Abstract:
Student conduct processes continually move in a direction of enacting learning outcomes rather than punishment. Yet, faculty and staff do not always engage in a similar fashion. How might a punitive approach negatively impact the work of student affairs professionals and students, alike? What is the cost associated with such punitive approaches? This case study examines these questions. Through an examination of academic policies not explicitly stated in a university’s code, this case study addresses the nuances of academic freedom and faculty engagement in the conduct process.
Keywords: Syllabus, Plagiarism, Rights and Responsibilities, Academic Freedom
Primary Characters
Dr. Rajet “Roger” Akbar, Professor (he, him, his), Faculty-of-Record and Department Chair, employed 18 years at Atwater University
Dr. Jessika Levinstine (she, her, hers), Assistant Professor and Academic Advisor to Dak, pre-tenure and employed three years at Atwater University; very popular with students
Charly Pierce, M.S. (they, them), Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities, employed eight years at Atwater University
Dak Robbins (he, him, his), Graduate Student
Context and Case:
Atwater University is a small, public, liberal arts university in the southeastern part of the United States. As part of the larger “state system,” Atwater is the smallest of eight sister institutions comprising the Southeastern Liberal Arts Alliance (SLAA). Atwater enrolls approximately 5,000 undergraduate students and 800 graduate students annually. The Department of Educational Leadership & Student Affairs (DELSA), housed within the Graduate School of Human Services, trains future student affairs professionals. A 42-credit program, DELSA is a premiere program within the region. Most notably is its faculty, boasting an impressive roster of former student affairs professionals-turned-faculty. Faculty within DELSA pride themselves on their practical experience and have been nationally recognized as part of a premiere training program in the country.
Dr. Rajet “Roger” Akbar, recently promoted to the rank of Professor, has been Chair of DELSA for the last three years. Previously, Roger held various student affairs positions, starting out as a hall director then moving into career services for most of his professional career. His most recent administrative position – albeit 18 years ago – was Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement. Although a prolific scholar, Roger has gained the reputation of “nitpicking” student papers, being overly critical on student presentations, and, at times, being “out of touch” with newer generations of student affairs practitioners. Course syllabi are often robust and lengthy, always including the following statement:
Students are prohibited from sharing any materials or content provided by the instructor with anyone outside of those enrolled in this course during this particular semester. This includes, but is not limited to, the syllabus, supplemental readings, tests/quizzes, or any work deemed related to the function of this course. Any student found in violation of this policy is subject to failure of the course and will be adjudicated through the university conduct process.
Roger acknowledges that this syllabus statement is neither a department nor institutional requirement yet is within his purview of academic freedom and intellectual property.
Dak is a second year graduate student beginning their final year of studies. For all intents and purposes, they are a stellar student: President of the Graduate Student Advisory Association, engaged in regional professional associations, and has several entry-level professional prospects post-graduation. Dak is enrolled in Dr. Rajet’s SAHE 566: Legal and Ethical Issues in Student Affairs Practice. One assignment in SAHE 566 is to research the most recent legal court cases informing student affairs policy and practice.
As Dak conducts a cursory online search of such cases, they stumble upon the website “GraduateStudentSAHEPrep.com” with the purpose of “providing a clearinghouse for shared resources for graduate student success.” As Dak investigates further, they realize that several helpful documents exist within this website. While free, students must create a username and add information to the clearinghouse in order to gain access to documents. Dak creates a unique profile and uploads two documents: the SAHE 566 syllabus and a paper they wrote for Roger’s class on Affirmative Action’s impact on diverse recruitment and hiring practices within the field. Once uploaded, Dak was able to access the documents, strengthening their final paper in SAHE 566. Dak completed their fall semester and received an A in the course.
One day during the following spring semester, Roger opened his email to read his daily “HigherEducationOnline” newsfeed. One article, entitled “GraduateStudentSAHEPrep.com Under Fire for Promoting Graduate Student Plagiarism.” The article cited examples of GraduateStudentSAHEPrep’s users submitting papers to their programs of study they found online and passing them off as their own. After reading the article, Roger visited the website. During his investigation, he searched for submissions from any Atwater University students and found Dak’s contributions. Realizing that Dak submitted both Roger’s syllabus and a paper, Roger believes Dak flagrantly violated his course requirements. Roger called Dak into his office and informed them that, effectively immediately, they will retroactively receive an F in the SAHE 566 course, is indefinitely suspended from the program, and will not be able to graduate at the conclusion of the spring semester.
Devastated, Dak immediately contacted their advisor, Dr. Jessika Levinstine. Jessika is a junior faculty member within the department and is wildly popular with the students. She has been nominated for several teaching awards for her innovative teaching style and creative use of technology. Jessika’s student affairs experience includes several years as a hall director, Director of Residence Life and Community Standards, and, most recently, Dean of Students where student conduct fell under her purview. Rumors abound among students that Roger often “talks down” and “mansplains” to Jessika during department meetings.
After meeting with Dak and hearing about Roger’s decision, Jessika makes a call to the Office of Student Learning and Development and speaks with Charly Pierce, Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Charly provides insight into Atwater’s academic integrity policies as part of the code of conduct, specifically the policy of Violating General Academic Conduct. A violation occurs when students “Violate any academic conduct rules/standards published by the University or communicated by the professor as part of the class requirements or policies.” Charly holds a pre-hearing conference with Dak with Jessika attending as their advisor. At this meeting, Charly explains that alleged violations of academic integrity initially fall under the purview of the faculty of record. The “or communicated by the professor as part of the class requirements or policies” is what is specifically under scrutiny in this particular situation. If Dak does not agree with Roger’s proposed outcome, Dak is able to request a formal academic hearing comprised of a faculty member, staff member, and student to determine appropriate sanctions associated with the alleged conduct violations.
Discussion Questions
- What are the key issues at play in this particular situation?
- What other factors might be at play not specifically addressed in this situation?
- What do you see as the potential outcome for Dak in this situation?
- How might the situation have been handled differently by Roger?
- What are long-term ramifications and / or learning opportunities that can occur from this situation for Dak, for Roger, and for Jessika?
Author Bio
Matthew R. Shupp (he, him, his) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counselor Education at Shippensburg University. Prior to this role, he was a student affairs administrator, including Chief Student Conduct Officer, in a variety of institutional settings. He can be reached at [email protected].