u- me 1VTcicgan Daily - Tuesday, April 19, 1994
Plagiarism case
shows problems in
judiciar rocess
By HOPE CALATI
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
The mad dash. The final paper leaps off the disk, into the
printer and flies into the professor's mailbox. The harried
student breathes a sigh of relief.
But can a student's stress level drop once the paper is
safely tucked away in a box or on a desk? Political science
major Sanjay Sunder would say the stress could just be
beginning.
After Sunder handed in his final paper in Poli Sci 428,
his teaching assistant told him a fellow student handed in a
paper remarkably similar to his. This example of plagiarism
is one of 16 cases heard by the LSA academic judiciary
board last academic year.
Sunder said his paper was the original - complete with
full citations. His classmate, Derek Brantley, handed in a
similar paper, minus the citations.
The teaching assistant said Brantey handed in his paper
before Sunder. Sunder said this was impossible. The aca-
demic review board came to an impasse and declared that
someone did something wrong, but it could not decide
which student. Neither student was punished, but Sunder
had to wait more than a year to get his grade changed so he
would receive credit for the course.
Sunder has taken steps to modify the LSA academic
judicial system. After his lawyer wrote the University,
officials asked Sunder to aid in a review of the academic
judiciary system."I want to make sure this doesn't happen
to anyone else," Sunder said.
An LSA student-faculty committee is also trying to fine
tune the academic judiciary process . The committee claimed
in a meeting last week that few faculty use the process. The
committee recommended that academic standards be widely
distributed to explain academic dishonesty at the University.
LSA's Office of Academic Actions currently handles
the nuts and bolts of academic misconduct cases through
hearing boards.
In the 1992-93 school year, 44 cases of academic mis-
conduct were reported to Academic Actions. Half of these
students were found guilty. An average of 23 students a year
have been found guilty in the past decade.
If the hearing board determines plagiarism or cheating is
flagrant, the student will receive a one-semester suspen-
sion. The student can apply for clemency.
If the offense is less serious, the student may receive a
notation on the transcript, be required to earn more credit hours
before graduation or work hours of community service.
The College of Engineering stands apart from other
colleges with its student-enforced honor code.
Plagiarism is avoidable, said Todd Gernes, a lecturer in
the English Compostion Board. He said he has a strategy for
avoiding plagiarism in his classes that seems to reflect some
of the recommendations of the LSA student-faculty com-
mittee.
"A lot of the potential for cheating has to do with the way
you teach and assign writing for your students. If you
present writing in a way to promote collaboration, plagia-
rism can be avoided," Gernes said.
He asks his students to write several drafts of apaper. By
the time a paper is handed in, it contains original thought -
regardless of the origin of the original draft. "I think it is
very important to teach what plagiarism is to students very
specifically. Students come in very unsure about how to use
their colleagues," Gernes said. "A lot of responsibility falls
with the teacher."
I'LL GIVE YOU A RING
SACUA plans review of
Office of Student Affairs
By LISA DINES
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
As Chair Henry Griffin stepped down from
his Senate Assembly post yesterday, the fac-
ulty wrapped up another semester and planned
for the future.
The Senate Assembly -the faculty gover-
nance board for the University - discussed a
planned evaluation of the Office of Student Af-
fairs. The assembly also received an update
concerning the status of flexible benefits and
faculty governance.
U..
Yesterday, Maureen A. Hartford, vice presi-
dent for student affairs, explained to the assem-
bly the complexity of her office and suggested
several possible methods for conducting the
future review.
Hartford noted that the office includes 1,251
regular staff members and 2,000 part-time stu-
dent employees. The office includes the Housing
Division, University Health Services and the
Office of the Dean of Students.
She said a review of all aspects of student
affairs would take between 18 months and two
years.
Hartford urged the assembly to choose only
one aspect to explore or to join the office in its
current internal evaluation process.
"I think we are learning a lot and giving
ourselves a lot of feedback," she said.
The assembly has not announced on which
aspects of the office it will focus its review.
U ..
Griffin informed the assembly that the
administration's committee to study flexible
benefits - a proposed change in the health
care provided to faculty and staff -- would
make its report soon.
He said the discussion with the committee at
he last Senate Advisory Committee on Univer-
ity Affairs (SACUA) meeting provided little
isight into the controversial issue.
SACUA is waiting for a report from the
ssembly sub-committee studying the issue be-
>re making its recommendation to the adminis-
ration on behalf of the faculty.
The assembly passed a motion to create
aculty communication networks within each
:hool at the University.
The groups will meettwo to four times a year
n order to discuss faculty concerns such as the
urrent debate over flexible benefits. They will
so communicate via e-mail.
Senate Assembly member George Brewer
aid there was a consensus among faculty to
mprove the communication within the schools.
le said the plan is flexible "so a school orcollege
an do its improving in the way it sees fit."
The communication groups are designed to
eep the Senate Assembly in touch with the
aculty in the schools that they represent.
