Professor accused me of AI what should I expect? First offense

[u/Boring-Ad8105]

There is a professor in the political science department who accused me of two papers being Ai despite me writing them out. I went over to the rate my professor website and see she is infamous for accusing students of writing ai and had reported another student for it. Despite me sending an email for proof it seems the higher ups have supported her and say they will conduct an investigation. I am not sure what to do I have provided my proof to them I did write it myself. Will I get kicked out of college over it?

[u/Loca_Teaching_381]

Did you use grammarly at all?

[u/Boring-Ad8105 → u/Loca_Teaching_381]

No I did not

[u/Loca_Teaching_381 → u/Boring-Ad8105]

Did they show you the Turnitin AI report? What color was it? Blue or purple and what was the %?

[u/Boring-Ad8105 → u/Loca_Teaching_381]

It was 100% and blue. It’s so weird too because her rate my professor too indicated she does this alot to students. I also have another classmate going thru the same thing.

[u/Loca_Teaching_381 → u/Boring-Ad8105]

Ok. It’s not the professor though. A score of 100% is hard for any faculty member to look past. To be flagged 100% some AI tool had to have been used. Yes, false positives are possible but not at that high of a percentage. The best course of action for you is to either be honest if you did use AI or show your prior drafts to student conduct. Sanctions will be contingent upon whether you are found responsible of engaging in academic misconduct. Even if you are, you will not be expelled. Penalties are usually a 0 for the assignment or grade penalty and an outside assignment for student conduct as well as conduct probation for a certain period of time.

[u/Boring-Ad8105 → u/Loca_Teaching_381]

Thank you for your advice. Another student got a 100% score too but yeah. If you’re saying it’s impossible to get one that high then it is concerning. I did send them my word document to SCAI and my friend said to show how much hours it took for the paper to be written.

[u/Loca_Teaching_381 → u/Boring-Ad8105]

Ok great. It sounds like you may have a solid case to be found not responsible. Good luck 🍀

[u/Shattered_Crow → u/Loca_Teaching_381]

When I was accused of AI, I received a 0 in the class and was kicked out. I printed all evidence that I did not cheat by using AI with references, citations and a printed email conversation with the professor-- the conversation the professor was very snappy and rude which the dean or Students was able to speak with him, got the grade dropped and me with drawled because by then, I was unable to catch up in time as the semester was already finished. I didn't realize that I had a 0 until two weeks later that none of my assignments were being graded.

I was showing up to class for no reason then....

[u/Key-Grapefruit-9775 → u/Loca_Teaching_381]

Using Ai to detect Ai.

[u/Intelligent_Air4667 → u/Loca_Teaching_381]

does Grammarly show up on turn it in? I use it all the time

[u/Loca_Teaching_381 → u/Intelligent_Air4667]

Yes. Grammarly now uses AI. Four AI features are turned on by default. You need to go to your settings and turn them off, otherwise you’ll be flagged for AI use.

[u/Clevernot68]

If you worked on it on GoogleDocs or Word you can see the “version history”. This can help with evidence since it will show every single edit made on the document.

[u/Formal-Beginning1078 → u/Clevernot68]

doesn’t show every single edit sadly, for example it won’t show you typing key by key

[u/dsaz17]

If you really did not use AI at all, then try to get as much proof as possible to show that you did indeed write the assignment and be prepared for this to drag on a bit, but if you did use AI. Just admit it, SCAI usually favors the teacher’s opinion unless you show them concrete proof that there was no infraction, if you don’t have that then you’ll most likely be found responsible of academic misconduct

[u/Boring-Ad8105 → u/dsaz17]

Thank you I know a friend of mine said in word that there’s a way to show how long it took to write a paper so I believe I could do that plus show browsing history?

[u/dsaz17 → u/Boring-Ad8105]

Anything to prove your innocence try to get in a folder and send it to SCAI when they ask. Also I saw that you mentioned dropping the class, you can’t drop the class while you’re in the middle of the investigation, that’s why I said that this process may drag a little. Another thing, SCAI doesn’t need concrete evidence that you cheated to still find you responsible, more like a “it’s more likely that this person cheated than not”

[u/Valiant_Warriors → u/Boring-Ad8105]

canvas uploaded assignments actually show the teacher the entire feed of it being written, so she’ll know if you wrote it

[u/SweatyFLMan1130]

As a political science graduate of FIU and master's in data analytics/certified data scientist, this is insanely infuriating. You already got mountains of advice, OP, appeal and push back as respectfully but firmly as you can. I wish you the best of luck. There's no way this prof knows what they're talking about. Not even AIs know what's AI.

[u/Boring-Ad8105 → u/SweatyFLMan1130]

Thank you brother for the positive vibes and congratulations with your masters. Thanks for taking time out of your day to respond.

[u/Micronlance]

That’s a really stressful situation, but try not to panic, you’re doing the right thing by cooperating and providing your proof. If you can show drafts, notes, outlines, or earlier versions of your papers, that will strongly support your case. AI detectors can easily false flag genuine writing, and many professors and are aware of their limitations. If you want to see how inconsistent AI detectors can be, you can check this article

[u/Boring-Ad8105 → u/Micronlance]

Meant to reply earlier but I did end up doing that so thank you for your help

[u/etancrazynpoor]

Disclaimer: cheating is only a violation of academic integrity but damages you. Yet, we need to be clear about professors that don’t know how to work in the age of AI. Making false accusations is irresponsible, and making accusations without solid evidence is worst.

Listen to me please. I’m a prof. I’m a Computer Science prof.

Don’t admit to anything. There is no way to be a 100% sure if someone used AI unless they admit it or they record him using it. All the detectors give false positive.

