My daughter has dyslexia, a short-term memory issue and a stress disorder in spite of all that she excelled in high school and graduated with honors. In college, she changed her major from art to environmental studies and she started to struggle. One of her environmental studies classes is a real trigger for her. I had no idea she felt so embarrassed by her disability and so inadequate compared to her peers. She used chat because she was overwhelmed and didn’t ask for her. She is desperate to hide the fact that she needs help. She wants to be “normal”. Im getting her help with a psychologist which I hope will be a mitigating factor in her punishment. She said she only did it in this class but I’m worried. I think she needs to take some time off, which will be hard because all our friends are graduating next year and she’ll miss them. Her professor told her 2 days ago so I assume she will get something formal in writing regarding a hearing.
Any advice on next steps would be appreciated. I did reach out to attorney but wasn’t planning on engaging one unless she is expelled.
Whatever the punishment, any suggestions on how to explain to another school or future employer?
I agree with @Publisher. You want a lawyer now to guide your kid through a disciplinary hearing and hopefully avoid the most serious consequences. Especially if your daughter has an anxiety disorder, you do not want her going through this process on her own. Does the prof or the school have a clear permissible use policy? My kid is dyslexic too and will use AI within the allowed parameters. His professors all have their policies spelled out on their syllabi. Has your student met with the professor? It may be possible to come to a resolution that would avoid the honor council completely.
I can’t comment on the disciplinary aspect of this, but I can comment on your D feeling embarrassed by her disability. Does she know other adults with her disability(ies)? In my experience, this is key to mitigating some of the shame young adults feel about their disability - I have cerebral palsy, and while CP doesn’t manifest in the same way in every person (as I’m sure is the case with your D’s disabilities), it has been incredibly helpful to me through my 20s to have friends with CP who I can ask “hey, I’m struggling with this - do you struggle with this too, and what do you do when you’re up against this challenge?” A psychologist can be helpful (I love my therapist, a clinical psych who has a lot of clients with disabilities) but in my experience, ultimately, it’s going to be those who experience the same condition as your D who are going to offer the most helpful, actionable advice to her (and when she has others in her circle who need and accept help, it will be easier for her to seek help herself).
I met a lot of my disabled friends on social media - if your D searches for her diagnoses on Instagram, Reddit, or TikTok, she may find a community.
Thanks, @thumper1 . I agree that they should get an attorney ASAP. If she gets expelled, then it’s time for an educational consultant like me who can advise on transfer strategy. (Possibly ALSO an attorney to pursue a lawsuit against the university, but it’s a whole lot better to prevent that rigamarole unless you enjoy setting money on fire.)
I disagree with a lot of the advice on this thread:
Before contacting an attorney, you need to be clear on the school’s policy on A.I. and academic dishonesty in general. Academic dishonesty does not mean expulsion or a notation on the transcript everywhere. At my LAC for example, nothing happens if it’s the student’s first offense—regardless of the student’s documented disability status. The infraction goes on file with the university, and the student is fine as long as there are no other incidents of academic dishonesty. The file does not follow the student when they graduate or transfer. If an academic violation happens again during their enrollment at the college, that’s when a hearing occurs. But even with the hearing, the outcome is not predetermined. Sometimes it results in an F in the course, and other times it’s a notation on the transcript. The college’s policy should be clearly outlined in the student handbook or another document online. Be sure to check it out.
Over the years I’ve dealt with MANY cases of academic dishonesty in various forms in my courses. I remember when it was just “simple” copying from a secondary source or cutting and pasting from the Internet. Over the last two years there’s been an uptick in cases given the popularity of the newer AI engines. (I just had a student admit to using ChatGPT to write chunks of his paper last week.) Unfortunately, it’s very common and cuts across ALL demographics. It’s not just one particular type of student caught using AI.
I would be VERY surprised if this meant expulsion or even a transcript notation. We see this far too often to do that with a first offense.