"The conclusion here does not add more
)vernment but it adds an improved communi-
ation system ... so central faculty governance
an really stay in touch with what is going on in
he schools and colleges," Brewer said.
U..
In a final speech before the assembly, Griffin
aged the members to try to work with the
Iministration.
"The Senate Assembly and SACUA should
ot be constantly second-guessing the adminis-
ation," he said.
He added that the assembly needs to stay in
ich with the faculty members it represents.
Afterhis farewell remarks, Griffin passed the
vel to the new ChairJean Loup, who closed the
eeting.
Rinpoche's inspiration for his own
work in the United States comes from his
personal relationship to the Dalai Lama.
Despite his actual blood relation to the
previous Dalai Lama, Rinpoche says he is
"related to the Dalai Lama simply be-
cause I am one of the Tibetans." He says
that His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has
been instrumental in uniting Tibet as a
family committed to the non-aggressive
struggle for freedom.
Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 PM at
CrislerArena-Dalai Lama gives accep-
tance speech upon receiving the Raoul
Wallenberg humanitarian award.
U. Friday, April 22, 1994 from 12 to
9 p.m. in the Michigan Union Ballroom
- Tibetan carpet making, butter sculp-
tures, wood carvings, Thangka painting,
and nine square foot sand mandala. Tradi-
tional Tibetan food will be available.
Admission is free.
Sunday, April 24,199411-1 p.m. in
the Michigan Union Ballroom - Gelek
Rinpoche, spiritual directorofJewel Heart,
will give a public teaching expanding on
the WhiteTara meditation practice. Ad-
mission Free.
Betty Williams, who works at CRISP, orders a 1994 class ring for her
daughter from the Jostens jeweler in the basement of the Union.
..,.
LAMA
Continued from page 1
Americans through weekly lessons on
the basic Buddhist principles of self-lib-
eration, altruism, and quest for wisdom.
"You don't have to shave your head or
wear funny robes, or carry a Buddhist card
to incorporate Buddhist principles into
your life," he adds.
Rinpoche believes that American sup-
port is essential for the rebirth of Tibet as
an independent nation. "Our nation is un-
der duress," Rinpoche stated, explaining
that Tibet has been an occupied nation
since the Chinese invasion in 1950. "Tibet
is obviously an independent nation in and
of itself."
The history of China's occupation of
Tibet dates back to 1904, when the Chi-
nese urged Tibet to "join" the Chinese
Republic. In 1951, the Chinese govern-
ment defeated the small Tibetan army and
implemented a "17-point agreement"
which abolished Tibet's right to an army
and denied them social and political liber-
ties. In 1959, the Tibetans revolted.
Since then, more than 100,000 Tibetans
have fled seeking safe havens in countries
such as India, Switzerland, Canada and the
United States. The passage to India is deadly
in the winter, but many Tibetans fear that
remaining in Chinese-occupied Tibet is even
more dangerous.
"We did not have a choice," Rinpoche
remembers. "If we went backward, the
Chinese would shoot, and if we went for-
ward, the Indians might shoot."
But India embraced the influx of refu-
gees and lent the Tibetan nation-in-exile
religious and social support. Sino-Tibetan
tensions reached a breaking point in 1959,
when China's cultural revolution outlawed
all religion. His Holiness The Dalai Lama
was forced into exile in Dharmsala, India
creating a home for the Tibetan spiritual
community away from their homeland.
The Dalai Lama's Government-in-ex-
ile, which represents 130,000 expatriates,
is devoted to the liberation of Tibet through
non-violent means.
The peaceful liberation of Tibet will
also be among the subjects His Holiness
will discuss when he accepts the
University's Raoul Wallenberg award for
humanitarianism.
The Dalai Lama's peaceful approach
has garnered him national acclaim and
attention, including the 1989 Nobel Peace
Prize.
Many nations recognize the Dalai
Lama's efforts and condemn the Chinese
occupation. Since the invasion, the U.N.
has passed three resolutions calling atten-
tion to human rights abuses occurring in
Tibet. Despite high-profile world atten-
tion, the situation in Tibet remains dismal.
Rinpoche has not returned to Tibet since
he fled in 1959, yet his commitment to
improve conditions for his Tibetan brethren
remains strong. Despite restricted access to
Tibet, Jewel Heart has established schools
for secular and religious education and re-
stored deteriorating monasteries.
In conjunction with the Dalai Lama's
visit, Jewel Heart is sponsoring Ann
Arbor's first Tibetan Arts Festival to show-
case some Tibetan Buddhist traditions.
Exhibits will include the butter sculptures
of artist Soman Dhargay, as well as three
9 square-foot sand mandala "paintings."
Proceeds from sales will fund more edu-
cation efforts within Tibet.
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at the University Club
in the Michigan Union
Saturday, April 30
9am-4pm
Adults $13.95
Children 10 & under $5.95
Reservations recommended
(313)763-4648
Call 8:30am-4:30pm,
Monday-Friday
SWWrter masochiW.
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