Plagiarism Chicken

I passed a student who plagiarized a paper this semester. He knew he did it. I knew he did it. But I wasn’t sure that the uni would support me failing him. (Turned out it would have, despite one higher ups intense warnings that it would not.)

Then the student complained about his C in the class.

It is hard to deal with students not liking class, not doing the work, and plagiarizing. But I should have failed him even if the university would not have supported me. I need more fortitude on this.

So I read articles like this one and gird my loins for the next round of classes.

Yesterday, an anonymous “tip” proved that one of my college students has been cheating. For $15, she purchased a .zip file of all of the assignments in the course, already completed and ready to hand in.
…
I had spent hours going over assignments when she received failing grades. In fact, I have dozens of emails in which I tried to teach her the basics of scholarly essay writing, and the concepts she would need to master to pass the course. Now I realize that she was stunned that the so-called “A” material she had purchased wasn’t cutting it.

And in case I forget, maybe I will memorize the comment from Matt Paust on the article:
“Teaching, the hard way, the consequences of cheating, in this modern society of ends justifying means, is probly the most important lesson of all.”