|
Proposed student conduct rules...two questionable changes? |
|
|
|
|
Written by cougster1
|
|
Wednesday, 04 October 2006 |
|
The proposed new student conduct code is up at:
http://www.wsu.edu/~forms/ProposedWAC.html
There are two parts that seem troublesome.
They are:
NEW SECTION
WAC 504-26-202 Acts of dishonesty. Acts of dishonesty, include but are not limited to the following:
(1) Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty such as:
(b) Facilitation of dishonesty, including not challenging academic dishonesty;
NEW SECTION
WAC 504-26-219 Abuse of the student conduct system. Abuse of the student conduct system, including but not limited to:
(5) Attempting to discourage an individual's proper participation in, or use of, the student conduct system.
Academic dishonesty should be punished but this seems to indicate that if you see a person cheating or know they are you can get punished and classified as committing and act of academic dishonesty for not turning the person in! That can put people in awkward situations. It seems better to strongly encourage students to turn in cheaters but to require it might be going too far.
Stating that it is abuse of the student conduct system to attempt to discourage and individual’s proper participation in, or use of the, student conduct system is also going too far. It is perfectly reasonable to tell somebody that it might be beneficial to work out a situation between the parties involved than go to student conduct. Also it is perfectly reasonable to inform a student or his or her right not to participate if he or she does not want to.
It is reasonable to have a rule saying that it is abuse of the student conduct system to threaten an individual for participating in the student conduct process. This is clearly different then informing them of their rights and suggesting an alternative way of dealing with a situation.
|
