Honor Council Letters: First installment, term 2

January 7, 2004Dear _____:

You have been found in violation of the Lawrence University Honor Code for plagiarism on your paper in _____with Professor _____.

As discussed and agreed upon during the sanctioning conference on January 7, 2004, your sanction will be 0 on the assignment and a two letter grade reduction in the course. Your paper included words, phrases, and ideas without proper citation or reference. This sanction is consistent with past precedent of extensive plagiarism of this sort. Be advised that should you be found in violation of the Honor Code in the future, the information contained in this letter will be used in determining appropriate sanctions.

The Council wishes to remind you of the importance of confidentiality. Details from the sanctioning conference may not be released without the consent of all individuals involved. This includes students and professors and as you know, sanctions agreed upon during this conference cannot be appealed.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. The Council trusts that you recognize the seriousness of the violation and the threat it poses to the Lawrence University Honor System. Please do not hesitate to contact any member of the Honor Council or Dean Hemwall with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

The Honor Council

Ann Miller Amanda Loder

cc: Professor _____

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January 7, 2004

Dear _____:

You have been found in violation of the Lawrence University Honor Code for plagiarism on your paper in _____with Professor _____.

As discussed and agreed upon during the sanctioning conference on January 7, 2004, your sanction will be 0 on the paper and a 2-letter grade reduction in the course. Over half of your paper was taken verbatim from a source without proper citation. This sanction is consistent with precedents for extensive plagiarism in the past. Be advised that should you be found in violation of the Honor Code in the future, the information contained in this letter will be used in determining appropriate sanctions.

The Council wishes to remind you . . . with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

The Honor Council:

Ann Miller Michael Schrimpf

cc: Professor _____

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January 9, 2004

Dear _____,

You have not been found in violation of the Lawrence University Honor Code for your exam in _____with Professor _____. However, we are issuing a warning to you due to your questionable activity surrounding the exam. Please consider this a formal warning that further suspicious academic activity will be taken very seriously.

Though you have not been found in violation of the Honor Code, we hope you understand that it is every Lawrence community member’s responsibility to uphold the Honor System. This means that when professors encounter suspicious activity, they are obliged to bring the case before the Honor Council. By doing so they protect every student’s right to a fair and honest academic environment.

_____, because this is your second hearing, the Council is deeply concerned about your failure to carefully consider how your actions can be construed in an exam. We strongly encourage you to avoid academic behavior that causes suspicion in the future. Be advised that should you be found in violation of the Honor Code again, this letter and the letter from your previous violation will be used in determining an appropriate sanction.

The Council also wishes to remind you of the importance of confidentiality. Details from the hearing may not be released without the consent of all individuals involved. This includes students and professors. It is a violation of the Honor Code to break confidentiality concerning this case.

Sincerely,

Ann Miller, chair

cc: Professor _____