Ethics Course Manual With Case Studies Old

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STEVENS HONOR BOARD

ETHICS COURSE MANUAL

THE TIME IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. ~MARTIN LUTHER

KING, JR.

LAST REVISED: 4/7/2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3

OBJECTIVES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3

REQUIREMENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3

COURSE COMPONENTS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5

MANDATORY COMPONENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5

PROPOSAL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5

ETHICS JOURNAL -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5

ELECTIVE COMPONENTS (MUST COMPLETE AT LEAST 12 POINTS) --------------------------------------------------7

FORMAL APOLOGY TO THE PROFESSOR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

FORMAL APOLOGY TO STUDENTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

COMMUNITY SERVICE -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

REDO THE ASSIGNMENT --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

ACADEMIC SEMINARS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

“DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH” (copy on reserve in the Samuel C. Williams Library) -----------------------------9

PRESENTATION ON THE HONOR SYSTEM -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------9

CASE STUDIES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

ONLINE TUTORIAL-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

ESSAYS----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

SELF-INITIATED TASK--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12

COMPLETION OF THE ETHICS COURSE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12

APPENDICES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13

APPENDIX A: EXAMPLE PROPOSAL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14

APPENDIX B: COMMUNITY SERVICE PAPERWORK ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15

APPENDIX C: ACADEMIC SEMINAR PAPERWORK--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16

APPENDIX D: SPEECH PAPERWORK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17

APPENDIX E: CASE STUDIES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

APPENDIX F: ESSAY PROMPTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26

APPENDIX G: FINAL EVALUATION FORM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 28

INTRODUCTION

This Ethics Course is designed for students convicted of an Honor System Violation. It is a

learning experience which will provide the students with a chance for reflection and

growth. The course consists of mandatory and elective tasks, and an Honor Board

representative will be assigned to help guide the student through the process.

OBJECTIVES

 The students will choose their own plan for self-improvement and reflect on their

past actions.

 The students will gain a deeper understanding of the concept of ethics and how

ethical behavior should and can be incorporated into both professional and

academic life.

 The students will gain a deeper understanding and respect for the Stevens Honor

System and learn how to support and uphold it.

REQUIREMENTS

Before beginning the course, the student must contact the Honor Board and announce his

intent to fulfill the course requirements. An Honor Board member will be assigned to serve

as the student’s Mentor and advocate. The student must meet with the Mentor to create a

proposal detailing his plans for completion of the course; the proposal will include the

elective components the student has chosen. The Mentor will serve as an Advisor, answer

the student’s questions, and clarify any uncertainties.

The Ethics Course consists of three components which are described in detail in the

following sections. The components are:

1. An Ethics Journal kept throughout the progression of the course

2. A Reflection Paper following the completion of all other items in the course

3. Elective Tasks **

**Each Elective Task is weighted in accordance with its difficulty and opportunities for

growth. The student’s proposal must include at least 12 points worth of elective tasks. The

student must choose from the following list of elective tasks, but has the option to generate

a self-initiated task subject to approval by the Honor Board Mentor.

Elective Component

Min.

Points

Max.

Points

Formal Apology to Professor

Formal Apology to fellow students in class or the student from whom he

cheated

Community Service Hours (8 hrs)

Redo the assignment

ASC seminars

Read "Death of Ivan Ilyich"** and complete established responses

Present a speech on the Honor System

Case Studies

Online Tutorial

Complete HB developed Essays

Self-Initiated Task

** Copy on reserve in the Samuel C. Williams Library

COURSE COMPONENTS

MANDATORY COMPONENTS

PROPOSAL

The student must complete his proposal before beginning the course. An example proposal

can be found in Appendix A. The proposal must include three sections: intent, goals, and

plan.

Intent: Why the student is completing the course.

Goals: What the student hopes to gain by completing the course, including his personal

areas of improvement.

Plan: The specific tasks that the student intends to complete and his reasons for choosing

those tasks.

After the student has completed writing his proposal, he must sign it and give it to his

Honor Board Mentor. The proposal is subject to approval by the Honor Board Mentor and

Advisor.

If the Honor Board Advisor approves the proposal, the student will be notified and

may begin completing his tasks. If the Honor Board Advisor does not approve the

proposal, the student will have the opportunity to revise and resubmit it.

ETHICS JOURNAL

Throughout the Ethics Course, the student will be required to keep an Ethics Journal. The

purpose of the Ethics Journal is to track the student’s progress in the course, provide an

opportunity to reflect on each of the completed tasks, and provide an overall reflection of

the learning experience. It is recommended that the student write in it at least once per

week throughout the course. The journal may be in any format, but must include the

following.

There must be an entry in this journal corresponding to each elective task

completed during the course. The entry must address the following questions:

1. What task was completed? What was done to complete it?

2. What was learned from this task? Was it a good learning experience?

How did it help the student grow as a person?

