So I was just presented with an interesting quandary and thought I'd share it with all of you.
One of my students wrote to let me know that [s/he] had faked some of the interview content in [his/her] report and that the "lie" would be rectified in the next draft. I wrote back to deliver two basic messages, which I'll post here:
1. I expect that you are not the only one to "fake" interviews on this assignment. That's the risk I take in teaching as I do, i.e., giving students some freedom, treating them as adults, respecting their work and not "checking" their sources, and assuming they're here to learn and that they won't dishonor themselves, their classmates, or me by "cutting corners" in order to accomplish anything (to finish on time, to get a better grade, to simplify the process, etc.). I also choose not to "police" student behavior (if I can avoid it) because I have better things to do and, frankly, I tend to believe that such behaviors usually catch up to people anyway, so why should I waste my energies on somebody else's longterm problem.
2. That said, I must remind you that lies of this nature could, in theory, classify as fraud, and I could (in fact, as a professor the administration would probably say I must) report you to the dean, and that report could possibly result in your receiving an "F" in the class and possibly other sanctions, including expulsion from the university. (I assume that wasn't part of your "research plan"?)
Okay, folks, let's cut to the chase. I'm not enthusiastic about #2 here for a lot of reasons, and in the remainder of this journal entry I'll try to explain why.
Obviously it's easy enough to "create" language and attribute it to another person. It's also easy to cobble together a few passages off the internet, too, and submit it as a "research paper." It's easy enough for me, too, to require you to submit drafts, notes, survey pages, annotated sources, interview notes, and all other "rough work" and then to go through it all (like a good detective) in search of evidence of foulplay. This would take hours beyond the several hours it already takes to teach this class. It would detract from the other things I do, such as working with those students who have no interest in cheating, lying, fraud and plagiarism and who are looking for a different kind of "feedback" from their professor. I assume most, if not all of you are of this second group.
Nonetheless, for the benefit of this second group (and for the sake of my sanity), I choose to structure my class in such a way that cheating, to quote the cliche, really doesn't pay, and I mean this literally. The "credit" you receive for work you do in this class is NOT based on the QUALITY of the work you submit -- in particular the quality of the final, finished product, assuming there is such a thing -- but rather on your ACTIVITY as a writer, reader, researcher, and participant during the 14 weeks that we're together. That activity will be documented, by me as well as you, and while it might be relatively easy to fake an interview or cut-and-paste a research paper, it's a little harder to fake activity. In fact, in order to really fake the activity that goes into constructing a good research project, you'd have to do the equivalent of that activity anyway, so why bother to fake it?
But all that aside, it's really up to you to decide how you want to approach your experience in this class, in other classes, at SJU or wherever you end up. I won't deny the simple truth that CHEATING, LYING, FRAUD, and PLAGIARISM are common RESOURCES exploited by a lot of students, at this and other institutions, to cut corners and "get through." If you make use of those resources, then okay, whatever, have fun, and good luck. However, I'm not going to be the one to play detective on your behalf and call the police when I spot something or something comes to my attention. Now, that doesn't mean that I won't be on my guard. Twenty years in this biz, I'm afraid to report, has made me both wary and skilled at noticing "bad" student behavior of all kinds. But I have no interest in making "honesty patrol" part of my work in this class. Indeed, if you like to cheat, lie, and plagiarize as part of your student tool kit, then you might even get away with it. Really, that's your business, not mine, and you have to deal with whatever consequences might come of it.
To be clear: I AM NOT ACCUSING ANYONE of lying, cheating, fraud, or plagiarism (yet). However, if you think that your ACTIVITY for this first research project was or could be interpreted as less than honest, than do yourself a favor and let me know now. Clear the air. There will be no repurcussions beyond your reading this blog entry. If any interviews are "faked," for example, then give me a chance to explain how it's not only better but actually easier, in the long run, to do them for real.
Also, if any of you are concerned, after reading this, that I might look with suspicion at your report -- particularly if it's one of a dozen or so reports I'll be getting on "dorming" and/or "commuting," which were based heavily on interviewing and survey work -- then please feel free to DOCUMENT your interview activity by showing me notes, completed questionnaires, etc., and by digitizing your findings as CBook entries on your blog. You'll want to do that anyway as a way to document your activity for this project.
Otherwise, this might be the last you hear from me on this topic. It's already eaten up too much of my time...
ENG 1000c -- Composition
