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professor accusing me of cheating *help*
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Be straightforward and try not to be too melodramatic (in your sample email, the "don't want to be wrongfully accused" was really a bit much).
If in fact the story is as you told it (not saying it isn't, just saying) then don't hesistate to approach the professor with clearly laid out examples of your work, past work, etc that illustrates that the style of thinking on your test is your own. Previous tests would also be a good thing to bring, if you do your work in the same manner for most problems. Don't be afraid to act a *little bit* offended - not at the professor, but at the person who is copying your work. Make sure you indicate to the professor that you weren't aware someone was copying your work, and that you'll do everything you can to show that the test was your own. Just be confident and direct - it's ok to let the professor know you're a little freaked out, but DON'T get defensive - get proactive. Do things quickly and try to maintain a positive attitude - you might actually end up establishing a _good_ relationship with the professor by the end of all this. Offer to retake a similar test (under the same circumstances) if necessary.
Edit: PS, make photocopies, document your style / draw arrows to important features on them in red pen or something, and prepare 5-10 pages of examples of your work etc to give to the prof. Keep a copy for yourself and keep your originals in all cases - just in case the issue ends up getting escalated higher in the dept.
If in fact the story is as you told it (not saying it isn't, just saying) then don't hesistate to approach the professor with clearly laid out examples of your work, past work, etc that illustrates that the style of thinking on your test is your own. Previous tests would also be a good thing to bring, if you do your work in the same manner for most problems. Don't be afraid to act a *little bit* offended - not at the professor, but at the person who is copying your work. Make sure you indicate to the professor that you weren't aware someone was copying your work, and that you'll do everything you can to show that the test was your own. Just be confident and direct - it's ok to let the professor know you're a little freaked out, but DON'T get defensive - get proactive. Do things quickly and try to maintain a positive attitude - you might actually end up establishing a _good_ relationship with the professor by the end of all this. Offer to retake a similar test (under the same circumstances) if necessary.
Edit: PS, make photocopies, document your style / draw arrows to important features on them in red pen or something, and prepare 5-10 pages of examples of your work etc to give to the prof. Keep a copy for yourself and keep your originals in all cases - just in case the issue ends up getting escalated higher in the dept.
thanks for the suggestions, im thinking about maybe talking to an advisor at school tomorrow about the situation as well?
right now I just made pdf files explaining exactly where in the book and in my notes i found the answers to the problems http://sdcc13.ucsd.edu/~echau/103/and im going to attach these to the e-mail to send to the professor with the following message:
I met with you today regarding the incident of my Midterm #2 and another person?s midterm having the same answers and looking the same. I was wondering if it would be possible to arrange for a meeting to explain my side of the story. I can prove that I did not copy anyone else?s midterm as I can show to you exactly where in the book and where in my notes I found each answer and why the work I had looked the way it did because the examples I looked at had the exact same format as the way I did the problems.
Attached are pdf files with pictures from the book showing exactly where I found examples to do the problems and you should be able to see that they are exactly alike to the way I did the problems on the midterm. I would like to explain this in person also if possible, but didn?t have a chance to do that this morning. Would you be available anytime tomorrow (Thursday) or Friday before winter break for me to explain this?
Sincerely,
how does that look?
Thanks
right now I just made pdf files explaining exactly where in the book and in my notes i found the answers to the problems http://sdcc13.ucsd.edu/~echau/103/and im going to attach these to the e-mail to send to the professor with the following message:
I met with you today regarding the incident of my Midterm #2 and another person?s midterm having the same answers and looking the same. I was wondering if it would be possible to arrange for a meeting to explain my side of the story. I can prove that I did not copy anyone else?s midterm as I can show to you exactly where in the book and where in my notes I found each answer and why the work I had looked the way it did because the examples I looked at had the exact same format as the way I did the problems.
Attached are pdf files with pictures from the book showing exactly where I found examples to do the problems and you should be able to see that they are exactly alike to the way I did the problems on the midterm. I would like to explain this in person also if possible, but didn?t have a chance to do that this morning. Would you be available anytime tomorrow (Thursday) or Friday before winter break for me to explain this?
Sincerely,
how does that look?
Thanks
nitsuj3580
Platinum Member
wow, nice job. Unfortunately, it's too bad you had to take the time to do all those pdfs but if that doesn't make a believer out of your prof, I'd go above professor (dean, etc) and start filing complaints.
Spencer278
Diamond Member
Your link seems broken. Before showing the professor any old work make sure that the professor didn't forget to record any grades. Or bring in all pass work to show to tell the professor that he can't loose a grade on anything. Even if he says you didn't cheat he might think you did and try to punish you a different way.
darktubbly
Senior member
To second most of the posts, stick to your guns, be firm, and continue to be as respectful as you have been so far. If he still doesn't see the light, by all means, go above his head. It's unfair for you to have to take a makeup exam when you haven't done anything wrong, so you might not want to bring that up unless specifically asked.