3. What is the student’s feedback about this task? (The student may choose

to write negative things about the tasks in this journal. This is the Honor

Board’s chance to get criticism or advice from the student about the

course!)

The student may include additional entries of his choosing. A suggestion for further

reflection is to comment on an ethical dilemma or difficult decision faced during this

period. Some questions that may be addressed are:

1. What was the situation? Was it a hard decision to make?

2. What were the pros and cons of each option?

3. What option was chosen and why?

4. What was the impact of this decision?

REFLECTION PAPER

The Reflection Paper is the final requirement of the course. It is not to be written

until all of the other tasks have been completed. It should be very personal and should talk

about the student’s experience with the Ethics Course and how it has helped him grow as a

person. The Reflection Paper must be 3-5 pages long and should address:

1. The factors that led to having to complete the Ethics Course

2. Each task that was completed and how it contributed to the student’s

learning process

3. What was learned and gained from taking the course and whether the

personal goals set in the proposal were met

4. How the student plans to implement what he has learned into the rest of

his life at Stevens and beyond

5. If the student has answered all of the above and still has more to talk

about, additional thoughts can be recorded in the journal

ELECTIVE COMPONENTS (MUST COMPLETE AT LEAST 12 POINTS)

FORMAL APOLOGY TO THE PROFESSOR

This is a formal letter which must be written or typed using proper English and mailed or

given (NOT emailed) to the professor. The Honor Board Mentor must approve the

contents of the letter before it is sent or given to the professor. The letter should reflect a

contrite and honest attitude towards the violation that was committed. This task is worth 2

points towards completion of the course.

FORMAL APOLOGY TO STUDENTS

If the violation involved treating another student or students without respect by “cheating”

or “copying” off of them, or any other similar action, the student may choose to write a

formal letter of apology. The letter must be written or typed using proper English and

mailed (NOT emailed) or given directly to the student or students who were disrespected.

If the violation did not hurt a specific student, a letter of apology may be sent to the entire

class. If sending the letter to the entire class, it may be read aloud to the class. The letter

should be at least two paragraphs in length and reflect a contrite and honest attitude

towards the violation that was committed. The Honor Board Mentor must approve the

contents of the letter before it is sent or given to the student(s) or the class. This task is

worth 2 points towards completion of the course.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

The student may elect to do up to 8 hours of community service as a part of the Ethics

Course. Each hour that is completed is worth ¼ point towards completion of the course.

The organization that the student chooses to work with must be indicated in his proposal

along with an explanation as to how doing this community service will contribute to the

learning and recovery process. The student should not be receiving credit for this

community service for any other club, team, or organization. The supervisor’s name and

contact phone number must be indicated in the proposal. The student must complete the

time sheet found in Appendix B. When the student has finished his community service

hours, both he and the Honor Board Mentor will sign this sheet.

REDO THE ASSIGNMENT

The student may retake the assignment on which his Honor System violation occurred.

Retaking the assignment will NOT count for credit in the class. The student is expected to

put his full effort into this assignment, as if it were to be graded. After completing the

assignment, it is highly recommended that the student submit it to the professor as a way to

show that he is serious about learning the material with integrity and honor. If the

assignment is a quiz or homework assignment, the student will earn 1 point; if it is a test,

exam, or paper, he will earn 2 points.

ACADEMIC SEMINARS

The student may choose to attend up to two seminars offered by the Academic Support

Center. A list of the workshops being offered by the Academic Support Center can be

found at www.stevens.edu/asc. Some of these workshops may require pre-registration, so

the student must pay attention to all the details when viewing the available options. There

may be other seminars offered throughout the campus, but not through the Academic

Support Center. These seminars also may be acceptable if they relate to the personal

improvement goals outlined in the student’s proposal, and if they are approved by his

Honor Board Mentor.

When the student attends the seminar, he will need to complete the form located in

Appendix C and have the presenter of the seminar sign to confirm his attendance. Each

seminar that the student attends will be worth 1 point towards completion of the Ethics

Course.

“DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH” (copy on reserve in the Samuel C. Williams Library)

For this task, the student must read the short novel by Leo Tolstoy and respond to the

following questions1. There is no length requirement for the responses, although it is

important that they be of a high quality. This is worth 2 points towards the total value of

elective tasks.

 Why did Ivan conclude his life “was not the real thing?” (Consider his interests,

values, aims, and his relationships with his family.)

 Why did Ivan stop screaming? (Provide a specific quotation.)

 What does Tolstoy have to say about the attractions of materialism? (Give an

example from Ivan’s life.)

