Since this site went on-line in September 2008, I have experienced more disturbing issues in the last few years, suggesting that problems with academic integrity and research misconduct at McGill are only becoming worse. Rather than confront the issues, the administration persists in punishing the whistleblowers. These issues will be publicized in due course.
jcooperstock@gmail.com
Note that if you're a McGill employee and don't wish your message to
be seen by our administration, you might want to consider using a
non-McGill email yourself.
it's not just mcgill
(and not just the students)
Queen's buried evidence of professor's research misconduct
Manitoba awarded Ph.D. degree despite student with "exam anxiety" not passing exam
A detailed history of events and correspondence from 2007 and 2008 are also available. As can be seen here, if you want to try to maintain academic integrity at McGill, you may need to invest a little bit of effort...
February 15: student submits electronic version of assignment #2
(two days late) along with explanation that he has been sick since
February 11; attached is a doctor's note dated February 15 that states
the student said he missed classes on February 13 because of his
sickness
February 22 (?): student asks me during class whether I received
his assignment; I confirm, and indicate that it will be subject to the
late submission penalty
March 6: student complains about receiving mark of 8/20 on
assignment #2 "which is not possible after the amount of work i put
into this assignment and on top of that being sick and not being able
to submit or even finish on time"
March 23: the Faculty Administrator, contacts me
regarding the late penalty on assignment #2
March 26: my TAs inform me of plagiarism and non-functioning code
related to assignment
#3, involving the same student and one other; I instruct them to mark the work as if
there was no evidence of plagiarism and I bring this to the attention of
the Faculty Administrator
April 4: after a request from the Faculty Administrator, the TAs
annotate the two assignments to indicate their similarities, both in
the code and graphs; these annotated copies are provided to the
Faculty Administrator
April 16: final examination held; I grade all exams "blind"
(without noting the students' names on the cover), marking each
question in turn for the entire class, then shuffling randomly to
ensure that exams are not seen in the same order for each question
April 22: following the end of the course, the Faculty Administrator
requests that I calculate two possible grades for the two students
(with and without a penalty of "0" for assignment #3, and
in the meantime, to submit a grade of "K" (incomplete); for the
student in question, both outcomes lead to a failing grade (37% or
43%, respectively)
April 24, May 2, May 8: I am contacted three times by the ECE Department and
the Faculty of Engineering to justify the submission of a grade of "K"
for one of the students
April 28: the student begins sending a series of belligerent
emails, requesting a meeting to "discuss the marks i got over the
entire semester"
April 29: the student writes that "... you accused me of cheating
remember? Well now that the Senior Faculty Administrator has dismissed that ( for good reason)
i would like to meet with you."
April 29: I query the Faculty Administrator as to whether this is really
the case; the Faculty Administrator offers a partial denial
April 30: I investigate the submissions of assignment #2 and
notice large sections of identical code between the same two students;
again, I bring this to the attention of the Faculty Administrator
April 30 - May 11: the Faculty Administrator requests a statistical
comparison of the code, copies of the electronic submissions for other
students in the class, copies of the assignment questions, and further
information regarding the breakdown of grades; each of these is
provided
May 12: I request a meeting with my Senior Departmental Administrator to discuss
an entirely separate matter; I send follow-up requests on May 14, May
22, May 23 and June 5, but the Senior Departmental Administrator is too busy to meet
May 16: the Departmental Administrator asks if I could meet
with the student earlier than I had already indicated was possible,
suggesting that the student can graduate if he is given a pass in my
course
May 16: following further correspondence, the Faculty Administrator
responds, "After a very thorough review with both students I have
acquitted both of all charges."
May 23: I raise these issues at our deparmental meeting,
providing extracts of the plagiarized sections of assignment #3 for my
colleagues to view; at the suggestion of my colleagues, I raise the
issue of academic integrity in an email to my Senior Faculty Administrator, copied to my
Senior Departmental Administrator
May 31: as no response has arrived, I resend the previous email
June 7: the Senior Faculty Administrator responds, adving me "to consult with your
Senior Departmental Administrator and/or the University Administrator on any course of action
that you consider."
June 7: I am summoned by my Senior Departmental Administrator for an urgent meeting to discuss the student's grades; the administrator
promises me that "you will be intimately involved in every step of the
process with respect to a grade change from the 'K' to something
else. I give you my word on this. Furthermore, your opinion will be
solicited as to what that 'K' will become"
June 8: at the suggestion of my Senior Departmental Administrator, I again write
the Senior Faculty Administrator, requesting a meeting; the Senior Faculty Administrator instructs me to contact his
secretary
June 10: I contact the Senior Faculty Administrator's secretary to request a scheduling
of the meeting
June 14 or 15: I telephone the Senior Faculty Administrator's secretary as follow-up
regarding the meeting; she stammers "the Senior Faculty Administrator... hasn't indicated
his availability yet... I'll... let you know... once I've spoke to
him" and seems eager to get off the phone
June 19: I am asked to supply materials for regrading of the
student's assignment #2 and final examination
June 25: the Faculty Administrator asks me to confirm the student's
grade "not accounting for penalties in Assignments 2 and 3 for
plagiarism."; I respond, reminding him of the promise I received from
my Senior Departmental Administrator
June 27: I am made aware that the student's grade was changed to
a 'D' (pass)
June 28: I contact the University Administrator for advice as to how to proceed, given what has just transpired
July 4: I am summoned to the office of my Senior Faculty Administrator, charged with disclosing confidential information
July 18: I am formally reprimanded by my Senior Faculty Administrator
August 21: the Senior Faculty Administrator orders a systems manager to retrieve my private computer files from backup tapes, all in total secrecy
August 27: I write the Senior University Administrator, requesting a meeting to discuss my concerns
September 4: I meet with the Senior University Administrator, but throughout the meeting,
get the sense that we're speaking different languages; the reason for
this is made clear once I see the email from another
University Administrator
September 25: the Faculty Administrator
refuses to explain the
rationale for his awarding additional marks to the student's final
examination and plagiarized assignment
September 24: the Senior Departmental Administrator breaks his silence
September 25: at the Electrical and Computer Engineering
departmental meeting, I call for the Senior Departmental Administrator to step down given his handling of this matter
2008
February 7 and 14: a grievance hearing takes place regarding the Senior Faculty Administrator's access to my private computer files
March 11: the grievance committee concludes that the Senior Faculty Administrator was justified in his actions (note: while this may seem unbelievable to most readers, it is currently par for the course at McGill)
April 8: Senate discusses the issue of access to private computer files
May 14: my Department Administrator calls on me to turn over all copies of an assignment for re-grading, without my having received an actual re-grading request from the student concerned
August 6: almost three months after I challenged the validity of this request under McGill regulations, the Department Administrator refuses to tell me whether such a request has been made of anyone else, claiming that he will not respond until the Faculty Administrator responds, the latter was silent on the matter for two months
