I keep catching a classmate plagiarizing..?

Sorry to hear about this… It’s always sad, but particularly so in a teacher.

You have the right to bring this to the attention of your institution’s Dean of Students. At mine, students can bring an accusation of academic misconduct against other students, and it’s treated the same as if a professor did. In fact, we had one this past semester. That’s sort of the radical approach… You can also just ask your DoS to talk with the professor or with the professor’s supervisor (Dean or Dept Chair depending on structure).

Your professor ***does*** have a responsibility to the institution to enforce academic standards, including identifying academic misconduct and treating it appropriately.

I’m with you on this one, so you’re not alone. I also have colleagues who have overlooked similar behavior in students (albeit not repeatedly…), and it really disturbs me. As to why you care, I’d guess it was because you were raised with a strong sense of right and wrong, and you take pride in your accomplishments. So when some one else “accomplishes” similar things by cheating, you take offense as it belittles your work. …makes sense that you should be upset.

Last thoughts… People like you (and me…) have a tough road to hold. The truth is that the majority of students today don’t think cheating is bad, and don’t think it should be punished. So you’re in the intellectual minority on this one, despite being in the right. It’s tough overlooking bad behavior, but you also can’t fight every battle in the world. If you want to fight this one, then go to it! You’ll have the moral high ground. But you will occasionally have to overlook bad behavior in order to preserve your own sanity and also to keep others (with lower moral standards) from intentionally making your life miserable over time.

Good luck. I still have a tough time with it…

Why do you care so much? Because your own work is being jeopardized by her actions. You have done your own thinking and come to your own conclusions, and can back them up. She is snaffling other people’s work and catching a free ride. And unless the profs are aware of what she is doing, there is a good chance that she will get a better grade than you will. And that would piss of anyone.

This is truly a frightening thing, because, as a teacher, it reflectes her ethics. Is this what she is going to teach her students? That the ends justify the means and cheating is okay as long as you don’t get caught? I would be very tempted to let her school know what is going on. That is not the kind of person the teaching profession needs. And it would certainly raise questions about the validity of her teaching credentials.

As this is a philosophy and ethics class, it would be a good topic to raise for discussion. You don’t have to name names, just ask other members of the group, and your prof, what they think about a situation of this sort, and what might be done to correct it.

You care so much because she is getting good grades for free, while you work hard for yours. You need to snitch her out to the prof. If your professor brushes it under the rug, go to the department head, because he’s not doing his job if he’s not checking for plagiarism. At the very least, it is reducing the integrity of the program.

I do not understand the culture of ‘non-snitching’ when students watch others cheat and do nothing. It’s like stealing a good grade! If that prof. grades on a curve, the cheater is directly harming your average in that class. Not to mention, it’s an ETHICS class! Sheesh!

If you were in college, you would of been expelled! That’s a waste of time, money and it can impact your credibility, not only with other schools but with potential job offers. This might stay on your permanent record. Not smart at all! Seriously. I’m not trying to scare you. We all make mistakes. Now, you’ll learn from it and won’t do it again, right? What should you do now? Do the assignment in your own words and don’t plagiarize again.

You care, because it’s not her work and it’s not fair to other students who spend hours on their work.

A teacher (who knows better) taking a graduate level ethics class and plagiarizing her way through is frustrating. What kind of an example will she set for her students?? Will she allow them to cheat? Doubt it.

Absolutely write a letter and give it to the professor. I’d even consider a very detail complaint letter and giving it to the Administration and cc your professor.

Plagiarizing is a serious offence at Universities, and our Administration always takes it seriously.

If she’s not plagarizing your work, and if there is no curve and her grade doesn’t affect yours, then technically, there is no reason you should care.

However, your moral sense of fairness is outraged, and that’s why you care so much. All schools are based on the honor system, and you believe in that system – and she is mocking it by deliberately cheating. It’s particularly ironic that she’s cheating in an ethics class!! I’d be annoyed, too.

Tell the professor, and offer him any proof you have (ie, the source of the article she failed to cite in her research). Then wash your hands of it and leave it up to him. Be careful to keep your distance from her, and make sure she has no access to your work.

Obviously you care because you put time and effort into your work and you don’t want to see people cheating… and especially in graduate school, that is ridiculous. This person probably has been cheating her whole life. Because that’s what plagiarizing is- cheating.

I would care too- you should tell your professor anonymously if you want to.

Tell her off. As a teacher, she should know better. Make sure the professor knows as well that she continues to plagiarize.

Well, considering this is an ethics class…you could email the prof about your concerns, but be prepared to back it up with proof…..or you could just let it go.

I guess it would p*ss me off, but don’t you have enough to worry about without being so concerned with other people?

“We all work hard in this class”

Why let her ruin your hard work — report her. If she is a teacher, she should know better. What a horrible thing to do. You are all working hard, she should as well. Report her again to the professor, but also let the Dean of Students know. This isn’t right and it is a crime.