PRESENTATION ON THE HONOR SYSTEM

For 3 points towards completion of the course, the student can choose to give a speech on

the Honor System to a group of his peers. It must be delivered to at least 10 other students

who may be members of a club, sports team, Greek house, class, or any other group

selected by the student. The speech must be at least 15 minutes long and may utilize any

1 These questions were taken from a course designed by the University of Maryland, Office of Judicial

Programs & Student Ethical Development. They are being used by the Stevens Honor Board with the

permission of Gary Pavela, Esq., Director.

appropriate audio/ visual aid. The student must state in the proposal who will be the

audience for the speech and why he chose that group of students. The student may choose

to use some of the following talking points in his speech or come up with his own:

 A history of the Honor System at Stevens

 Duties of students and faculty as outlined in the Honor Board’s Constitution

 The importance of having an Honor System

 The student’s violation and his learning experiences as a result of the Ethics Course

A draft of the student’s presentation must be approved by the Honor Board Mentor

prior to its delivery. Also, the student must alert the Honor Board Mentor of the time and

place for the speech. It is required that at least one Honor Board Representative be present

when the speech is made. If no Honor Board members are able to attend, the audience

members must complete the official signature form at the conclusion of the presentation.

This form is available in Appendix D.

CASE STUDIES

The student may analyze some of the following case studies on academic integrity2. He

may do any three case studies for a total of 1 point OR any six case studies for a total of 2

points. The written analysis should include a brief summary of each study and address all

questions asked. The student should make sure to draw connections between the case

studies when applicable. The following Case Studies are hyperlinks or the full text for

each can be found in Appendix E.

Jack's Dilemma

Jill the Collaborator

2 These case studies were submitted by CAI board members, James Lancaster, Mary Olsen, and Diane

Waryold, and can be found on the Center for Academic Integrity website.

Ludwig's Composition

The Plagiarized Paper

The Case of the Cheating Hart

The Grant

The Pressure of Being Denise3

ONLINE TUTORIAL

The student may choose to complete the Virtual Academic Integrity Laboratory (VAIL)

Tutorial. This tutorial requires him to read through four learning modules and take a quiz

on what was learned. The student must achieve a score of 65 to pass. He must print and

turn in the certificate of completion to receive credit for the tutorial. The tutorial is worth 1

point towards completion of the Ethics Course. The tutorial is available at the following

link:

http://www-apps.umuc.edu/vailtutor/

ESSAYS

A list of prompts is available in Appendix F. The student may choose to write an essay

response to one or more of these prompts. The response must be 3 to 5 pages in length

unless noted otherwise and must be well-written with proper English grammar and

citations, if outside resources are used. Each essay that the student writes will be worth 1

point, and he may submit a maximum of three responses.

3 Courtesy of Dr. Frank Ardaiolo of Winthrop University

SELF-INITIATED TASK

The student may choose to do any other sort of task or activity as part of his Ethics Course.

The student must discuss these plans with his Honor Board Mentor and be able to justify

how the task will contribute to the learning process. The task must be indicated in the

proposal submitted by the student and subsequently be approved by both the Honor Board

Mentor and Advisor. When the student proposes a self-initiated task, additional guidelines

will be determined by the student, Honor Board Mentor, and Honor Board Advisor.

COMPLETION OF THE ETHICS COURSE

It is the responsibility of both the student and the Honor Board Mentor to stay in regular

contact with each other to ensure the student’s smooth progression in the co urse. Following

the completion of each task, the student is required to submit all required materials to his

Honor Board Mentor. The Honor Board Mentor shall be responsible for maintaining a

folder of all material submitted. Once the student has completed and submitted paperwork

for all mandatory and elective tasks in his proposal, he will sit down with his Honor Board

Mentor for a final exit interview, at which time the Final Evaluation Form must be

completed. This form is available in Appendix G. During the final exit interview, the

student and Mentor will discuss the student’s accomplishments and evaluate his overall

learning experience.

The Final Evaluation Form and all other materials will be submitted to the Honor

Board Advisor for her approval. The Honor Board Advisor will determine if the student

has satisfactorily completed the Ethics Course. After reviewing the material the Honor

Board Advisor may choose to meet with the student, or ask the student to redo or revise

certain components of the course. When the Honor Board Advisor approves the student’s

work and signs the Final Evaluation Form, the student is considered to have completed the

Ethics Course.

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Example Proposal

Appendix B: Community Service Paperwork

Appendix C: Academic Seminar Paperwork

Appendix D: Speech Paperwork

Appendix E: Case Studies

Appendix F: Essay Prompts

Appendix G: Final Evaluation Form

John Doe

Ethics Course Proposal

Honor Board Mentor: Bob Smith

Submitted: January 1, 2010

Intent: I, John Doe, copied off a fellow student on a Final Exam in the course Ch115 in

the Fall 2009 semester. I feel that this was a one time mistake that I can fix by

exploring my personal ethics and learning more about time management and

study skills. I did not feel prepared for that exam and made a mistake that I

continue to regret.

