Top Five Mistakes When Dealing With Academic Misconduct: Legally Blind Justice Podcast Episode 33

Podcast Description: Legally Blind Justice – Tackling Academic Misconduct

Welcome to Legally Blind Justice, the podcast where we confront the toughest challenges facing students in their academic journey. Hosted by Tim Markley, Senior Director for Student Defense at K. Altman Law, this show provides essential insights and practical advice for navigating accusations of academic misconduct.

In today’s episode, we discuss academic misconduct: what it is, how accusations arise, and the top five mistakes students make when facing these allegations. Whether it’s plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, or self-citation issues, we guide you step-by-step through the process and offer strategies to protect your academic future.

Learn how to avoid common errors like overreacting, prematurely admitting guilt, ignoring university procedures, or attempting to face accusations alone. Discover how preparation, understanding your institution’s policies, and seeking the right support can make all the difference.

Tune in to hear real-life stories, actionable tips, and lessons that will empower you to handle academic misconduct accusations with confidence and integrity.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Success is determined on a case-by-case basis, and there is no representation that the services provided by K. Altman Law are superior to those of other attorneys.

Subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more students navigate these critical challenges! For additional resources, visit us at www.kaltmanlaw.com.

 

Show Transcript: This is an auto generated transcript and may contain errors.

This podcast is for information only and should not be considered legal advice. There is no representation that the legal services to be performed by LOCA are better than the services of other attorneys. There is no guarantee of the outcome. Success is rendered on a case-by-case basis. Welcome to the Legally Blind Justice podcast, the podcast where we tackle the toughest challenges facing students in their academic journey.

Today's episode is all about academic misconduct. What it is, how accusations arise, and, more importantly, what I consider the top five errors that students make when accused. I'm your host, Tim Markley, and I serve as the Senior Director for Student Defense at K. Altman Law. So whether it's a misunderstanding, an honest mistake, or a deliberate act, being accused of academic misconduct

can be overwhelming. But there's good news. With the right approach, you can navigate the process effectively. So we're going to break it down step by step so you'll be prepared if this ever happens to you. So stick around. This is an episode you don't want to miss. So, let's start with this. What is academic misconduct? On the surface, it might seem obvious. Cheating, plagiarism, like things like that. But in reality, it's much broader and includes a lot of gray area.

that students don't often think about. So the most common examples of academic misconduct include plagiarism, copying or paraphrasing someone else's work without proper attribution. That includes plagiarizing yourself by using older papers that you've done in a different class. It's cheating using unauthorized materials to collaborate on assignments meant to be done individually.

falsifying data, sources, or even research. And then facilitation, helping others commit misconduct, such as sharing completed assignments or old tests. And finally, contract cheating, paying or coercing someone to do your work for you. Now, beyond these, there are less obvious forms, like reusing your own work, which I mentioned above, such as self-plagiarism. Now I once knew a student who got flagged

for plagiarism because they included a sentence from a draft of their final essay, but they forgot to cite the original draft. They didn't even realize that self citation could be an issue. Now, this is something we see a lot with freshmen, first time college students and foreign students who are coming here from a different university system that has different citation rules. That's why it's important to understand your institution's

academic integrity policy because every school handles and defines it differently. Now, some schools have zero-tolerance policies, meaning even minor infractions can lead to suspension. Other schools are more lenient. They have a kind of first-strike policy with just a warning. So take the time to read those school policies at the beginning of every semester or if you're transferring schools

when you move to that new school. Knowing the rules can save you from unnecessary trouble. Now, you can typically find these rules in your student handbook or on the school's website. And this is all critical because there's an emotional impact to being accused of aca