Sol Garcia | THE RIDER
Around Sept. 16, a screenshot was circulating on social media that claimed students had been caught cheating in a group chat. For some students, this affected the way they view group chats.
Asked if his department was investigating these allegations, Douglas Stoves, associate dean for Student Rights and Responsibilities, said he could not speak on any specific case.
“I cannot discuss any kind of specific cases,” Stoves said.
Rebecca Gadson, dean of students, also said she could not speak in regard to the allegations from the screenshot.
“I would not be able to provide any specific response to any individual case or situation,” Gadson said.
When Student Rights and Responsibilities receives allegations that students have been involved in academic integrity violations, they alert them to know those allegations will be investigated and for sanctions to take place, the investigation must prove them guilty, Stoves said.
“It’s important for students to understand that … ‘you’re innocent until proven guilty,’” he said.
Violating academic integrity is “students receiving an unfair advantage,” Stoves said.
After they are alerted, students will then have the opportunity to respond to those charges and participate in the investigation, he said.
“If we make a determination that we believe that there has been academic [dishonesty] going on, then the student will have an opportunity to accept responsibility and the sanctions that we’ve outlined,” he said.
If students believe the sanctions are too tough, they can present their case in a hearing, Stoves said.
“This allows them to present their side of a story to a neutral factfinder, who will hear what the university and what we found during the course of our investigation and what we’ve determined,” he said. “The student has an opportunity to, whether it be witnesses, or documents or whatever, to present their side of the story.”
That factfinder will then make a final decision and, depending on the outcome, students can appeal that decision, too.
“There is significant due process for all students, regardless of what they’re accused of at the university to have an opportunity to share their side of the story,” he said.
When students are involved in a group chat where academic dishonesty is committed, the department will look into how all parties are involved in an investigation, Stoves said.
“We see … what the involvement of parties are,” he said. “It’s important to know that academic [dishonesty] has to do with giving folks an unfair advantage. It’s not only being, like, actively participating, but any attempt to do so.”
As long as they are not used for cheating, group chats are important for students, especially since students cannot meet in person to discuss homework, Stoves said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A group chat has its place,” he said. “It becomes problematic if students use it to cheat. … It’s knowing when and when not to use it, I think, is the best way to describe it.”
If there are violations of academic integrity in a group chat or elsewhere, students should report it to a faculty member or Vaqueros Report It, which allows students to make anonymous reports, Stoves said.
“It would be no different than if you’re sitting in the classroom, and you know that folks are violating academic integrity in some way, shape or form,” he said. “The main reason why it’s so important for academic integrity is because everybody’s degree gets impacted negatively if people are cheating to get the grades. It takes some of the achievement out of it.”
Andy Gutierrez, a mass communication senior, said he saw the screenshot and viewed group chats differently for “a while.” After reflecting on how he uses group chats for reminders, he came to the conclusion that group chats help him.
“At the end of the day, for me at least, group chats really do help me stay on track with my assignments in case I’m forgetting to do something,” he said. “Group chats are more helpful than I think people think.”
Students should utilize the support services and tools that the university offers to gain skills that help avoid inadvertent plagiarism, like the Writing Center and workshops that the library has on citing sources or paraphrasing, Gadson said.
“There’s some great resources and tools on campus for students to get more familiar with … and to develop skills that mitigate any risks associated with, maybe, inadvertent plagiarism,” she said.
Ways to avoid plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty can be found on Student Rights and Responsibilities’ webpage at https://www.utrgv.edu/studentlife/about/virtual-office-hours/index.htm
For more information on academic integrity, students can contact Student Rights and Responsibilities at 665-5375 or srr@utrgv.edu.