Goals: I feel that this Honor System violation occurred because I was very stressed

during finals and felt that I had nowhere left to turn. I put off studying for my

final exams until the last minute and then did not have time to properly prepare

for my examinations. I should have accepted that my unpreparedness was the

result of my own procrastination, but instead I chose to compromise my integrity

by cheating. My goals through this course are to improve my time management

and studying skills while enhancing my underlying sense of ethical behavior. By

taking this course, the next time when I am faced with an ethical dilemma I will

be armed with the tools and personal strength to do the right thing.

Plan: In addition to the mandatory Reflection Paper and Ethics Journal, I plan to

complete the following tasks:

1. Formal Apology to the professor - by not studying properly for this exam and

cheating on it, I disrespected the professor and his course material and I intend

to apologize to him.

2. Formal Apology to the student I cheated off - it wasn’t fair to this student that

I took his answers and I plan to apologize to him for doing that and let him

know that I will not be getting any credit for the work that wasn’t my own.

3. Attend ASC seminar - one seminar listed on the schedule, “Proper Time

Management Skills,” seems especially catered to my needs. I intend to go to

this seminar and learn to be a better student.

4. Talk to my sports team - this process has been very self-revealing for me and I

would like to share with my team how I went wrong and when I could have

prevented it. I also plan to talk a little about the Honor System and why it is

important as well as share some of the tips I learn at the ASC seminar.

5. Complete 6 case studies - because ethics are so important in the real world as

well as the academic world, I would like to explore some real life scenarios

where the ethical choice isn’t the easy choice.

6. Perform 8 hours of Community Service - I would like to give back to the

community by volunteering at the Hoboken Homeless Shelter. My supervisor

there is Jane Ordinary. She can be reached at (123) 456-7890.

Student: Honor Board Mentor:

Date: Date: Appendix A: Example Proposal

Community Service Log

Student’s Name ________________________ Mentor ___________________________

Service Organization ________________________________ Phone ________________

Why did you choose this organization?

How will it help you meet your goals for the Ethics Course?

Date

# of Hours

Supervisor’s Name

Supervisor’s Signature

Student’s Signature ____________________________ Date ____________

Mentor’s Signature ____________________________ Date ____________

Appendix B: Community Service Paperwork

Academic Seminar Response Form

Student’s Name ________________________ Mentor __________________________

Title of Presentation _____________________________________ Date____________

Why did you choose to attend this presentation?

What were the main points of the presentation.

What did it help you to learn? How is it useful?(or how will it be useful?)

How will you implement what you learned into your academic life?

Student’s Signature ____________________________ Date ____________

Presenter’s Signature ___________________________ Date ____________

Mentor’s Signature ____________________________ Date ____________

Appendix C: Academic Seminar Paperwork

Honor System Presentation Form

Student’s Name _________________________ Mentor __________________________

Date of Presentation _________________ Group Presented To ______________________

Please have at least 10 of the students in attendance and the HB Representative sign in

below:

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

HB Representative:

Student’s Signature ____________________________ Date ____________

Mentor’s Signature ____________________________ Date ____________

Appendix D: Speech Paperwork

CASE STUDY 1: Jack’s Dilemma

Jack is a last semester senior at Miller's college. His current academic record is

right on the borderline with a cumulative GPA of 1.99. He realizes that he cannot afford

to make any D's or F's if he is going to graduate at the end of the semester. In fact, if he

doesn't make a B somewhere, he will be in serous trouble.

Unfortunately, Jack is enrolled in a course taught by Professor Smith. Normally,

this required course covers some difficult material; but because the course is poorly

organized and poorly taught, Professor Smith makes a difficult situation even worse. In

addition, student feedback reports that Professor Smith's exams are not fair since the tests

often covered material that was never stressed in class. Professor Smith is known as a

tough grader who gives many C's, D's and F's and very few A's and B's. The final exam

in the course is given in a room in which the students are seated very close to one

another. Professor Smith sits at the front of the room reading a magazine while the

students take the exam. Although there is a good deal of whispering among the students,

Professor Smith does nothing to stop it. In addition, Professor Smith never uses proctors

to monitor the students while the test is in progress. Jack, as usual deliberately seats

himself as close as possible to one particular person who happens to be one of the best

students in the class. He knows that this student has the habit of holding up his answer

sheet every once in a while. Jack can see many of the other student's answers and takes

this opportunity to copy many of them onto his own answer sheet.

Discussion:

 Has Jack done anything wrong?

 Has Prof. Smith done anything wrong?

 Should Jack be punished? How?

 Should Prof. Smith be punished? How?

