Is it reasonable to report another student for cheating when it has no impact on me?

Question

I currently am studying on an Undergraduate Maths course, in my third year. At my university there are various modules from which students can pick to make up the required number of credits for the year.

5/6 of my circle of friends take a particular (popular) module which I do not. Recently, they had a piece of coursework due for submission. They had about two weeks to do it, and the submission deadline has now passed.

One of the students, with whom I am friends, has informed me that she took pictures of her answers and gave them to another student (with whom I am not friends) three hours before the deadline, because that student had done little/no work and was going to fail. This was not a group piece of coursework, and she essentially gave the other student her answers.

I'm not entirely sure why I'm so upset about this, considering I don't take that module and it has nothing to do with me. I have my personal opinions about the student, but I feel like that shouldn't be relevant to the situation.

I do want to report this as cheating, but I'm also well aware that it's effectively hearsay. None of the others of my friends (who do take the module and who are also aware of this incident happening) has reported it.

I'm wondering whether it may even be out of line for me to report this incident, given that I have absolutely no evidence in my possession of what happened, and I do not take the module, and I wasn't involved in any way.

Is it appropriate in these circumstances to report what I've heard to the lecturer of the module?

Answer 1

As others have already mentioned, cheating is wrong and it's the right thing to speak up when someone commits a wrong. It may also indirectly affect you when someone cheats (eg. through grade inflation).

However, by reporting the cheater you are also implicating your friend who passed on the photos and facilitated the cheating. Your friend might feel upset (and perhaps rightly so) that you didn't put your friendship above some general (and perhaps minor) moral obligation. I caution that your obligation to report is not unconditional in the sense that you have to accept a disadvantage for yourself, such as a spoiled friendship. Moreover, I would argue that you also have an obligation of loyalty towards your friend; whether or not that 'trumps' your obligation to report depends on how close your relationship is.

Answer 2

Plagiarism may not affect you directly in this course but doing nothing increases the likelihood it will affect you in another course.

As a result of doing little or no work in one course, this student can possibly invest more time in another course in which you are also registered, thereby affecting your comparative level of performance.

Now... there is a caveat here: getting photos from someone is not plagiarism in itself. There is nothing to prevent students from looking at posts on SE for hints or indications on how to proceed with solving a problem.

The situation you describe becomes a plagiarism situation when the work submitted by a person is not his/hers, and when this person gets credit for this work without properly acknowledging the source of this work.

You should report what you saw through the appropriate channels, but stay away from accusations and keep in mind that the recipient may not have used the information.

Answer 3

The question of morality–is it right or wrong–that you pose is one that can only be determined by you. Some people might give you the opinion that it's never right to, for example, break the law; others are more lenient with exceptions. Ultimately, it is an exercise for you to discover your "moral compass."

In terms of the practicality of doing the report. No, it is not out of line for you to report. However, keep in mind that cheating is a very severe matter in most universities and your allegations will (or should) prompt the professor to conduct an investigation. It is likely that your professor will have to involve your friend (who took the pictures) both to uncover the student who took advantage of the answers, as well as her for facilitating them. The results of the investigation will depend on the approach your professor takes. If he/she is able to simply deduct that cheating occurred by looking at the two submissions, then perhaps you won't have to sit through a student conduct committee. However, if more evidence is required, be ready to testify against them in front of a committee (if your school utilizes one for such violations).

Finally, as mentioned in one of the comments, the impact of their academic integrity violation does affect you. In the long run, it can impact the quality of the course, the perception of your undergraduate program, etc.

Answer 4

As faculty members, we know that cheating is an ongoing problem - both for in-person courses and online courses. The reasons for students cheating vary, but it's frustrating for faculty.

I imagine other students' cheating bothers you, because you completed the work yourself and cheating overall compromises the integrity of the class. I agree with the comment stated earlier that if cheating is widespread, then students aren't leaving the course or degree program adequately prepared. In time, this can undermined the quality associated with your program.

That being said, you have observed academic dishonesty - it is not hearsay when someone admits to you that she shared her work with another student. You do not need testimony from the third party for this to be an observed case of cheating.

Most university Academic Honesty Codes do require students to report cases of dishonesty. That being said, the faculty member may not realize that his or her course has assignments or assessments where students can easily cheat. If you are unclear about the overall situation, you may explain to your professor that you believe that cheating could be a problem, but are not 100% sure. Then, it would be the faculty member's role to evaluate and take action for what is happening in the class. I'm sorry that this other student put you in this predicament.