student knows why they and/or their paper have been failed? What do most of them do?

[mended_drum]

I'm required to present the student with evidence of his or her plagiarism face to face.   It prevents the student from successfully claiming that he or she never received notice of the problem.  I also follow up in writing, of course.

[systeme_d_]

When a student plagiarizes, I document the evidence, and send copies to my chair. I email the student and tell them to meet me in my office.  I present them with the evidence, and a letter from my chair approving the F (for the assignment or for the course). Most just take the F, since they know the evidence will convict them if they appeal to the AD board. (The AD board can put an "F with AD" on their transcript.)

If they deny the charge, or if they want to appeal for some other reason, we first schedule a meeting with the department chair.  The chair sends them a letter specifying the time of the meeting and what it is about.  At that meeting with the chair, the chair again presents them with the evidence, and gives them a sheet of paper they have to sign that informs them that an AD hearing will take place.

The AD board then contacts the student with the time and place of the hearing.  The instructor doesn't have to be there, but the chair does.  The chair sends copies of the evidence to the AD board ahead of time.  (And keeps any originals to bring as well.)

[present_mirth]

My grad program required us to confront students face to face before we filed the documentation that would send the case to the Honor Court.  (They also had a bunch of other legalistic rules -- e.g., we were not allowed to state directly that the work was plagiarized, since only the Honor Court could make that determination.)

I don't think I'm required to meet with students in person at my current job, but I always do; I think it's a useful way to gauge whether the student is clueless, deceitful, or recklessly negligent, as well as an opportunity to impress upon the student just how serious the offense is (first-time offenders do not get a formal disciplinary hearing, so they're not getting this message from the institution).

[toothpaste]

My institution requires an in-person confrontation as the first step in the academic dishonesty charge process. I've had a few students successfully avoid these meetings, in which case I simply move on to the next step after several notices that they should come see me.

[new_bus_prof]

If we want to instill any plagarism penalty then we are required to meet with the student in person. If the student accepts the penalty, then we simply send a memo to the Dean. The Dean will then give additional penalties to "serious offenders."

If the student doesn't accept the penalty, there is a grade appeal process that must be gone through. Which is a nice way of saying, professors take their proof before a committee, listen to the student plea, and award the student a F.

[professor_pat]

My grad program required us to confront students face to face before we filed the documentation that would send the case to the Honor Court.  (They also had a bunch of other legalistic rules -- e.g., we were not allowed to state directly that the work was plagiarized, since only the Honor Court could make that determination.)

I don't think I'm required to meet with students in person at my current job, but I always do; I think it's a useful way to gauge whether the student is clueless, deceitful, or recklessly negligent, as well as an opportunity to impress upon the student just how serious the offense is (first-time offenders do not get a formal disciplinary hearing, so they're not getting this message from the institution).

How do you know they're first-time offenders?