Often a meeting between the student and the instructor is useful. This allows a free discussion of the case and the student may be able to provide additional useful information. A third party agreeable to both the student and the instructor may be invited to attend. An instructor who has not yet decided a penalty can use the meeting to determine the student's understanding of what plagiarism is and how it applies, whether any extenuating circumstances are relevant, and whether any remorse exists. If the penalty is already decided this must be made clear to the student, though a useful discussion may nonetheless occur.
Plagiarism involves fraud and misrepresentation.
If the instructor chooses a lesser penalty than a zero on the essay, the instructor may recommend against a formal letter being sent to the student and the Faculty. The Chair, Undergraduate Studies, is charged with ensuring that penalties, though they will differ in individual cases, are fair and consistent. Intermediate penalties may also be possible, and may involve the re-weighting of components of the student's grade. The student's name will also appear on the department record of academic offences. Plagiarism is an academic offence.