<p>I am not actually the one being accused but my girlfriend is. We both go to a prestigious top 20 university which I won't discuss right now for privacy sake. </p>
<p>The situation is that she is taking a rough pre-med course right now and did not do too well on her first 2 midterms but apparently got a strong grade on her 3rd midterm. However, the professor apparently thinks she cheated because her grade was higher (although she studied more and better, I was there for her study times) and because her test was apparently similar to a girl next to her (a girl who consistently gets high grades). However, the professor has not accused the other girl (contradiction?) even though my girlfriend asked him if he ever saw her look at the other girl's paper and the professor did not answer her instead stating that "there were so many people in the room, I couldn't have been looking at you the whole time.". However, on the paper accusation he states he saw her look at the other girl's paper (lie?). She also has the word of the girl that my girlfriend never looked at her paper. The professor will not even let her look at the two papers to see why he thinks she cheated. </p>
<p>The professor offered her a 0 on the midterm instead of the accusation but this isn't really fair. To make matters worse, she is here on a scholarship that she will lose if the honor council convicts her. She has spoken to the Dean of the Honor Council and she was very ambiguous even stating that even if she is innocent, there is a chance she could be convicted. My question is if she should go higher up or what? I feel like a professor at a prestigious university should not be making an accusation that has so many holes that could possibly ruin the life of a college student.</p>
<p>^Tell her to go to the highest official she can, fight the thing to the end. If she legitimately did not cheat then this guy will have to fold eventually. She could sue him for discrimination and cost him his job. I do NOT like professors who pull stuff like that.</p>
<p>@ lobzz: i guess that’s the worst best-case scenario. obviously it wouldn’t be fair to your girlfriend, but as a last resort, maybe it’s not that bad. sorry though. that really doesn’t sound very fair</p>
<p>Oh my God, how terrible. What a nightmare. </p>
<p>First of all, what a jerk. So, students in your class can’t improve I guess. We all better settle for the first grade we get on an assignment. Because you’re not there so we can learn and improve, you’re there to be an an ******* :/.</p>
<p>Second of all, she’s going to have to fight this. I suggest she keep going higher if she keeps getting ambiguous responses. If she’s going to fight the word of a professor she’ll need somebody on her side in the administration. She must gather all the witnesses and evidence she can. You, who can say she studied for days (maybe some people in her dorm? Other friends?). The girl whose paper it was. Maybe other students in the class? Does she have notes from studying or class? That might help prove she knows the material.</p>
<p>The problem is, this is her against the prof. Although not ideal she may end up having to take the test again as the “ultimate proof.” That sad thing is I bet the prof is going to administer another version…since he sounds like a huge jackass it’ll probably be a harder one. Still, not a zero.</p>
<p>What a terrible waste of time when she has other classes to study for/worry about…but I am confident that if she’s innocent this won’t result in her getting a zero on the exam, losing her scholarship or getting kicked out.</p>
<p>Have her gather up as much proof as she can and take it to whoever is next on the chain…good luck.</p>
<p>Thank you for the help so far guys. Our Honor Council allows one witness to take stand with the defendant. The girl that she supposedly cheated off of said she would be willing to witness.</p>
<p>However, the Dean of the Honor Council said that might be a moot point because “they could be just friends” even though my girlfriend hardly knows the girl.</p>
<p>Also, she already offered to take the 3 hour test again. The professor said no and he won’t even let her look at the test because my girlfriend said she would be willing to walk him through everything that was on the test.</p>
<p>She is trying to set up an appointment with the Dean of the Undergraduate part of the college. Overall, this is taking a big effect on her time to study right now (it’s about finals time) and making her attitude towards studying for the final in this class even worse.</p>
<p>Does she have a lawyer yet? A lawyer’s advice would be very helpful, even if she can’t bring the lawyer into the hearing and even though the hearing won’t be conducted according to state and federal laws and rules of evidence.</p>
<p>I am a graduate TA at a top 20 university. I am not going to say her professor is bluffing, but I will say that it’s a lot of work to put in an accusation of cheating for a student and that he might be trying to intimidate her, particularly since he offered her a 0 to take the place of an application.</p>
<p>There is an office at every university called the University Ombudsman. It is this office’s job to help any member of the university (from students to faculty) prepare for a difficult conversation or ethical matter at the university; this kind of thing definitely can fall under that. They operate independently and impartially and are not supposed to take sides. Your girlfriend should try going to the Ombuds Office to talk to the Ombudsman/person and get some advice about what next steps to take.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t even worry about a lawyer yet. There are many internal steps you can take before you need to get to a lawyer.</p>
<p>If she really didn’t cheat, she needs to fight it. </p>
<p>Tell her not to accept any offer, such as a zero or test re-take. That can be viewed as an indirect admission of guilt.</p>
<p>She needs to have a meeting with he professor and whoever is in charge of these issues and demand some transparency. </p>
<p>If the professor states he saw her look at the other girls paper, then ask why he didn’t address the issue then, and why did he contradict himself later?</p>
<p>If her scholarship is at stake, I’d get a lawyer, because it would be MUCH cheaper in the long run.</p>
<p>You can’t fail a person based on these sort of assumptions, not when the consequences are so high (scholarship money), so if your side of the story is true, the professor needs to be taught a lesson.</p>
<p>Or, there’s always the possibility your girlfriend cheated.</p>
<p>I do understand that is a possibility. I am trying to be as objective as I can and seeing her these couple of days and her personality and her inability to lie effectively at all, I am almost 100% she did not cheat. </p>
<p>The thing about his contradiction is that he can just lie about it later saying that he never told her that in the first place. However, him not taking her paper up in the first place is another contradiction (which he could also deter). </p>
<p>My school does not have an ombudsman, I just researched it.</p>