ethics, are they are farce? [cheating on an exam]

Parent Cafe
1

<p>i was proctoring an exam last week and i heard talking from a few students. However, when they realized i was watching them, they stopped. Later on, think i saw this group of students passing papers but i'm not sure about that. It was very quick and just out of the corner of my eye. This was going on throughout the exam period and then i saw them looking on each other's papers. </p>

<p>i informed the other proctor and we decided to tell the prof. Not sure what the prof will do but did i do the right thing? I told my parents and they were furious...at me. They said i should have just looked the other way and now i'm in danger of getting beat up by these students. </p>

<p>how would you advise your kids?</p>

<p>note* this is a class with a very low average and i would feel awful if the cheaters got to pass and others didn't</p>

2

<p>It doesn’t matter whether the class is “low average” or “high average” or whatever - of course you have to report cheating. No brainer.</p>

3

<p>uummmmm…as you were the proctor for the exam, wasn’t it your responsibility to report cheating? If not, then what was your purpose for being there?
I am surprised at your parents’ reaction. Do they think that cheating is ok, or that you should not meet your responsibilities?
By the way, are you in high school or college? I have never heard of college students beating up an exam proctor…any such incident would open up such a nasty can of worms that I can’t imagine the repercussions!</p>

4

<p>If my kids were exam proctors, they wouldn’t need my advice to know that their job was to stop cheating. That’s why proctors are there. So of course you were right to tell the professor. I presume this is a college - is there really much beating up going on there? It sounds to me as if your parents are over-reacting. You did the right thing - thank you.</p>

5

<p>This should not surprise you the kids are cheating. Most people in one form or another, whether small or in a large way have cheated on their taxes. Therefore, if it is okay for mom and dad to cheat just a little on their taxes, it must be okay to cheat on this test just a little bit.
Ethics- The way things ought to be. Doing what is right because it is right.</p>

<p>Todays perceived ethics: Don’t get caught</p>

6

<p>I’d add that if you are uncertain if you should report what you suspect is cheating while you are serving as proctor, then you should achieve a certainty on this issue before you proctor again.
If you do not feel comfortable reporting suspected cheating, then do not put yourself in the position where it is your duty to do so.</p>