Last month, my classmates and myself had to each pick an article (from a list of articles that the prof is familiar with) and then create a handout basing on the article to present to the class. About 2 weeks after my presentation, I received an email that says I have to meet with prof (and 3rd person) because prof suspects me of plagiarism in my handout (lack of quotation marks). At the meeting, I explained that everything esle was properly cited and that I thought it was an informal assignment. What I did not explain was why I thought it was informal (prof’s assignment instructions were half a page; prof called the assignment as “presentation/discussion”…not something like “major paper”). Few days after the meeting, prof went ahead and gave me a zero on the handout and notation in my record. What is strange though is that the next day, prof voluntarily emailed me to say that I can redo my handout. Why would my prof wasted time to accuse me and then allow me to redo it? I also know that I was the only one in my class that was accused. There are classmates whose handouts were straight copied from their articles, but the prof never accused them.
“Why would my prof wasted time to accuse me and then allow me to redo it?”
For me, to scrutinize a paper or a report and know whether plagiarism was committed or not, is not a waste of time. The chance given to you to redo the paper is an opportunity to improve parts which may have lacked appropriate content to delve it away from possible suspicion of plagiarism. If you still have ample time, take the said opportunity. Otherwise, pursue further talks, which will still result into an equal action or work for you to do as resolution.