Library Management Florida State University Dr. Kim's Class Summer 2010
There are two issues which are being addressed here. The situations which occurred in group 1 and group 2 may be related tangentially but are overall very different. The issue in Group 1 is: "plagiarism," the issue in Group 2 is: "group exclusion."
Group 1: "Plagiarism"
I was initially in Group 1. A group I had been assigned to. I offered to write up my opinion on a class ethics assignment and I posted my original opinion to a the Group 1 wiki. The other group members copied what I wrote. They copied entire paragraphs, but never felt the need to give me attribution for any of my work. However, they did give themselves credit for their contributions, which were based almost verbatim on what I contributed. The group members also thought that it was fine to attribute what I wrote to other people and organizations.
Nobody helps me write. I live alone. I study alone. I do my assignments alone. I am a healthy independent adult who is working hard to earn a Master's degree in library and information science at Florida State University (F.S.U.). This is one of my last classes and my last semester in the Master's program at F.S.U.. All I have to do is pass this class with an "A" and then I can get a job in my field, or continue to study somewhere else. Up until 7-7-2010, I had an "A" in the class. I have a perfect 4.0 G. P.A. in the F.S.U. library and information science program. I have received a letter of recommendation from almost every professor who has taught me in the program. I voluntarily wrote a thesis for my Master's Degree as well. My major professor agreed to work with me again, when I was accepted to the Specialist's program at F.S.U. for Fall 2010, which is also a program in the school of library and information science.
I am hurt and startled by what has been happening in this library and management class at F.S.U. (summer 2010). I have attended several universities in Florida (University of Florida, Santa Fe Community College, Keiser College) and in Georgia (Agnes Scott College). No one has ever stolen my work before. I had a class which highlighted the issue of "plagiarism" at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida. Professors at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida always stressed the need to document sources and to provide attribution. As previously stated, I voluntarily wrote a thesis at F.S.U. while I was enrolled in the library and information science program. My major professor at F.S.U. stressed the fact that my references and citations needed to be as close to perfect as humanly possible.
In addition, I also took classes at F.S.U. as an undergraduate. I always documented my sources, nobody has ever stolen my academic work before. No professor I know of anywhere, who is required to "publish or perish" would approve of someone stealing their work and not giving them proper credit. It is unfortunate that my fellow classmates in Group 1 were unable to produce their own original thoughts. I strongly recommend they apply to a different Master's program after having done some serious review of the issue of "plagiarism." Information about the serious nature of "plagiarism is available in the F.S.U. student handbook and is written in to the F.S.U. student honor code. The F.S.U. student handbook and the F.S.U. honor code documents, are easily accessible online, through the F.S.U. website. It is important that students really understand why they should not to steal anyone's work.
Professor Dr. Kim's Response to the Plagiarism Issue:
After what occurred in Group 1, I requested to be able to work independently. Dr. Kim stated that I would be allowed to work alone, however, my grade would be lowered. I did not think that was fair, because it was not my fault that the work had been taken and "plagiarised" by the other students in Group 1, however, I agreed to work alone. Dr. Kim agreed that I could work alone. Then she changed her mind in a following email. She said that I should learn to work in a group. Ordinarily, I have no difficulty working in groups. I have done so many times before. I have worked in many groups in the F.S.U. Master's program, and I have had a great deal of experience working in groups, prior to my admission to the F.S.U. Master's program. Dr. Kim, then, moved me into Group 2. She said that Group 2 members were friendly and that they had agreed to work with me. I was reluctant to join Group 2, because of what occurred with the students who were in Group 1 with me, however, I felt as though I had no choice in the subject.
Group 2: "Group Exclusion"
Group 2 sent me friendly emails welcoming me to the group. I was still hurt because of what happened in Group 1, but I thought that I would try to trust again. I began writing emails to Group 2 members to find out when the group meetings would be held. Group 2 members initially responded to me emails. Then Group 2 members responded that all correspondence needed to be held on the Group 2 discussion board D.B. on the group Blackboard site. I then posted to the group D.B. and inquired as to when the next Group 2 meeting would be held.
