Safe Hex
The Problem :
A common form of plagiarism and cheating behavior which I encounter is that in which two students turn in work which is derived from the same word-processed file.
In most cases this is the result of one student giving a diskette, jump drive, or a copy of a file to another student, usually with full knowledge that the other student is going to use it as the basis of a report, essay, or exam.
In this case both students earn a grade of "F", and will also receive an "F" for the course. They may also incur other penalties
In other cases one student will steal the file from another, usually by gaining access to the computer or files of the student who did the work. If both students claim authorship of the document, both will receive a grade of "F" until authorship and innocence is proved to my satisfaction. In such cases it is often possible to deduce authorship of the original document by means which I do not make public. However, even though I can prove authorship of a file, I cannot prove that the author did not knowingly make the file available to the other student. So, unless the guilty student confesses to having obtained the file without the author's knowledge and consent, I have no option but to treat the case as if collusion occurred, and give grades of "F" to both students.
A student who commits theft of intellectual property (such as stealing a file from another student) will receive a Course Grade of "F" and will be liable to other penalties and disciplinary action.
Precautions to take :
- Always save your work to a diskette, memory stick or jump drive - never to the "C" (Hard) drive.
- Keep your diskettes, jump drives, and other removable media in a safe place, and NEVER share them with anyone else.
- After finishing your work and Saving the file to your diskette or jump drive, remove the diskette or jump drive and close the word-processing program.
This is particularly important when using computers in the dorms, library, or computer labs.
I know this is a pain, and I'm sorry to have to ask you to do this. I don't want you to get paranoid and untrusting towards your fellow-students, but there have been cases of dishonest students stealing files from others, so this is for your protection.
Having given you this warning, I expect you to guard the integrity of your work, and will take appropriate disciplinary action against any infringements.
Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