ETA: Just noticed the professor has engaged the council. My advice doesn’t change. You need to find out the policy and next steps. Even with second and third offenses that go to hearing, there are multiple potential scenarios. This is just the first academic infraction.
If you bring in a lawyer, the university will engage their lawyer. So instead of this being a more informal hearing with the professor, student (and maybe a parent), and the honor council, it now becomes a formal session with the university’s legal counsel and your attorney included. As you can imagine, that has a VERY different feel. I’ve been a professor for over 25 years and have only been involved in that type of legal session once. Believe me, it was a nightmare. Your daughter may find that far more stressful than the penalty for a first offense.
I think people are suggesting they consult with an attorney, not necessarily bring an attorney into a meeting. Sometimes an attorney can guide them as to what to say, or what not to say, and how to approach the meeting with the best demeanor for the best outcome.
Google “[name of college] academic honesty policy” for more information and check the university’s and professor’s policies regarding the use of AI.
At the flagship university I’m at, we follow a three strikes rule for undergraduates - for the 1st two, a note is dropped into the student’s file (not a notation on the transcript) and the penalty is decided by the professor (lower grade, failing the class). For the third instance of academic dishonesty, the student must take a semester off from the university. At all stages, the student may take the incident before the academic honesty board. I have never heard of expulsion of an undergraduate but ofc it might happen without me knowing about it. (graduates are a different story - you are one and done at that level and all cases go before the board).
I’m sorry your child is stressed and upset. You seem focused on her disabilities, but the fact is that using AI, disability or not, is the issue. It seems she was aware she wasn’t allowed to use AI.
I hope at least when she goes to the hearing she expresses remorse. So many students have all kinds of struggles others know nothing about. She is an adult now and needs to learn how to cope with whatever struggles she has. She won’t get a pass with an employer.
She has hopefully learned a valuable lesson and as it’s a first violation, she will perhaps get off lightly. At the very least, she should acknowledge her wrongdoing to the committee and outline the steps she will take to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
There is a lot of good advice here. Good luck to her.
I also agree with @ProfSD on this. I would not get a lawyer at this point, and would not make the daughter even more upset by overreacting.
My kid is a professor at a large U and with the first offense, education is the focus. Not punishment. Yes with repeated infractions things can get more serious.
I would also clarify the policy on AI. I would not assume the professor is up on that.
As for embarrassment and wanting to be “normal.” I have dealt with this with two kids, one with ADHD and bipolar 1 and one with serious chronic health issues. Apart from embarrassment, kids don’t want any “favors” and fail to understand the concept of a “level playing field.”
Is your child refusing to use accommodations? Does she have adequate accommodations and support? In a case like this, a kid will take the route of cheating (if this was cheating, which I do not know) because either they aren’t getting or they aren’t using supports that should be available. Look to the root cause so it doesn’t happen again. (Is she thinking of going back to art?)
And try to remain calm so your kid won’t worry too much. Chances are the policy on AI will be clarified and she will be referred for education on academic honesty. Talking about a lawyer will escalate her worry and probably escalate things with the university, since it implies serious consequences that may not even happen.
Thank you all for the feedback. We did engage a lawyer that agreed with most of you that since it was her first offense she would not likely face suspension or expulsion. She admitted the infraction and wrote the professor a letter of apply. Unfortunately, the punishment is an automatic F in the class. I don’t know if the reason for the F will be indicated on the transcript. She actually takes the final on the class tomorrow. She is still studying to prove to herself if nothing else that she can pass it.
Has anyone be able to explain an F to a future school? She is taking a gap year so I hope she can get references from her therapist, her boss and her community college teachers (remedial courses) that she is ready for the responsibility again.
While I agree kids get F’s, not all F’s are due to academic dishonesty. Different schools will weigh the offense and reasons differently, but in the big picture OP’s D will find another school to land at (OP’s D should apply to a wide range of schools, and some that take the vast majority of applicants.) Any additional thoughts beyond what you shared above @hanna?