<p>I know a lot of parents here are having or have had kids in college and I would like to hear your thoughts and suggestions on this, please. To make the long story short, son is in college and taking 2 classes from the same teacher in one semester (details omitted). In an exam for second class, the teacher caught a girl sitting next to son cheating off him. The girl admitted to it and teacher's email confirmed that she watched the girl and observed the cheating during the exam. The reason for the teacher watching in the second exam is because she found the answers from son and the girl overlapped in the first exam. She was not sure which one or both cheated in the first exam taken in the previous day so she watched and caught the girl cheating in the second exam. Son is very clear and firm that he did not cheat in either one and has no prior knowledge of whatever the girl did in either exam. Academic dishonesty includes "assisting others cheating in exam". He also does not know to what extent their answers overlapped because they studied off the same study list he prepared and sent to her before the first exam (I have a copy of the study list, but not the test). But he is being accused of cheating in both exams, the same accusation as for the girl! I know my son would not cheat (As parents, you know what I mean - kids are different) and I asked him many times if he has done anything wrong. His answer is always a firm "No". </p>
<p>Now the school has started a formal inquiry into this incident since the teacher reported it to school. Teacher offered and son refused to settle. The second exam is very clear, son is innocent and I don't understand why the teacher even accused of him cheating. The first one is kind of muddy because their answers overlapped - that's the only evidence. Son told me he literally memorized the study list and his answers would almost match it. He would be cleared if the overlapped answers all result from the study list they both used. But what if there are other parts of the overlapped answers that are not on the study list (because the study list only covered about half the exam)? What if the other girl also cheated in the first exam? How do son explain that and prove his innocence? He is being dragged into this incident almost like a victim, but still need to bear the burden of proof. They are not close friend and only took one class before. Son is very humble and he doesn't really want to prove or disprove whether the girl cheated in first exam or not. He only wants to clear himself and move on. Anyone would understand our frustration and anxiety if this or similar incident has ever happened to their kids. Please tell me your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks!</p>
<p>Your son needs to go directly to the Dean responsible for this (it will be clear in the student handbook who this is) and tell the Dean what has happened. Technically, your son is being accused of academic dishonesty by allowing another person to copy his answers-- he is not being accused of cheating himself. So he needs to make it clear that although he helped this student study, sent her the study list, etc. he did not encourage or facilitate her cheating. He should print out a copy of the email he sent her with the study list.</p>
<p>What exactly did the teacher offer and why did the son refuse to settle? If the offer was, “Take both exams again in a room where I am the only other person present and I will clear you” he should take the offer and move on.</p>
<p>blossom - Thanks for the reply. Son is asked to provide a written statement explaining what has happened to the Dean’s office. I agree with you said that he “is being accused of academic dishonesty by allowing another person to copy his answers”, but he did not or had no intention to allow the other person to copy his answers during the exam (Actually, the girl had better grade in the class prior to the test). Studying off the same list is allowed before the exam, I think. The girl did so without his knowledge during the exam and the teacher watched and caught her cheating. As for the “settlement”, the teacher offered to give grade up to the point right before the exam and 0 for the exam, so it would be a big hit on his GPA (2 classes!) and almost equivalent to “suicide” for the major he chose. He maintains that he did not do anything wrong and of course will not accept the settlement. I told him that as long as he is telling the truth and has nothing to hide, I will back him up 100 percent.</p>
<p>I’m a professor, and I’m surprised a professor would offer such a thing. It doesn’t sound appropriate. Just wondering if this is a junior faculty member who has not dealt with such an issue before? I agree with blossom’s recommendations. Also, as a point of information, any suggestion of academic dishonesty at my institution automatically kicks off a process with the associate dean for academic affairs who takes responsibility for determining culpability and consequences. I’m not allowed to handle it on my own.</p>
<p>Thanks, NT2000. The point here is not about the “settlement”. The girl who cheated in the second exam will get 0 for the exam. If the school policy permits, the teacher can handle it the way she deems fair and reasonable - my guess only. My concern is that son is being dragged into this mess and he needs to clear himself through due process. I have read the school policy and procedure that address this type of misconduct. I just want to find out in practice how such cases are being handled. In general, is the process like the court system in the country - one is innocent until proven guilty? Does the school in general need clear and convincing evidence before it can hand down the verdict? what is construed as “clear and convincing evidence”?</p>
