I am curious how I should handle this situation or if I should just leave it alone for now.
Here’s the recap - Taking a really difficult physics class that has three tests and a final. Did average on first test but bombed the second test. I knew I had to figure out how to survive the class and needed help so I got a great tutor, worked with them daily, worked my butt off and aced the third test. Two days later I was called into professors office and accused of cheating. He made me sign my signature to see if I took the exam myself or if someone took it for me (i passed). He basically sent me away saying - let’s see how you do on the final - which frankly felt extremely unfair to me. First because its cumulative for the whole semester and I obviously struggled with earlier material - with no time to go back and relearn and second because its during finals for all of my hard classes. He also advised I would have to sit alone in front of the class. I sent him a letter outlining everything I did to do well on third test (including giving him tutors name and proof of when we started working together and payments etc). He sent me an acknowledgment and said he believed me.
I took the final last night. I don’t think it went well at all. Too much ground to cover, over stressed, and just overwhelmed by all my exams. We will see how that plays out. The thing I’m upset about regardless of my exam score is that even though he said he believed me, he did make me sit in front of the entire class alone to take exam and actually took all my test papers etc. after the exam (he did not do this for anyone else). Clearly that means he didn’t believe me and I am feeling offended and concerned that he will judge me based on my final performance and in fact even affect my grade. I have no idea what to do with all my frustration and stress.
Do I just wait and see if anything comes of it?
Do I write a letter or contact the head of the department to complain (regardless of the outcome of my exams) - for basically feeling like I was wrongly found guilty and treated inappropriately?
Do I write him another email asking why he did that if he felt he believed me?
Meanwhile it’s affecting my ability to study for my next exam as I am very distracted by it.
I would wait to see what your course grade is. Then consider who you might voice your complaint to. There is a formal process to appeal a grade but it doesn’t sound like that would be relevant here (it would be relevant if he decided your good test score didn’t count). Making a suspected cheater sit in the front row is not uncommon but it sounds like he didn’t have any evidence that you were a cheater.
Write down all the information about what happened (dates, tutor name, meetings with prof, etc.). Fold it up and put it in your back pocket in case you need it later. Then focus on your other classes.
This seems unfair, but I will say this for the benefit of other readers: If you are struggling in a class, your first stop should be the professor’s office to discuss material, let him know you are struggling, and ask how to improve. You did the right things, and it’s unfortunate that the prof put you in this position. Now you need to move on. You did all you could. Your grade will be your grade.
As for officially complaining, I am guessing that there is little you can do unless it is clear your most recent test is graded unfairly. The professor did it because, in all likelihood, he has seen it before. He is probably within his rights to do it. Chalk it up to an unpleasant experience and take steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Study your butt off for the final and don’t concede that you can’t at least get an average grasp of the material from the second test. Make absolutely sure you don’t slip on knowledge of the test you just took. Sit in the front and enjoy the moment when you do well.
I would have told mine to talk with their advisors, when this first came up. You can still do this. Not go over the prof’s head with a complaint to the chair, just based on what you told here. The issue is less about where he had you sit or how this offends you, but not being officially accused.
The idea is to have proof on your side (of the extra effort.)
It seems like he could have looked at one of your first two exams and compared it to your third exam. It would be easy to see if the same person completed the test.
Professors will get suspicious when all of a sudden your grade improves a lot in a small period of time.
But s/he cannot know for sure…so often their tactic is to show that you can do well again with them making sure it is your work. It is better that they gave you a chance to prove yourself instead of bringing you in front of the honor court.
Average on the first test, bombed the second, aced the third. A prof can wonder.
Now OP doesn’t think the final “went well at all.” And that was sitting isolated from others. I wish him the best. But the prof may wonder about the test he aced.