 What are the implications for Jack/Prof. Smith?

o Personally

o Professionally

CASE STUDY 2: Jill the Collaborator

Jill is a rising senior planning to enter a professional program in the fall. She has a

“B”/”C” average. During the summer term she was enrolled in a lab section of a science

course. A Teaching Assistant who was a graduate student in the science area taught the

section.

Following a number of lab assignments that were completed by Jill, the instructor

has called her and her lab partner in for a conference. The instructor asked Jill and her

partner to go to separate rooms and write down how they completed their last lab

Appendix E: Case Studies

assignment. Both students indicated they had worked in collaboration to complete this

assignment. Receiving this information, the instructor indicated to both students that they

had cheated on this assignment. The instructor indicated that the penalty for this offense

was a “zero” on the assignment and a recording of the offense as a violation of the

institutional honor policy. The instructor further indicated that failure to accept

responsibility for this offense would lead to a hearing and more severe actions including

suspension or expulsion. Both students agreed to accept the penalty and signed an

admission of the violation.

Jill, upon reflection and after reading the Policy on Academic Integrity, has made

an appointment with the Coordinator of Academic Integrity to discuss this matter. During

this appointment, Jill tells the coordinator that she did not know that collaboration on

these assignments was “wrong”, that many of the students in the class collaborate on such

assignments and that the only instructions received concerned a prohibition against

plagiarism. Further, she feels she was not given any information about the honor policy,

the procedures to be followed in making an allegation, and her rights as a student accused

of a violation.

Discussion:

 Has Jill done anything wrong?

 Has the instructor done anything wrong?

 Should Jill be punished? How?

 Should the instructor be punished? How?

 What are the implications for Jill and the instructor?

o Personally

o Professionally

CASE STUDY 3: Ludwig’s Composition

Ludwig is a student in piano at the University under the instruction of Dr.

Steinway. As part of his composition class, he has been assigned the completion of a

short piece for piano. The guidelines for this assignment indicate that he may consult

with others but must complete the composition alone.

In preparing this composition, Ludwig has spoken with his beloved high school

band teacher, Mr. Dreyfus. Mr. Dreyfus has shared a number of examples and ideas

concerning the assigned composition that Ludwig finds very interesting. Among the

examples is a rough score for an incomplete opus that Mr. Dreyfus had been working on

for some time. This composition is nearly complete and is an almost perfect match for the

assignment.

Following his meeting with Mr. Dreyfus, Ludwig returns to the music building to

Appendix E: Case Studies

work on the assignment. There he encounters several fellow students. He discusses the

assignment with them, mentioning his conversation with Mr. Dreyfus and its relationship

to the assignment. One of the students, Franz, a senior, tells Ludwig that he had the same

assignment from Dr. Steinway two years earlier and still has a copy of his own

composition, which he would be happy to share. Dr. Steinway, he indicates, doesn’t seem

to mind where the composition comes from so long as it reflects some work by the

student.

Following these experiences, Ludwig returns to his practice room where, in a

brilliant creative moment, he merges Mr. Dreyfus’s opus with Franz’s prior assignment

and creates Ludwig’s Composition for Piano, parts one and two. He hastens to class the

next day and turns in the composition to Dr. Steinway.

Discussion:

 Has Ludwig done anything wrong?

 Has Dr. Steinway done anything wrong?

 Franz done anything wrong?

 Should Ludwig be punished? How?

 Should Dr. Steinway be held responsible? How?

 What are the implications for John/Dr. Steinway/the institution?

o Personally

o Professionally

CASE STUDY 4: The Plagiarized Paper

You are a faculty member who had a student in a class last semester who was

bright, delightful and diligent and who helped confirm your choice of becoming a college

professor. He did very well in your class, while holding several part-time jobs trying to

make ends meet. You got to know the student to some extent outside of class and think of

him as a student who is a friend. Based on these experiences you even have hopes for him

as a future professional in your field.

This semester, the student is enrolled in another of your classes. He continues to

work hard and is doing very well in the course. In addition, he stops by office frequently

for friendly conversation and to discuss course related matters too.

After the most recent class session, he mentioned in the passing that he earned

some money writing a paper last semester for another student. He also mentioned the

topic of the paper, which you immediately recognized (because it was a very unique and

obscure topic in your discipline) as one submitted by another one of your students. You

had awarded a grade of “B” to the person who submitted the paper that was turned in as a

“re-write” of a paper that had initially received a grade of “D”. The final grade of the

Appendix E: Case Studies

student who turned in the paper was not altered by the “B” grade. He would have

received the same final course grade if he had let the original “D” grade for this paper

stand.