Most teachers don't have a "personal mission from god" to strike down cheaters, but it is extremely unfair to other students who actually do work hard. I wouldn't take his words too personally...you were just in some poor circumstances. Best of luck resolving this!
Most teachers don't have a "personal mission from god" to strike down cheaters, but it is extremely unfair to other students who actually do work hard. I wouldn't take his words too personally...you were just in some poor circumstances. Best of luck resolving this!
You could get laid out of this deal !
The professor just gave you the name of a girl that will do anything for a passing grade.
Seriously, you could check into who she is, where she sits associated to where you sit,
watch to see if she has a cell phone cammera that she could easily photo your paper in a walk by shooting.
Another thought is, in court one is innocent untill proven guilty. Your professor is doing the opposite. Wrong.
Justice Black, better that 100 guilty men go free than one innocent man be jailed.
Of course that's just talk to appease the people when the truth is, judges will even present evidence against you,
to get a conviction, then they sort it out if they have to. (But you have to force them to be just.)
Go to someone over the professors head if the problem lingers.
Arrest me or leave me alone often works. They wouldn't be bugging you if they could arrest you.
I don't know how that applys to professors though ?
The professor just gave you the name of a girl that will do anything for a passing grade.
Seriously, you could check into who she is, where she sits associated to where you sit,
watch to see if she has a cell phone cammera that she could easily photo your paper in a walk by shooting.
Another thought is, in court one is innocent untill proven guilty. Your professor is doing the opposite. Wrong.
Justice Black, better that 100 guilty men go free than one innocent man be jailed.
Of course that's just talk to appease the people when the truth is, judges will even present evidence against you,
to get a conviction, then they sort it out if they have to. (But you have to force them to be just.)
Go to someone over the professors head if the problem lingers.
Arrest me or leave me alone often works. They wouldn't be bugging you if they could arrest you.
I don't know how that applys to professors though ?
That would work, but thats pure BS. If he didn't cheat, he shouldn't have to take another makeup exam. He did what he was supposed to do, he didn't cheat, so he is done. I'd be pretty damn pissed if I had to waste my time taking another exam. Yeah, if theres no other alternative I guess that pretty much sucks, but doing a makeup exam would be my last resort.
I would just be pretty damn adament about not have cheated. Would say you would go to the Dean, Review Board, or whatever about your situation. He accuses you of cheating, let him prove it. Innocent until proven guilty. Now I'm not saying be an @ss or do nothing to prove your innocense, but you sound like you're bending over for this professor for something you did not do.
An Abstract modern aglebra test: there are only so many ways to do proofs/problems and whatnot and more people are likely to do the given proof/problem the same way...the way that was shown in class or resitation.
If he didn't catch you during the exam (which of course he didn't because you weren't cheating) there is nothing he can do about it. Being a mathematician he should know he cannot prove you or anyone else cheated on a math exam by looking at the "aftermath" unless you wrote down lengthy comments (not drawn from notes or the book) on your test that are basically duplicated on someone else's test.
I'm sure your department has guidelines about this...he wring you up for cheating because your test looks like someone else's...so you'll be fine.
But you politely talk to him and show him your notes and the book and reconstruct the logic you used on the test...he should be totally cool with it.
If he didn't catch you during the exam (which of course he didn't because you weren't cheating) there is nothing he can do about it. Being a mathematician he should know he cannot prove you or anyone else cheated on a math exam by looking at the "aftermath" unless you wrote down lengthy comments (not drawn from notes or the book) on your test that are basically duplicated on someone else's test.
I'm sure your department has guidelines about this...he wring you up for cheating because your test looks like someone else's...so you'll be fine.
But you politely talk to him and show him your notes and the book and reconstruct the logic you used on the test...he should be totally cool with it.
I see your at UCSD...UC has bylaws concerning profs provving that a student cheated...he can't just levy accusations against you without really hard evidence.
They pretty much have to catch you in the act, particularly for a math test (it might be different with a english literature essay).
Does this prof have tenure? If not, he will not accuse you of cheating...because he'll get burned and it will really hurt his press for tenure; it gives the department some smut to use if they want to let him go or deny him tenure.
They pretty much have to catch you in the act, particularly for a math test (it might be different with a english literature essay).
Does this prof have tenure? If not, he will not accuse you of cheating...because he'll get burned and it will really hurt his press for tenure; it gives the department some smut to use if they want to let him go or deny him tenure.
I'm sure other members have already made similar or the same suggestions, but I shall add more to support the statement that you do have a case if all facts stated are true. Also, I hope this serves as a bump to get you to update us! I would love an update!