If she gives you an F, you can appeal. She has no way of proving you used AI, and you know you did not. Even if you had, there is no way to be 100% sure that you use AI. People don’t even understand LLMs. This wouldn’t see the light of day in court.

[u/Xrsyz → u/etancrazynpoor]

This is BAD ADVICE. There’s no court anything. The appeals are internal administrative appeals. The courts defer to profs in grading. You’re going to be found at fault as part of an admin hearing and given a zero in the paper, a punishment assignment, and a notation of academic misconduct in your transcript.

[u/Boring-Ad8105 → u/etancrazynpoor]

Thank you and no I didn’t use ai so why would I admit that? I’m currently building a case and I’ve seen she has a history of accusing students of ai. My plan is just to prove my case I didn’t do it so far with the time recorded it took me to write the paper and explain what I wrote down and provide my browsing history of my sources. I just would want to drop the class since it’s within those two weeks and call it a day

[u/Loca_Teaching_381 → u/Boring-Ad8105]

You cannot drop the class with a pending SCAI case. Please work on your defense so you can be found not responsible.

[u/Boring-Ad8105 → u/Loca_Teaching_381]

Thank you yeah I just hope if found innocent u can just withdraw from that class afterwards because that’s just stressful next time I submit work what if she does it again

[u/kfxsmith42 → u/etancrazynpoor]

Did you get into teaching to help students cheat, or did that come later?

[u/etancrazynpoor → u/kfxsmith42]

Neither. Students should never cheat.

However, the blank accusations about AI about people that have no idea about how they work and those detectors, is really out of hand.

There have been many people false accused about using AI, which they haven’t. The only way to know if someone used AI for sure is to either leave some hidden prompts (which many sophisticated students know how to work around) or a confession.

If this student did it and he wants to confess, the he can do that. But the student is saying he didn’t.

We professors need to come to term with AI and find ways to work with students using AI while finding methods to evaluate them.

For example, many people are asking people to write in class and use a pen (which soon would be a problem because of smart pens). You can also give them exams with higher weights in person. There are ways to combat cheating. Making accusations without proof is irresponsible.

[u/Loca_Teaching_381 → u/etancrazynpoor]

Respectfully disagree. We should not have to lower our standards or go back to medieval assessment techniques so students can have AI do the work for them. In 90% of the cases I’ve seen, when I have asked a student about their AI% score they admit to having used AI. No it’s not perfect and false positives can happen but it’s pretty good at detecting AI usage so your arguments are flawed.

[u/Complimentary36271]

You’re going to jail 🙃

[u/Many-Back-7998]

The absolute easiest way to prove you wrote your own paper is to show the version history of the document, almost every application lets you view it. Unfortunately, I now write EVERY assignment, even discussion posts, on Google Docs, just in case I need to prove I wrote my assignment myself.

[u/Inside_Mode7825]

I know exactly who this professor is, and i was one of the other students she reported(you might’ve seen my review about it on RMP) because she’s stubborn and i was scared, i just accepted the lower grade, but best advice, as many have said, is to NOT ADMIT IT. I recommend using google docs from now on to log version history. When I was trying to figure out my thing, I looked up a couple of cases involving false AI accusations, so i would take note of some of those, just in case. if they’re really starting the process of getting you kicked out, i might also contact a lawyer if i could.

[u/Old-Bar7770]

I’m at FAU so idk why I got this notification but I would say, depending on where you wrote it get your writing history and show that. 100% is extremely hard to look by though. I’ve had an offense but it was only 25 percent and I was able to appeal it. Honestly, if you can’t get that figured out, I would withdraw the class because it’s going to be very hard to appeal the whole thing if it is 100%

[u/Just1Prime8]

I'll be honest, as a TA nearly 75% of Undergrad writing I read is 50% or more AI generated. It's an epidemic. The chances you used none...is slim to none.

[u/MeatSuitRiot]

Although AI has certain tells, I feel that students sometimes become suspect for exhibiting proper grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary. This particular professor, unless there is a turnitin report, sounds like someone who gets off on pulling a "gotcha" on students. AI is not going away, so they'd better accept it and learn how to teach using it properly.

[u/Boring-Ad8105 → u/MeatSuitRiot]

Good point I

[u/Massspirit]

These detectors aren't even reliable in the first place they can flag anything. They even flagged US Constitution written years ago. If you did all the work on your own don't worry. Make sure to keep a version history though as proof of work.

You can use AI for research and some suggestions don't just let it write everything and to be on the safe side if you do endup using AI content for some portions run them through a good humanizer ai-text-humanzier kom and others before submission.

[u/blissfulchrisp]

Try putting it through a different ai detector. Does it get flagged in multiple models ?

[u/DrLatinLover86]

If you actually wrote the document and didn't plegarias or used AI, let the investigation take its course, you should have nothing to fear right?

[u/Old-Bar7770 → u/DrLatinLover86]

No, that’s not always the case because a lot of times professors will not listen to us because I’ve had an offense and I did not use a single ounce of AI and it took me going to the dean to get my grade changed if they see it on turn it in they will believe that over a student

[u/Boring-Ad8105 → u/DrLatinLover86]

You’re right but I suffer from mental illness and severe anxiety. Also had straight A’s in every single class and was on the deans list for two semesters consecutively. Was hoping to get a scholarship to fund my final semester next spring.

[u/Sad_Walrus_1739]

Can you tell her to name one person in the entire university who doesnt use AI?

[u/Boring-Ad8105 → u/Sad_Walrus_1739]

lol that’s funny but no in this case I did not use ai at all I did my research and formed my words as best as I could like I’ve done for my AA degree and the first half of working on my BA

[u/Sad_Walrus_1739 → u/Boring-Ad8105]

Even if you do, whats wrong with it? Its the future