The student who wrote the paper and told you about it didn’t seem the least bit

ashamed of having done so. You were so astonished to hear this that you didn’t say

anything other than, “Why are you telling me about this?” The student’s response was

“Why wouldn’t I tell you? I’d tell you anything.” Does the student think that writing a

paper for another and for profit at that would be acceptable to you?

Discussion:

 Now what do you do?

 What are the issues?

 Since you somewhat crossed the boundary from teacher to friend with this student,

how does this affect or restrict the use you might make of this information that he

voluntarily provided?

 Should you file an academic integrity complaint, knowing that if you do you will

have to testify against him, and that if found responsible for a violation he will

probably be suspended? Is this the best way for him to learn? What do you want him

to learn anyway?

 What about the student who actually submitted the paper when someone else wrote

it?

CASE STUDY 5: The Case of the Cheating Hart

Joshua Hart is a first semester sophomore at Woebegotten College in Lake

Woebegone, Minnesota. He is the first member of his immediate family to attend college

and as such carries a great burden of expectations for success from his family. He is

currently enrolled in the Exercise and Sports Science (ESS) program of the College. Dr.

Keeler has assigned a semester project in which students are to compile a model program

for personal fitness training for themselves. Dr. Keeler has explained verbally and also

included in his syllabus a good deal of information about the College Honor Policy and

the importance of honesty in all assignments. He indicates that students are to complete

this assignment on their own with no resort to third parties other than reference materials.

Joshua is very interested in fitness training and hopes one day to become a

personal trainer and open his own business. For now, he trains a few fellow students and

one or two faculty members for a small charge. To enhance his own skills and to obtain

needed skills in physical training, Joshua has purchased a CD-ROM program entitled

“The Personal Trainer for You” by Arnold Atlas. The CD carries copyright information.

In completing the assignment for Dr. Keeler, Joshua has used a variety of text

sources, his own experience and information from the CD-ROM. He has printed off

Appendix E: Case Studies

various tables and charts from the CD and made clean copies to include along with his

narrative and other materials. As he turns in the paper, he feels sure he has completed not

only a good paper but a useful “game plan” for his future as a physical trainer. He eagerly

anticipates the return of the paper with a good grade and even hopes for an “A.” This is

his first course in the program and he wants to make a very good impression.

Dr. Keeler, too, has anticipated Joshua’s paper. In class Joshua has not spoken out

as often as other students but seems a serious student and appears likely to become a very

successful ESS major. As he begins to grade Joshua’s paper, he is at first highly

impressed. As he reads on, however, he becomes aware that the language and concepts

Joshua has used seem highly developed for a student of his experience. Several

paragraphs, in particular, seem almost too good to be true but none of this material is

cited in Joshua’s references, which include several books and periodical articles. With

some concern, Dr. Keeler begins to consider the possibility that some of the work in this

paper may not be Joshua’s own. He turns to the internet and a search engine often used

by ESS majors.

Almost immediately, Dr. Keeler turns up several sources that seem likely targets

for a student completing the assignment. When he opens the first source, he immediately

finds selections of research dealing with physical training that appear to be identical with

Joshua’s. He also learns that this particular program is offered in a full version on a CD-

ROM and includes model programs for physical training.

Anger turns to frustration and then to sadness as Dr. Keeler recognizes he will

have to request an Honor Policy conference with Joshua. He sends an e-mail to Joshua

asking that he schedule an appointment the next day.

When Joshua meets with Dr. Keeler the next day, he is immediately confronted

with material from the web-site that appears similar to his paper. Dr. Keeler points out

specific passages and paragraphs that are identical to Joshua’s paper. He then asks for an

explanation. Joshua becomes defensive and indicates that the paper is entirely his own

work. He acknowledges that he used material from the CD-ROM program but doesn’t

view this as plagiarism. Dr. Keeler is baffled as Joshua continues to explain that he

purchased the CD-ROM for his own use, is in fact using the physical training program in

question himself and in working with several of his clients. It is his view that ownership

of the CD-ROM constitutes possession of all the material included. He believes that the

information is therefore his to use, especially in light of the fact that the disputed material

portrays his own personal physical training program. Concluding this argument, he

refuses to accept any responsibility for plagiarism.

Following further futile arguments, Dr. Keeler tells Joshua he will be referred to

the Honor Policy hearing process for this violation; the decision of that process will

determine his responsibility. Angry, Joshua storms out of the office.

The hearing has now been convened by the chair of the Honor Policy Hearing

Panel. The information above and Joshua’s initial defense have been presented. As a

member of the hearing panel, you are charged with determining Joshua’s responsibility or

non-responsibility for the offense of plagiarism.

Appendix E: Case Studies

Discussion:

 What questions concerning this allegation and Joshua’s defense do you have?

 What decision should the panel, in your opinion, reach?

 If Joshua is found “responsible,” what, if any, sanctions should be imposed?

 If Joshua is found “not responsible,” what arguments do you find most compelling?

