Sure, punish the student for plagiarism but expulsion, little harsh don`t you think, no! I guess you don`t think so because the student is gone right! hope you don`t find yourself in a
bad spot someday and need someone to cut you some slack and instead cut the rope on ya.

As a sceintist I have to admit that plagiarism really disgusts me. I think people need to be very clear though on the differences between referencing or referring to another persons work and copying something almost verbatim and presenting it as your thoughts. The first shows a knowledge of the topic and the previous work and discussions in this area. It is to be applauded and encouraged. The second shows laziness and disregard for the intellectual property of others. It should be punished.

As for expulsion, plagiarism is cheating. If a university gets a name for allowing students to pass by cheating then their diplomas and degres will become worthless. Universities must act. I would assume an initial offense should result in serious disciplinary action (formal reprimand, failure of exam and having to repeat that exam). Any furtehr offense should results in immediate expulsion.

Paul.

As one teacher to another, I have to say good for you Angloesque. Dont give it a second's thought. Apart from anything else, if you didn't fail this cheater you would've been cheating all the other students who did their own work.

As for the whole expulsion issue, if this student realised that expulsion was the price of plagarism and still plagarised then I say fair enough. I hope it seves as a warning to others. God, I sound really right-wing.

Regarding the expulsion, this incident alone did not expel her. It was simply the straw that broke the camel's back, though I think there'd be less plagiarism if students knew their college careers were riding on their honesty. At any rate, the events leading up to this had nothing to do with me or my class.

-T.

I'm just curious, how you find out that they're copying it from the internet? Do you go to google and put in quotes a few sentences from their essay or what?

That's one way. But I'd hate to tip off any students reading this....

Sure, punish the student for plagiarism but expulsion, little harsh don`t you think, no! I guess you don`t think so because the student is gone right! hope you don`t find yourself in a bad spot someday and need someone to cut you some slack and instead cut the rope on ya.

This is happening in college. In college, you shouldn't plagiarize at all, and if you do, you should be expelled.
Also, how is purposely cheating the system the same as being in a bad spot? Nobody forced her to plagiarize.
Expulsion is a common and appropriate punishment for plagiarism. I remember my biology teacher always telling the class that if he caught one of us plagiarizing not only would he fail us, but he would do all he can to get us kicked out of the school, and I can't help but agree that he's doing the right thing.

Actually, he told us that he would fail us and try to get us kicked out for cheating before each test, but plagiarism and cheating are pretty much the same thing anyway.

Rock on sista! You hit the nail right on the head. This is about so much more than plagarism. This student needs to take responsibility for her actions and start playing by the rules. Hopefully she'll learn from this, get her act together and go to another school and be successful. You've done your part. Now she has to do hers. If she's lucky, her parents will butt out and let her "do her time" so to speak. Unfortunately, I find all to often that students like this came from a family of enablers; parents that felt that it was their job to support and fight for their child no matter what, even when the child had clearly done something wrong. That isn't preparing the child for the real world and it's not good parenting.

She said in her post that this was the last of MANY offenses. If this student hadn't been expelled because of this last error in judgement, she would have made another one and forced someone else to be the bad guy. Maybe she just doesn't really want to be in school, considering that she repeatedly refuses to play by the rules.

I think this article highlights a wider issue within American society. American children are lazy and manipulative. In England we do not suffer from this problem because we teach our children that the best way to get ahead is not to create a lawsuit but to think and rationalise. Americans seem to lack this notion. As part of the British nobility and as a succesful businessman I constantly have to quell peasants uprisings. I find that after a while they realise they cannot win and do what I say. If you obey your social superiors you can thrive and prosper in Britain!

The rule is the rule, you did your job.
Paining over the implications of your discovery do nothing but bring unnessesary guilt upon you.
I would assume that if you did not report the offense and it was discovered by a peer, YOU would be the one
facing dismissal.
Legally, ethically, and morally, you did what you had to do.

Now if more people would do the same.............................

I agree you did the right thing..... I myself am a college student and its hard to not do it.... there is a website called turnitin.com that you can submit your papers to and it will show you where it has been plagerised and where they got it from. I even run my papers through there so i know b4 hand.... then i can fix it )

Sir Peter, I have appreciated the British educational system. Whilst I will not pass judgements on British children, particularly the "peasants" who egged me last Halloween, I would say that yes, this is a larger problem with kids thinking they can weasel their way out of tight spaces and parents who seem to support them (I'm thinking hockey dads who kill other hockey dads aren't setting great examples for their kids, but hey, maybe that's the American Dream). So, Sir Peter, there is a note of truth to your hyperboleic post. (Are you actually British? I haven't read your blog enough yet, but your spelling would seem to confirm it.)

Yes i am British. Where are you from?