<p>I was on a student committee that handled cheating years ago. We had one case in two years. The accused student came in and told his side of the story. He was cleared. (I can’t remember the details of the accusation.) A college friend was accused of plagiarism at a school with an Honor Code. She offered a vigorous defense against a TA/grad student accuser and was cleared. She was pretty shaken by the episode. </p>
<p>The settlement idea sounds odd to me, too. I’d have your son research the due process at the school and be ready to defend himself. It may be that being proactive and going to whatever Dean is in charge would also be a good move. Your son may be told that he has to go through the formal process, but maybe the Dean will be able to solve the issue. </p>
<p>From what has been said on this topic by professors here before, it seems as if students are virtually presumed guilty instead, since most professors will not report it unless they are certain. In this case, the prof is obviously certain about the girl. It doesn’t sound as if he or she can be certain about your son. Good luck.</p>
<p>Happened to a wonderful young man, very bright, head in the clouds, absent minded, type guy at my son’s private high school one year. Caught someone cheating off of him during exam. He got in trouble too, and the parents were well to do, well connected, alums fought it tooth and nail to no avail. It 's in the school handbook and code of ethics and responsibiity that when you do an assignment, take an exam, part of YOUR responsibility is to make sure no one is cheating off of you. Otherwise you are equally responsible, though as with OP’s son, some deal is often offered to soften the blow for the unaware enabler. </p>
<p>I don’t know if there is such a code or rule at the OP’s son college, but if so… what can one say? Perhaps getting an attorney, talking to the deans as others have said, but I can tell you right now, that the school did not budge even though they KNEW that the young man was not deliberately enabling. </p>
<p>Same thing at some schools with altercations. No matter if it’s self defence, it you are in one, you get some of the blame. Just being around trouble can be an issue. I’ve known dozens of kids, literally dozens so involved due to lack of awareness. </p>
<p>Thank you all for the input, much appreciated! I know some of the viewers on this board might think “yeah, you son is up to something. It’s just too common in colleges / high schools these days”. Well, what I can say for sure is that if I have any doubt that he is involved in any wrongdoing, I would not come to this board asking for help. I would ask him to take the responsibility and learn a hard lesson, then move on. Just a few minutes ago, as I am typing this post, he texted me and said one of the students in his class actually witnessed the girl cheating off him in the first exam. That student told another one who passed the information to my son. They are also annoyed by her act. So it’s pretty clear now and I know he is not that kind of person, but there is still a lesson to be learned. This is just part of the life and you never know - same thing could happen to anyone, just being with the wrong people at the wrong time.</p>
<p>Son is a national merit scholarship winner graduated high school with perfect GPA and one of the brightest kids in his class. He does not need to cheat to get good grades, nor would he. In high school senior year, people were talking about some top kids exaggerated ECs in college applications, he just shrugged and said, “I am not doing that kind of things”. </p>
<p>Yes, there is such a code in the policy stating that if you assisted other in the exam, you are equally guilty. But if you had no knowledge of and no intention to assist the cheating, are you still be held responsible? Possibly, you will partially take blame because, as cptofthehouse alluded to, you need to protect your intellectual properties. So there is the lesson! Currently, school just launched the formal inquiry collecting information. I don’t how long it will take to get this mess cleaned up. I certainly don’t want him to think that being honest and sticking to your own moral standard can actually hurt you sometimes.</p>
<p>My LAC had a similar policy in its academic honor code. However, it only applies if one is proven to have INTENTIONALLY provided assistance. </p>
<p>If it was unintentional, a vigorous defense would usually be enough to get one cleared. </p>
<p>However, college judicial boards, especially at private colleges do not have to abide by the same due process rights/standards as bona-fide courts do so the student/parents do need to tread carefully. </p>
<p>Did the classroom not allow students to space themselves to disallow cheating?
I agree with cptofthehouse, it is on everyone, not to cheat or to allow others to do so.
Generally however, that is covered in high school and by college it is second nature for most.
If the teacher did not think they were spaced adequately, they should have said something.