CASE STUDY 6: The Grant

John is a senior student in psychology at a major public university. He serves as a

research assistant to Dr. Stallings. John has an excellent academic record and is currently

under consideration for admission to the institution’s Ph.D. program with a full

scholarship. Dr. Stallings is his principal reference for the scholarship.

Currently John has been assisting Dr. Stallings in the preparation of final reports

related to a major federal grant. The deadline for completion of the reports and final

accounting of funds for the grant is tomorrow. In reviewing the section of the report

assigned to him, John notes a minor discrepancy between the observed results and those

reflected in the final report as written by Dr. Stallings. Knowing that the report and the

results it contains are crucial to Dr. Stallings, John changes the report to reflect the

observed results of the project. He returns the report to Dr. Stallings without comment

about this change.

Two days later, John receives a copy of the final report as submitted to the grant

agency. In the report, the change which John made has been changed again to the

original, inaccurate reflection of the observed result. As written, the report changes the

observed results and modestly improves the apparent findings of the project. Attached to

the report is a handwritten note from Dr. Stallings, thanking John for his work and

indicating that John’s recommendation is on his desk and will be forwarded to the

graduate program shortly.

John takes the report and leaves the office.

Discussion:

 Has John done anything wrong?

 Has Dr. Stallings done anything wrong?

 Should John be punished? How?

 Should Dr. Stallings be punished? How?

 What are the implications for John/Dr. Stallings/the institution?

o Personally

o Professionally

Appendix E: Case Studies

CASE STUDY 7: The Pressure of Being Denise

Denise came from a small, rural town in central SC where her widowed father

was an evangelical Christian minister. He raised her very strictly, and it was only with

great reluctance that he allowed her to come to Winthrop for college. He feared the big

and diverse university would corrupt her morals. As he left her on campus the day the

residence halls opened, he warned her, "If I ever find out that you've been cheating or

using alcohol or drugs. I'll cut you off from all financial support and never let you enter

our home again."

Denise had always obeyed her father and intended to do so while at college. Her

career ambition was to become a medical doctor and help people. Her first two years of

classes went OK and she was making progress towards obtaining her degree in Biology

and had a 3.3 cumulative GPA. While good, she realized she probably needed higher

grades to get into medical school. She did stay away from drugs and alcohol, and in

September of her junior year she began dating Larry, a fellow student in her organic

chemistry class. By late November they were intimate. Denise had never experienced

such a demanding class as organic chemistry and was barely making a C as finals

approached. She had even quit her off campus job in September to devote more time to

studying. However, she took advantage of a credit card solicitation and before she knew

it she had over $900 in debt and no way to pay it. She had to get a job on campus and

easily found one working as a security assistant at nights in Wofford Hall. All her

earnings were devoted to just paying the minimum demanded each month from her credit

card bank. The anxiety caused by her academic course demands, her increasing debt level

from the bank’s mounting interest, and her lack of sleep from her night job began to push

her towards depression as final exams approached.

As the semester was winding down, her organic chemistry professor offered all

students in the class an opportunity for extra credit by writing a short research paper on

“foreseeable breakthroughs in chemistry the next decade.” Denise thought this would be

the opportunity she needed to get a B in the class. However, she found out as the

semester began to wind down, there was just too much going on and she couldn’t find the

time to devote to the research paper. Two nights before the paper was due while Denise

was working as a Security Assistant, Susan, a co-worker at the security desk, suggested

she check out right there and then a great web site called FREE-ESSAY.COM. Denise

did so and found a paper with the same title in little more than five minutes. Pressed for

time and wanting to avoid plagiarizing she cut the essay from the internet and pasted it

into her word processor to use it only as a guideline for the format of her essay. She then

went on-line to the three sources referenced in the FREE-ESSAY.COM paper and

fortunately was able to read all the sources within a matter of hours directly on her

desktop computer. While reading she tried to paraphrase the wording from the original

essay. She also cited the original sources in her paper, but she never cited FREE-

ESSAY.COM After work that night, Denise went to bed with Larry and mentioned to

Appendix E: Case Studies

him how she was able to get the paper done on-line and asked him if it seemed like

plagiarism. Larry replied, “I don’t think so; besides you’ve worked so hard you deserve

this one break.”

On her way to class the next day to submit the paper, Denise was chatting with

Mary, the student who sits next to her in class, and Denise casually mentioned how she

was finally able to get the extra credit paper done. After class that day, Mary slipped an

anonymous note under the professor’s office door telling her to check Denise’s paper

closely. Thus alerted, the professor noticed a particularly well expressed paragraph and

placed it in the GOOGLE internet search engine. In .02 seconds, GOOGLE returned 5

hits including FREE-ESSAY.COM and the original source which Denise had found and

referenced in her submitted paper. The professor decided this was a case of academic

plagiarism where a student presented, as one’s own, the ideas or words of another for

academic evaluation without proper acknowledgment. The professor gave Denise an F in

the course as an academic consequence.

