UWP Lecturers plagiarism reports

[Gray Scott]

Kate,

1. Evaluations and plagiarism

The evaluation issue is tricky: There's a tension here between the right of the plagiarism suspect to give feedback about the education process and the need for educators to hear that sort of feedback (on the one hand), and the realistic expectation on the other hand that the suspect probably won't use the mechanism that way and will only serve to muddy the waters. There have been some conversations about trying to "delist" those sanctioned by Student Conduct from being able to evaluate instructors, but I'd be pretty happy with an evaluation report that (for instance) gave the number of cases filed from the class, and the average rating of the instructor given by those students. Not that this is likely ever to happen, but it would make interpretation easier. 

2. As for the mom...

Actually, she might still be at it. I'll have to be a bit vague here about some details, due to FERPA and the chance that this might still go somewhere, but I'll try to illuminate a little. 

I've been hearing about The Mom off and on for an entire quarter from people who have had to deal with her. Apparently, she makes quite an impression. I haven't had the pleasure of talking to her yet, myself, in part because everyone who has tangled with her -- department staff, Student Conduct officials, the Dean of Students' office -- has been very nice about shielding me. 

>From what they tell me, she's been talking from the start about going to the press (and apparently about lawsuits, too), but so far is grudgingly sticking with proper channels. 

On that path, she has so far taken the case up several levels to the Dean of Students, who met with me a couple of weeks ago to discuss the matter. (Note: The Dean was also very supportive, and has CC'd me on her emails to the student and mother. I've been delighted with those emails. If not for student confidentiality, I'd print them out and post them on the walls of the office to give visiting students something to consider.) 

I feel sorry for The Kid, to be honest. S/he is clearly a bewildered, meek passenger on this cruise, and if The Mom makes good on her threats, will suffer for it. If The Mom goes public successfully, all she really achieves is this: Whenever Kid applies for a job that requires a background check (as they increasingly do), the inevitable Lexis-Nexis search will uncover that there was a plagiarism case, and subsequent family retaliation against the university that caught it. Who is going to hire Kid, given those details? I keep waiting for Kid to grow up, cut those apron strings, and tell The Mom to zip it. Kid has the age of an Adult, and can suffer Adult-sized consequences. 

And all of this is a reaction to a relatively minor case for which Kid received a warning ... and a passing grade in the class. Go figure. 
 
- Gray
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Kate Watt 
  To: Gray Scott 
  Cc: Lecturer ListServe 
  Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 3:17 PM
  Subject: Re: UWP Lecturers plagiarism reports


  we should have the right to refuse to allow any extremely disgruntled student to fill out an eval....

  I want more details about the mom threatening to go to the media!   yikes!


  Kate


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