"about 2 weeks ago we had a math midterm (abstract modern algebra)...right before it started the professor announced it was gonna be open book and open notes.. a week later we got our midterms returned to us by the TA.."
Damn! You should have told me about your school and professor. My abstract algebra courses weren't that easy. 😱 😛 My professor who allowed open book, open notes was the hardest of all with the problems she gave us!
Anyway, this is an easy case:
1) Try to find out who the student is. Did he punish her too? Or did he just charge you as the cheater without any hearing?
2) Establish that your professor permits you to use any materials, including open book. I suppose this open book only allowed your textbook, not any maths books you wished, right? Imagine if another student and I were using Schaum's Outline, for example. Oh my! We would have the exact same solutions down. I wonder if we would be accused of plagiarising (i.e., copying the book) or cheating (i.e., copying off each other). Uhmm. . . . 😛
3) Furthermore, he presented problems (which I consider damn easy 😉) that are the least unique or of extreme difficulty in nature. In contrast, if he had asked you to prove theorems, usually difficult, and found much similarity, then it would be grounds to be suspicious of students cheating. Therefore, he should not expect distinct forms of proofs or solutions.
4) He did not state "do not imitate exact steps as shown in books". He didn't state that such would be grounds for accusal of cheating, in case a student and you imitated the same textbook.
5) If he fails to listen to your grievance, then consult with the dean. If he's a competent dean, he should act as an arbitrator and an objective viewer of the materials presented. Usually, the dean automatically sides with the professors. The department of Mathematics, especially, usually contains the most anti-social or arrogant people I could think of. 😱 However, you may be lucky to have a reasonable dean.
6) Propose a solution if he still doubts you and the dean sides with him: Ask that you are tested again. Also remember to bring in your past work. Naturally, a good dean should make such proposal as a compromise. The only problem is, the proposed problems may be more difficult in nature, but I suppose you could argue your way there.
7) Write to president of school or any other higher authority if dean proves unhelpful.
8) If all fails, then contact a lawyer. Have him write a letter to exert his presence . . . then the deparment will melt. 😉
"about 2 weeks ago we had a math midterm (abstract modern algebra)...right before it started the professor announced it was gonna be open book and open notes.. a week later we got our midterms returned to us by the TA.."
Damn! You should have told me about your school and professor. My abstract algebra courses weren't that easy. 😱 😛 My professor who allowed open book, open notes was the hardest of all with the problems she gave us!
Anyway, this is an easy case:
1) Try to find out who the student is. Did he punish her too? Or did he just charge you as the cheater without any hearing?
2) Establish that your professor permits you to use any materials, including open book. I suppose this open book only allowed your textbook, not any maths books you wished, right? Imagine if another student and I were using Schaum's Outline, for example. Oh my! We would have the exact same solutions down. I wonder if we would be accused of plagiarising (i.e., copying the book) or cheating (i.e., copying off each other). Uhmm. . . . 😛
3) Furthermore, he presented problems (which I consider damn easy 😉) that are the least unique or of extreme difficulty in nature. In contrast, if he had asked you to prove theorems, usually difficult, and found much similarity, then it would be grounds to be suspicious of students cheating. Therefore, he should not expect distinct forms of proofs or solutions.
4) He did not state "do not imitate exact steps as shown in books". He didn't state that such would be grounds for accusal of cheating, in case a student and you imitated the same textbook.
5) If he fails to listen to your grievance, then consult with the dean. If he's a competent dean, he should act as an arbitrator and an objective viewer of the materials presented. Usually, the dean automatically sides with the professors. The department of Mathematics, especially, usually contains the most anti-social or arrogant people I could think of. 😱 However, you may be lucky to have a reasonable dean.
6) Propose a solution if he still doubts you and the dean sides with him: Ask that you are tested again. Also remember to bring in your past work. Naturally, a good dean should make such proposal as a compromise. The only problem is, the proposed problems may be more difficult in nature, but I suppose you could argue your way there.
7) Write to president of school or any other higher authority if dean proves unhelpful.
8) If all fails, then contact a lawyer. Have him write a letter to exert his presence . . . then the deparment will melt. 😉
Come on now, update us, Chau!!!!
Waiting . . . waiting. . . .
Waiting . . . waiting. . . .
my math professor is supposed to be like among the top math people in the world or something like that...
well we had our final last thursday and he told me to e-mail him after to get an update on the situation.... so i e-mailed him right after but he has yet to respond.... not sure why it's taking so long... ill let u guys know once he lets me know..
thanks everyone
well we had our final last thursday and he told me to e-mail him after to get an update on the situation.... so i e-mailed him right after but he has yet to respond.... not sure why it's taking so long... ill let u guys know once he lets me know..
thanks everyone
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