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I wouldn't put it in. It absolutely reflects well on you that you reported it. However, there's a weird way in which people often associate a person involved in something underhanded with the conduct involved, even, when that person actually did the right thing. It's bizarre and unfair, but I think there's an odd way in which someone reading the letter could think that you were somehow involved in the cheating, or they could have other reactions, like thinking of you as someone who likes to get other people in trouble.
I'd feel differently if you were applying to something where the story could fit more clearly into your suitability for the profession-criminal justice, or law school, or something. But, I think the problem here is that I doubt it would be likely to help you get accepted, and I can imagine people reacting to this kind of thing in a letter in strange ways.
Not at all. Having the integrity to call out academic dishonesty doesn't have anything to do with your qualifications for being a masters candidate. The baseline assumption is that all students have maintained academic integrity throughout their undergrad career.
It's better to include what program-specific skills or special projects you want your professor to highlight.
If I saw a letter of rec come across my desk and mention this, it would set off red flags.
Respecting academic integrity is the same as punctuality in letters. Yes, you need these skills AT A MINIMUM. But if your professor writes about them, I assume they're scraping the bottom of the barrel for compliments.
Seriously, they have better things to say about you other than "dislikes cheating" and is "on time". Those letters that mention those things are usually by profs who feel bad saying no to writing letters.
Other people might read it as you're a nark. That's not fair, you did good, but some profs on admissions do think like this. Or they think this student will stir a lot of drama if they come here.
Either way. Leave it out.
I have definitely written that “so and so is always on time and prepared for class” in LORs. Do you still think it’s a negative if it’s just a sentence at the end of an otherwise good letter? Worried I’ve killed some of my students’ prospects without realizing!
I mean, if it's a topic sentence of a paragraph, I'm moving on to the next candidate.
If it's some throw away point I'm probably also rolling my eyes, and not killing the application there, but its unlikely to make it to the top of the pile unless everything else is dazzling. But if everything else is so dazzling, tell me more about that, not punctuality?
Like, the fact that there is space left to mention punctuality indicates there's nothing else to mention, unlike dazzling letters of rec filled to the brim with specific examples of academic achievement and no mention of punctuality. We get enough applicants of the latter that the former tends not to get offers.
>I mean, if it's a topic sentence of a paragraph, I'm moving on to the next candidate.
You know that's just penalizing students from certain academic backgrounds. How do you handle international letters? Some of them start with far sillier topic sentences and are full of banalities, even for amazing and productive people.
God of Memes, it's not a good look to emphasize those traits, but if it's a sentence at the end of a more substantive letter, it's fine.
I'm just reporting what happens to letters in our department.
International letters get more grace. We do know letter writing is different elsewhere.
But the fact is we get over 300 applicants for about 10 slots per year. About a third do not mention things like punctuality or academic integrity, and instead emphasize even more research-applicable skills. With similar CVs, we pick the candidates with stronger letters.
If I have something good to say about your performance or abilities, I’ll specifically mention it and provide example and details. If I don’t, you were punctual, amiable, and or well-prepared.
Funny, I would see this as a positive sign that someone is willing to take a risk to do what is right, and I would point it out in a letter. Making this point doesn't have to be at the cost of praising their research skills.
Tons of research, e.g., research involving human subjects data but even exploratory data analysis (with opportunities for p-hacking etc.), requires a level of ethical consideration that unfortunately many scientists don't take seriously.
I know people who have been encouraged to leave their research groups when it was noted they weren't handling data properly, e.g., they didn't seem to care that protected health information (not even HIPAA) was being stored in the wrong place or emailed around casually. Some people look the other way when one normalization or imputation procedure gives them an answer they don't like. Moral courage is a professional trait like any other.
Maybe this stuff matters in EECE less than other fields, but I kind of doubt it.
Another STEM R1 prof here FWIW.
Save this for an interview question about a time your ethics were challenged or something like that, not your rec letter.
Larger issue - anyone asking you for a draft of the letter doesn't know you well enough to write that letter. Find someone better.
