Direct of Jude Collin’s
What, if any, other protests did the ACT NOW club organize following that?
They had several protests following that. But, namely, they held their largest protest against Honor Lock, which is a program that has been widely used at PCU ever since the pandemic hit.
Now, Mr. Collins, can you describe what such contracts contain?
This contract contains everything from tuition and possible fees to our health and safety policies. But most importantly, it contains our academic policies.
What is this?
This is the Student Contract for all of Palm Coast University. All of our applicants must agree before admission to our institution.
What is this?
This is the email which was sent out to all of our students before the start of the spring concerning the use of AI.
What measures, if any, did you take against Ms. Ross?
This time around, I did have to put Ross on probation, and I also warned her to stay out of any trouble. But, the very next semester I received an email from Dr. Myers, concerning Ross, and a plagiarism concern.
What is the purpose of these emails?
To keep all of our students up to date with changing information about our college.
Now, Mr. Collins, what was the case with the plaintiff, Alex Ross?
To say the least, Alex Ross was a very disruptive student. From the start of her freshman year, she had been a part of several wide-scale protests alongside her own club, ACT NOW. However, I've always been a strong believer in students having second chances, so I didn't punish Ross. I am simply just not the type of person to act on one act of misconduct.***
Mr. Collins, can you please read aloud the last sentence of sanction 4 of the student contract?
"Any final decision regarding dismissal of a student due to academic reasons shall be made by the Dean of the School of the student's major course of study."
What is your educational background?
*Smile/Chuckle* I spent a lot of time in school. I first received my bachelor's degree in computer science at the University of Florida and I later got my master's from Duke University.
Mr Collins, remind the jury, who signed this contract?
Alex Ross signed this contract...
Where are the academic policies found regarding academic dishonesty, Mr. Collins?
All within the student contract.
How did you handle this?
Considering it was the first time anything like this had ever happened, I knew that her emailing me over a plagiarism concern must've been serious. So, I quickly organized a meeting between myself and the rest of the Academic Advisory Board.
What took place at this meeting?
During the meeting, the board and I sat down to listen both sides, Myers and Ms. Ross. And, after hearing both sides, the rest of the board had decided that there was not sufficient evidence to accuse Ms. Ross in breaching our academic integrity policy by plagiarizing through the use of AI. But, I sided against their conclusion, since there were some changes to our policy.
Your Honor let the record indicate that I am now showing opposing counsel and the witness what has been previously marked as Exhibit 1. May I approach?
ENTERING EVIDENCE
Your honor at this time the defense moves exhibit 3 into defense evidence.
ENTERING EVIDENCE
Your honor let the record indicate that the defense now enters what has been previously marked as Exhibit 1 into Defense's evidence.
ENTERING EVIDENCE
And Mr. Collins, what does your job as dean entail?
For the most part, my job requires me to oversee the instruction being given at my college. And, I take an immense amount of pride in being the person tasked with guiding the next generation. I love all of my students.
Good morning/afternoon, Mr. Collins, how are you?
I am doing well, thank you for asking.
How old are you?
I am fifty-eight years old.
Why are you here today?
I am here today to stand by my decision regarding the expulsion of a former student, Alex Ross.
So, Mr. Collins, simply for the clarification of the ladies & gentlemens of the jury...*long pause* Who has the final decision in this matter?
I do.
How do you know?
I know this because I, myself, am the Dean of one of the largest sectors of PCU.
How long have you been the dean at PCU?
I've been the dean at PCU for the past eight years and counting.
And how did the board feel about your decision Mr. Collins?
Initially, the Board of Trustees was not happy with the decision I had made. However, they eventually came around and supported the decision that I had made after hearing my side of things.
How do you know?
It says it right at the top on the subject line, "Plagiarism and Artificial Intelligence"
When did this meeting take place?
It took place on May 18, 2022, if i'm not mistaken.
Were these concerns addressed?
Most definitely, I always take all *requests from students extremely seriously. I spoke with the administration soon after receiving Ross' email, but they made it very clear that it is every individual professor's right to set-up their own exams in whatever way they see fit. So, I let Ross know that her request was denied.
Can you please state your name and spell out your last for court?
My name is Jude Collins, last name spelt C-O-L-L-I-N-S.
No further questions at this time Your Honor.
N/R
Has it been changed or altered since the last time you have viewed it?
No.
Were your students made aware of this change to the academic integrity policy?
Of course. We made sure to send out an email to all of our students before the start of the spring semester to let them know.
When was the protest against HonorLock?
The protest against HonorLock was held directly after I had let Ross know that I had denied her request.
And, Mr. Collins, how is HonorLock relevant to today's case?
Well, Alex Ross actually emailed me personally concerning the use of Honor Lock, arguing that the $5 of the program was a financial burden for students.
Now going back to the meeting, based on the academic integrity policy, what was your conclusion in the expulsion of Ms. Ross?
Well, I took it upon myself as the Dean to expel Ross from PCU for academic dishonesty. A student who uses AI, while not "copy-pasting" others work, still accesses the work of other people and claims it as one's own, so it directly goes against our academic policies at PCU.
What is your current occupation?
Well, after teaching computer science courses at Palm Course University for 20 years, and due to my extensive experience with the sciences, I was appointed to be the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Is this kept within your regular course of business?
Well, yes. As the dean, I withhold lots of paperwork for my students, and this is a part of it.
And if I were to show you this contract would you recognize it?
Yes, I would.
Can you please elaborate on this program, Honor Lock?
Yes, of course. Honor Lock is a program that requires users, in this case, students, to scan their workspace and place their devices out of their reach. At the same time, a live proctor closely monitors them during remote exams. This had been one of PCU's main methods of defense against academic dishonesty. Even though the program was cut after the pandemic, many professors continued to require their students to use it during exams.
And if I were to show you this email would you recognize it?
Yes.
Can you please read the bolded sentence?
Yes. "PCU is implementing a temporary ban on the use of artificial intelligence."