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From: russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto)
Newsgroups: comp.admin.policy
Subject: Re: E-mail Privacy
Message-ID: <1991Jun18.195631.28421@eng.umd.edu>
Date: 18 Jun 91 19:56:31 GMT
References: <1991Jun14.173019.1085@eng.umd.edu> <1991Jun17.020117.9278@oar.net>
Sender: news@eng.umd.edu (C-News)
Organization: College of Engineering, Maryversity of Uniland, College Park
Lines: 44

In article <1991Jun17.020117.9278@oar.net> karl.kleinpaste@osc.edu writes:
>russotto@eng.umd.edu writes:
>   When is the last time you reported someone for speeding?  Or shoplifting?
>
>To my knowledge, I have never witnessed shoplifting.  But it's irrelevant.
>
>When was the last time anyone actually spent the effort of a few brain
>cells to read what I wrote?  I wrote, "failure to report _certain
>crimes_," not "it is _in general_ a crime not to report a witnessed crime."
>
>   But if you see it, and report it, you end up putting the alleged
>   cheaters into a system where their guilt is assumed, they are
>   denied the right to defend themselves, and can suffer the ultimate
>   in penalties.
>
>I have not merely seen it and reported it (twice), I have been the
>instructor responsible for instigating procedures regarding it (once).
>
>All you're doing is passing the buck, I'm sorry to say.  "I can't
>convinct someone I genuinely know to be guilty -- they might actually
>suffer the consequences of their actions."  A poor ethical position,
>and an interesting outlook for someone who might someday be called to
>jury duty.

Last I checked, if accused of a crime, you got a trial, and you got a lawyer,
and you got various other niceties that just aren't present in the system
at the University of Maryland.  I would never report anyone for cheating
(though students are supposed to do so), simply because I wouldn't put them
through the system.  Of course, being a student, it is unlikely I will be in
a position to KNOW someone is guilty-- only to suspect it.

>If your "academic misconduct" system truly is managed as badly as you
>describe, then a lack of action by those who see such situations for
>what they are and do not act against it to reform its operation into
>something sane is, once again, part of the problem.  You say there is
>no defense for the accused, and you have not attacked this grave problem?

What can I do?  This is not my system-- I am only a temporary student, to
be here 4 years and then gone.  I'm certainly not going to help such a system
by giving it fodder (students) to digest.

--
Matthew T. Russotto	russotto@eng.umd.edu	russotto@wam.umd.edu
     .sig under construction, like the rest of this campus.