Are the students involved, freshmen?</p>
<p>Since the teacher observed the other student cheating, you need to know what, if anything, she observed about your son’s behavior that would indicate that he was helping in the cheating process. Since the teacher wasn’t specific (e.g. I saw that he kept moving his paper to the side of the desk or he made sure his arm wasn’t obstructing the girl’s view), I find the accusation odd and not warranted. </p>
<p>The second thing is to know if there is any relationship between the girl and son such as do they hang out together, did they study together, did the teacher see them chatting a lot in other classes before or after class? Reason to know this is that it is easier for the teacher to believe that someone helped someone else cheat if they were friends.</p>
<p>Lastly, and this is iffy, has your son talked to the girl after then incident and explained that he was being dragged into this? I don’t know if she defends him if it would help - but I don’t see how it could hurt.</p>
<p>My daughter had a friend who had to go before the disciplinary panel at their college for an offence which was committed by his roommate and which he was unaware of (this is not cheating related). They both spoke to the panel independently and both told them that the friend was not involved only the roommate was and the panel believed them and basically let her friend off. My feeling is that the same thing should happen with your son he will tell his story the girl will most likely say he had not colluded with her to cheat and he should be off the hook.</p>
<p>@fluffy2017, I agree with you the accusation of second exam is not warranted. If the teacher observed anything on my son’s side, she has no reason to withhold that in her email to both of them, which did not say my son was doing anything. But it does not mean that she would not add anything to her report to school later. I have no confidence in the teacher, nor in the girl. My son did talk to the girl after the incident and she said she is most likely going to take full responsibility for the second one, but insisted she did not cheat in the first one. But according to what my son has been accused of, she was probably short of doing that. They are not close friends, only took one same class before. Son said he usually can tell what kind of person his friend or acquaintance is, but he can’t read her. It is kind of scary to me because it comes out of him and he usually does not make such comment.</p>
<p>I agree with @blossom that this isn’t like it is on TV and you need to figure out the process asap.</p>
<p>However, as an optimist at heart, we still are talking about humans here. I was wondering if a personal appeal, in person, to the teacher by your son, along the lines of "…I didn’t take part or know the cheating was going on. It isn’t as if I showed her my test paper or moved my chair closer to hers or signaled her in anyway. I was focused on the test, and hopefully you can see from my grades in this and other classes, that I perform well on tests due to that focus. Besides, I don’t even know her except for an occasional hello. "</p>
<p>The idea is to get her to think about the fact that your son was just a bystander in this, not a participant.</p>
<p>People, don’t you think this would make it tough to claim he hardly knew her?</p>
<p>It certainly explains why their answers might be similar, but it doesn’t in any way mean he helped her intentionally during the exam. One can only hope that she will be honorable enough to say he didn’t help her. One can also hope that the people who saw her cheating will come forward.</p>
<p>The idea that you are responsible if someone, unbeknowst to you, cheats off of you is Kafka-esque, I swear. It’s kind of like being responsible if someone breaks into your house and robs you. Where is the guilt? Maintaining an attractive nuisance? Absolutely ludicrous. I can’t believe people would actually sit still for this kind of thing. Grrrr.</p>
<p>Consolation, I agree, and I also strongly believe that the young man did not deliberately let the other person cheat off of him. But he was not careful about protecting his test, and so that was considered enabling. I was outraged and sided fully with the child and the parent. But the school did not budge. The parents swore they would remove said kid (even with years’ of legacy involved) from school, but when they looked at other comparable independent schools, they found out that they had exactly the same policy, and though they were sympathetic when the story was told, they supported the school and the policy. They returned with tail between their legs, kid graduated from the school, went to a top college, has graduated and I believe is in law school. Parents sent second kid to the same school after they cooled down. I don’t think they (nor I) to this day agree with how the school handled the incident, but that’s just the way it worked. They could not change the policy. Whether the OP gets anywhere with the college I don’t know.</p>
<p>The good ting that came from that ordeal is that the kid learned very well that he has to protect his work from others taking from him, a very valuable lesson, and one to keep for a lifetime. Many times things like this happen in college as happened here, at work, in life, and it’s not so clear whether there was collusion or enabling and no one cares. Both parties get penalized. That’ the way it is, at times. </p>
<p>In this specific case, I wonder if, as other have said a personal appeal, if the parents visit a dean, find out in person what the hang up here is, make sure the young man is not shirking in appealing this, and seeing if there isn’t a way out of this mess. Also find out the ramifications of it. </p>
<p>My sons got into some trouble in college, and it was not put on their records anywhere. All a wash when they graduated. One incident was particularly something really stupid and the school punishment draconian, IMO, for something like that, but what to do? </p>