Case #615

DATE: April 29, 2011
PARTIES: University of Toronto v. S.A.


Hearing Date(s): March 22, 2011

Panel Members:
Roslyn Tsao, Chair
Professor Markus Bussman, Faculty Member
Melvin Sert, Student Member

Appearances:
Robert Centa, Assistant Discipline Counsel for the University
Nadia Meli, DLS for the Student

In Attendance:
S.A., the Student
Lucy Gaspini, Academic Affairs Officer, UTM

Trial Division – s. B.I.1(d); s. B.I.1(a); s. B.I.1(f); s. B.I.3(b) of Code – plagiarism – altered Turnitin submission – concocted sources – Agreed Statement of Facts– guilty plea – guilty plea accepted – Joint Submission on Penalty – Joint Submission on Penalty accepted  -  final grade of zero in the Courses; four-year suspension; notation on transcript until the earlier of Student’s graduation or nine years and four months; and report to Provost 

Student charged with seven offences under s. B.I.1(d),  s. B.I.1(a), s. B.I.1(f), and s. B.I.3(b) of the Code. The charges related to the allegations that the Student plagiarized two essays, concocted sources, and altered an electronic submission of the two essays to disguise the fact she committed plagiarism. The Student pled guilty to five charges. The University withdrew the two charges under s.B.I.3(b). A Panel member noted that they recognized the Student from campus, but had no direct knowledge or had no direct contact with the Student. Neither the University nor the Student objected to this matter. The matter proceeded on an Agreed Statements of Facts. The Panel accepted the Student’s guilty plea. The matter then proceeded on a Joint Submission on Penalty. The Panel accepted the Joint Submission on Penalty and imposed a final grade of zero in the courses, a four-year suspension, a notation on the Student’s transcript to last nine years and four months or until graduation, whichever should occur earlier, and that a report to the Provost be issued.