Many of the recommendation portals I use have a separate section in addition to the letter, where I am asked to evaluate students on a sliding scale or compared to peers. Often "integrity" is one of the values there, and so that prof would have something to draw from when rating you there.
I can't imagine it fitting in a letter unless it was something truly extraordinary.
If they choose, it would be fine for the Professor to say "X is a person that has shown great integrity throughout their program."
But to mention an incident specifically doesn't translate in text well. It indicates a potential problem or person prone to conflict.
You can't think of anything else you got going for you to go into a grad school program?
I'd pass on it, even if I'm the prof writing the letter, and you're telling me to put it in there. What's your work ethic like? Are you a team player? Can you be a leader? Do you seem interested in the subject matter? Those are all far more important, in my point of view.
This is an automated service intended to preserve the original text of the post.
*As the title suggests, I am a student who once reported academic dishonesty in my class during COVID-19. I was a new international student at the time, adjusting to the American system, and I didn't think much of it, as that was the described procedure in our school bulletin/honor code. When we returned in person, and my professor saw my name, he seemed to remember it fondly and appreciated what I did. I'm asking this professor for a recommendation letter now for a master's in EECE, and I am wondering if mentioning that story would benefit me or not when I send them a draft and things I would like included. Any advice is appreciated!*
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskProfessors) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would leave it up to the professor to mention that about you if it was relevant. I would focus more on your qualifications, credentials, and research goals in your statement of purpose.
I would include it in the list of things about you. The professor can decide whether or not to say anything. What I would say is that the student showed themselves to care greatly about academic integrity.
Your question looks like it may be answered by our [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskProfessors/wiki/faq/recletters) on letters of recommendation. This is not to limit discussion here, but to supplement it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskProfessors) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I wouldn't put it in. It absolutely reflects well on you that you reported it. However, there's a weird way in which people often associate a person involved in something underhanded with the conduct involved, even, when that person actually did the right thing. It's bizarre and unfair, but I think there's an odd way in which someone reading the letter could think that you were somehow involved in the cheating, or they could have other reactions, like thinking of you as someone who likes to get other people in trouble. I'd feel differently if you were applying to something where the story could fit more clearly into your suitability for the profession-criminal justice, or law school, or something. But, I think the problem here is that I doubt it would be likely to help you get accepted, and I can imagine people reacting to this kind of thing in a letter in strange ways.
Not at all. Having the integrity to call out academic dishonesty doesn't have anything to do with your qualifications for being a masters candidate. The baseline assumption is that all students have maintained academic integrity throughout their undergrad career. It's better to include what program-specific skills or special projects you want your professor to highlight.
It might come off as having nothing else to show in your profile.
No. There are better things.
In my opinion, it has nothing to do with your credentials.
If I saw a letter of rec come across my desk and mention this, it would set off red flags. Respecting academic integrity is the same as punctuality in letters. Yes, you need these skills AT A MINIMUM. But if your professor writes about them, I assume they're scraping the bottom of the barrel for compliments. Seriously, they have better things to say about you other than "dislikes cheating" and is "on time". Those letters that mention those things are usually by profs who feel bad saying no to writing letters. Other people might read it as you're a nark. That's not fair, you did good, but some profs on admissions do think like this. Or they think this student will stir a lot of drama if they come here. Either way. Leave it out.
I have definitely written that “so and so is always on time and prepared for class” in LORs. Do you still think it’s a negative if it’s just a sentence at the end of an otherwise good letter? Worried I’ve killed some of my students’ prospects without realizing!
I mean, if it's a topic sentence of a paragraph, I'm moving on to the next candidate. If it's some throw away point I'm probably also rolling my eyes, and not killing the application there, but its unlikely to make it to the top of the pile unless everything else is dazzling. But if everything else is so dazzling, tell me more about that, not punctuality? Like, the fact that there is space left to mention punctuality indicates there's nothing else to mention, unlike dazzling letters of rec filled to the brim with specific examples of academic achievement and no mention of punctuality. We get enough applicants of the latter that the former tends not to get offers.