Denise maintained she thought she had properly referenced the original sources

and requested a hearing before the University’s Judicial Council comprised of three

faculty members and two students. The Judicial Council heard the case a few days before

Denise’s remaining finals began and decided that Denise had committed academic

misconduct by plagiarizing for failing to cite the FREE-ESSAY.COM assistance. The F

grade for the entire organic chemistry course was therefore posted on her transcript and

she was also placed on disciplinary probation for the next semester. Denise knew the F in

organic chemistry probably doomed her chances for getting into medical school. She got

so upset about this and her new disciplinary record she started to get very depressed as

she tried to concentrate on her finals. She turned to Larry for comfort and he shrugged it

off. She was afraid to call her father fearful she couldn’t keep the truth from him and she

was petrified of his reaction. And she couldn’t sleep even though she felt exhausted.

Denise did very poorly on all her finals and subsequently did not return to Winthrop the

next semester. She never completed her undergraduate degree and she never became an

MD.

Discussion:

 Rate each of the characters according to their responsibility for Denise’s departure

from Winthrop. Identify the least responsible as #7 to most responsible being #1.

Please provide justification for your responses.

o The Professor

o Her father

o Susan, her coworker

o The Judicial Council

o Larry, her boyfriend

o Mary, her classmate

o Denise

Appendix E: Case Studies

Essays

1. If you were in charge of Stevens, what five things would you do to promote and

secure academic integrity on campus? Clearly justify each response.

2. Choose a topic that is “hot” in the media and discuss its ethical ramifications.

3. Who is your role model? Discuss, citing specific instances, how they lived an

ethical life and what traits of theirs you most admire.

4. The five core values of Stevens Institute of Technology are: honesty, trust,

fairness, respect, and responsibility. For each core value provide one example of

how you have shown that value in the past and generate a plan to better

incorporate each value into your future life.

5. Expand on the following statement and apply it to yourself: “A student’s

adherence to academic integrity is a reflection on their personal values.”

6. Write a 5-page carefully researched essay on any ethics philosopher or philosophy

(e.g., Socrates or Meta-Ethics) properly citing and footnoting at least 4 sources.

7. Why is citing sources an important part of research? Discuss some real-world

implications of not properly citing sources.

8. Why is it important to ensure that all students uphold the Honor System?

Consider this on several levels, including the perception of Stevens in the

business community, life on campus, and in the classroom.

9. How does not reporting an Honor Board violation reflect on one’s academic

integrity? Proved some scenarios when it is tempting to not report a violation and

why it is better in the long run to use integrity and responsibility in such

situations.

10. When does collaborating become cheating? Suggest several ways for professors

to make this distinction clearer and prevent this violation in the future. Also

provide examples of when collaborating is beneficial to students and when it is

detrimental.

Appendix F: Essay Prompts

11. Develop at least three well-thought-out scenarios where a student is affected in

the future by not properly studying and learning the materials in a class.

12. Explore the pros and cons of having someone help you on an assignment or test.

How does it help you or them and how does it hurt you or them? Develop a final

statement and plan of what you will do in the future if you are not properly

prepared for a test.

13. Explore the pros and cons of helping someone on an assignment or test. How

does it help you or them and how does it hurt you or them? Develop a final

statement and plan of what you will do in the future if someone asks you for aid.

14. Explain what you perceive to be wrong with the Honor System and how we could

better publicize its stipulations to keep students from accumulating multiple

offenses. Suggest and fully develop several ideas for how the system can be

improved.

15. This essay will only be read by the Advisor to the Honor Board. Write about

something that you would never want your fellow students to find out and the

effects of what would happen if it were found out.

Appendix F: Essay Prompts

Stevens Honor Board

Ethics Course

Final Evaluation Form

Student Portion

I, ______________________, am submitting my Ethics Course materials to the Honor

Board Advisor for review. I attest that I completed this course to the best of my abilities

to amend for my Honor System Violation and work towards self-improvement.

Student’s Signature ____________________________ Date ____________

Honor Board Mentor

I, ______________________, have been working with this student on the Ethics Course and

will confirm that they have worked attentively and carefully to complete the course materials.

I will fully endorse this request to have the course requirements satisfied.

Honor Board Mentor ___________________________ Date ____________

Honor Board Advisor

I, ______________________, have reviewed the student’s Ethics Course materials and have

determined that he / she has fulfilled their course requirements.

Comments:

Honor Board Advisor ___________________________ Date ____________

Appendix G: Final Evaluation Form

Ethics Course Manual With Case Studies Old

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