I went to the next Group 2 meeting that the members confirmed was going to be held. Nobody showed up. I wrote another message to see when the next group meeting would be held. There was a class which occurred on 6-28-2010. I went to class then I went directly to meet with my fellow Group 2 members, class was not officially over, and that particular Group 2 meeting was a required part of the 6-28-2010 class. Only one person showed up. We spoke. We both made guesses as to where the other Group 2 members were. We both waited for a while, spoke a little more, then left. To the best of my knowledge Group 2 members did not meet on 6-28-2010, after class, again, without me.
I inquired into when the next Group 2 meeting was going to be held. I was told when the next Group 2 meeting was going to be. I went to the next Group 2 meeting. No one at all showed up. I checked back into the group D.B. to see what, if anything, had occurred to my fellow group members. A Group 2 member apologized for his absence (only) and made an excuse, then gave me another date and time for the next Group 2 meeting. By this time there were only a few days left until the first Group 2 assignment was due. My posts to the D.B. had not been answered sufficiently.
At the next meeting, I attempted to disengage myself from Group 2. They insisted that I stay. I acted as CEO for Group 2. My fellow Group 2 members missed the agreed upon meetings and not me. It was my understanding from the class chat, and from correspondence from Dr. Kim, that assigning roles was permissible if other group members failed to show up at the meetings. I redid parts of the final project. I gave myself credit for my contributions, which none of the other group members had done on the initial submission 7-7-2010, which was approved by Dr. Kim via email. I then turned the assignment again, for a second time on 7-9-2010, prior to the due date/time through the Blackboard assignment submission link.
Professor Dr. Kim's Response:
Dr. Kim blocked me from accessing the Group 2 Blackboard site. However, she never moved me into another group, or acknowledged the fact that the other Group 2 members stated that they no longer wished to work with me. Dr. Kim took a very private issue and made it very public, by creating a separate discussion area on the class D.B. about what occurred regarding the "plagiarism issue" and Group 1 and the "group exclusion" which occurred in Group 2. Dr. Kim expected the students to participate in the discussion, about the two separate incidents, on the class D.B. .
I objected, I sent a Dean a message and stated that Dr. Kim was placing the students in the library management class in a very uncomfortable position. I believe that Dr. Kim is abusing what little power she has, to try and persuade the class to believe, that she handled both incidents correctly. I disagree. She mishandled both situations, and should not be allowed to teach in the F.S.U. library and information science program.
Dr. Kim is not familiar with the rules, available in the student handbook and student honor code, pertaining to "plagiarism." Dr. Kim, was not concerned at all about what my final grade in the class would be, or how I would receive credit for my contributions to the group assignments, even though I did the majority of the work for Group 1 and I contributed a great deal to the Group 2 assignments submitted (7-7-2010/7-9-2010) as well. Dr. Kim was not concerned about the fact that the Group 2 members, habitually missed agreed upon meeting times as well, even those assigned by her, which were incorporated into the class period, and which were required for class participation.
Class participation, was listed in the class syllabus, as a graded part of the class, that could not be missed, or a student's grade would be reduced. I never missed a class or a Group 1 or Group 2 meetings, however, I am well aware of the fact that many of the other students that I worked with in Dr. Kim's class this semester missed both. I was prevented from attending class the 10th week of class by Dr. Kim. Dr. Kim still had not written me back regarding my request to work independently and Dr. Kim did not move me in to a Group 3, she simply would not allow me to attend class.
I copied the transcripts from the class that I was not allowed to attend, so that I could keep abreast of what was occurring in the class. Then Dr.Kim removed my link to the class which was posted on my Blackboard web page, and I could no longer access the class at all. The students sounded stressed out in the transcript from the class that I was not able to attend. I hope that they were assigned a different instructor for the remainder of this semester (summer 2010).
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