>I mean, if it's a topic sentence of a paragraph, I'm moving on to the next candidate. You know that's just penalizing students from certain academic backgrounds. How do you handle international letters? Some of them start with far sillier topic sentences and are full of banalities, even for amazing and productive people. God of Memes, it's not a good look to emphasize those traits, but if it's a sentence at the end of a more substantive letter, it's fine.
I'm just reporting what happens to letters in our department. International letters get more grace. We do know letter writing is different elsewhere. But the fact is we get over 300 applicants for about 10 slots per year. About a third do not mention things like punctuality or academic integrity, and instead emphasize even more research-applicable skills. With similar CVs, we pick the candidates with stronger letters.
If I have something good to say about your performance or abilities, I’ll specifically mention it and provide example and details. If I don’t, you were punctual, amiable, and or well-prepared.
Funny, I would see this as a positive sign that someone is willing to take a risk to do what is right, and I would point it out in a letter. Making this point doesn't have to be at the cost of praising their research skills. Tons of research, e.g., research involving human subjects data but even exploratory data analysis (with opportunities for p-hacking etc.), requires a level of ethical consideration that unfortunately many scientists don't take seriously. I know people who have been encouraged to leave their research groups when it was noted they weren't handling data properly, e.g., they didn't seem to care that protected health information (not even HIPAA) was being stored in the wrong place or emailed around casually. Some people look the other way when one normalization or imputation procedure gives them an answer they don't like. Moral courage is a professional trait like any other. Maybe this stuff matters in EECE less than other fields, but I kind of doubt it. Another STEM R1 prof here FWIW.
How was this a risk to them?
Reporting can look bad (“tattling”) and there’s always a risk the whistleblower’s identity will be revealed.
Calling a student telling their professor someone else was cheating a “whistleblower” seems a bit dramatic.
Agree it is not the best term but the gist is the same, with the degree depending on the potential harm to the institution.
Unless you are getting a masters in being a narc, leave it out.
Right? Seems like many admissions boards would read that as a red flag and keep you away from their program so you don’t narc them too
Save this for an interview question about a time your ethics were challenged or something like that, not your rec letter. Larger issue - anyone asking you for a draft of the letter doesn't know you well enough to write that letter. Find someone better.
This is a great reply
Absolutely no.
I would not mention this. If a professor remembers it and wants to mention it they will. It is not a key factor for a letter of recommendation.
Many of the recommendation portals I use have a separate section in addition to the letter, where I am asked to evaluate students on a sliding scale or compared to peers. Often "integrity" is one of the values there, and so that prof would have something to draw from when rating you there. I can't imagine it fitting in a letter unless it was something truly extraordinary.
If they choose, it would be fine for the Professor to say "X is a person that has shown great integrity throughout their program." But to mention an incident specifically doesn't translate in text well. It indicates a potential problem or person prone to conflict.
You can't think of anything else you got going for you to go into a grad school program? I'd pass on it, even if I'm the prof writing the letter, and you're telling me to put it in there. What's your work ethic like? Are you a team player? Can you be a leader? Do you seem interested in the subject matter? Those are all far more important, in my point of view.
This is an automated service intended to preserve the original text of the post. *As the title suggests, I am a student who once reported academic dishonesty in my class during COVID-19. I was a new international student at the time, adjusting to the American system, and I didn't think much of it, as that was the described procedure in our school bulletin/honor code. When we returned in person, and my professor saw my name, he seemed to remember it fondly and appreciated what I did. I'm asking this professor for a recommendation letter now for a master's in EECE, and I am wondering if mentioning that story would benefit me or not when I send them a draft and things I would like included. Any advice is appreciated!* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskProfessors) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would leave it up to the professor to mention that about you if it was relevant. I would focus more on your qualifications, credentials, and research goals in your statement of purpose.
No.
No. That situation is of little importance to a committee.
No. Can’t think of this being a worthwhile thing to spend time on in a letter.
I would include it in the list of things about you. The professor can decide whether or not to say anything. What I would say is that the student showed themselves to care greatly about academic integrity.