Anybody else have a rampant cheating problem at your school?

[wayves]

I go to a top 50 "public ivy". We have a serious cheating problem. As I got up to turn in my chem exam I saw at least 5-6 people with phones out while taking their exams. Some were actively typing on their phones. The TAs were just sitting up at the front not even paying attention. It's just unfair.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[godawg300]

We had an honor code at my undergrad. Top 5. I wouldn't say we had a cheating problem. Idk about public schools but I don't think I ever saw people cheating. I'm sure it happened but I don't think it was rampant:

 

[Lucca]

If you see this kind of behavior report it immediately. I dont know how isolated this instance is at your school but it is certainly unnacceptable. There's nothing wrong with standing up for people who don't cheat. You could even approach a writer for ur college's news publication and tell them the story so they can write an investigative piece and spread the word that way.

My undergrad is rather large and I've never seen anyone cheating or heard about it - but it being such a big school I'm almost certain it has to happen somewhere. However, it definitely isnt rampant since physics exam averages were still in the 40-50s lol.

 

[Goro]

Did you tell the Professor about it?
Anyone?

 

[ciestar]

I attended a large public undergrad, also top 50. I had a course where I saw people cheating by comparing answers while waiting to hand in their tests (course had 1200ish students). I notified the professor and more TAs were sent to monitor that.

It's quite sad that people operate this way, but it's reality. Cheating goes on in every class, at every university.

 

[SweetCaroline7]

This is a reportable offense. It's possible that nothing will happen to those individuals this time, but I would imagine that reporting it and heavier monitoring in the future will likely cause those students to fail. And I mean REALLY fail, because they won't be expecting that the policies have changed/that more stringent monitoring is in place.

In my intro bio class, a student was leaving old exams in the bottom of the trashcan in the men's bathroom. He would periodically ask to be excused (~twice per exam) and check answers in there. Don't take this the wrong way because I in no way condone cheating, but people come up with clever ideas when they're under pressure. It's best to just report it and move on. We all found out about the student...when he was expelled.

Edit because grammar.

 

[RTC19]

You really should report this to the professor. I know at my school people can make anonymous reports of this type of thing to the Academic Honesty Committee. Does your school have something like that?

At my tiny liberal arts college, cheating is actually pretty rarely seen. Because of the harsh penalties that exist for cheating in higher education, I always this was the case nearly everywhere.

 

[Mad Jack]

Concur with everyone else, you should be reporting this sort of behavior.

 

[D.O.O.M]

I go to a top 50 "public ivy". We have a serious cheating problem. As I got up to turn in my chem exam I saw at least 5-6 people with phones out while taking their exams. Some were actively typing on their phones. The TAs were just sitting up at the front not even paying attention. It's just unfair.

While it is unfair, you should report it and continue to act honestly. Even if they get higher grades than you because of their cheating, it will pay off better in the long run by staying honest. You won't have to worry about being expelled when caught and having a clear conscience is priceless.

 

[Mr Roboto]

I reported cheating three times during exams, professors ignored it every time. Gave up and actively avoided noticing it, since it frustrated me.

 

[Aerus]

You really should report this to the professor. I know at my school people can make anonymous reports of this type of thing to the Academic Honesty Committee. Does your school have something like that?

At my tiny liberal arts college, cheating is actually pretty rarely seen. Because of the harsh penalties that exist for cheating in higher education, I always this was the case nearly everywhere.

Although this may vary from school to school, I don't think the Academic Integrity Committee would be the appropriate place to report this. They wouldn't be able to do much with so little information. The instructor of the class should be the first person you report this to. I am also sure that they will keep your confidentiality.

 

[Tintinnabula]

I go to a top 50 "public ivy". We have a serious cheating problem. As I got up to turn in my chem exam I saw at least 5-6 people with phones out while taking their exams. Some were actively typing on their phones. The TAs were just sitting up at the front not even paying attention. It's just unfair.

Report the hell out of this. My first undergrad, we had nearly zero cheating problem but we also had an honor code in place (and I personally came from an honor code public HS, where it worked well). At my post bacc institution, we had a problem with it and people thought I'd "be cool." Turns out not, nor were the profs. We had one TA who was but that person wasn't a TA for much longer. I ended up being asked to proctor several lower division tests and exams and after it became clear that the department took cheating seriously, we got a better reputation for not putting up with cheating so much that the efforts to cheat slacked off a lot. But it doesn't start till someone gets hacked off enough about it to go say something to someone - like, say, your professor or even just another professor in the department that you feel more comfortable with, or even the department head. Some profs have simply given up the fight, and I've run into those, too. Do what you can.

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

I reported cheating three times during exams, professors ignored it every time. Gave up and actively avoided noticing it, since it frustrated me.

You should definitely report this. Put it in writing, with the professor's name on it, the TA who's just sitting there, the course number, time/date/location, etc. Then you should also copy people. This gets action because it's not just you vs a professor. Send it to Dean of Students, your advisor, and anyone who is involved in ethical issues.

By not reporting it, you could be held accountable as an approving bystander (but that wouldn't really happen).

 

[Mr Roboto]

By reporting it to the professors, I fulfilled my responsibility to our school's honor code. Without proof it would be foolish to press further imo. It would've become my word vs. that of a tenured professor and a student who'd face expulsion.

You should definitely report this. Put it in writing, with the professor's name on it, the TA who's just sitting there, the course number, time/date/location, etc. Then you should also copy people. This gets action because it's not just you vs a professor. Send it to Dean of Students, your advisor, and anyone who is involved in ethical issues.

By not reporting it, you could be held accountable as an approving bystander (but that wouldn't really happen).

 

[LAtoDavis]

Please don't rat me out. I am trying to get into Harvard Med, and I've got a faculty connection through a family member.

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

By reporting it to the professors, I fulfilled my responsibility to our school's honor code. Without proof it would be foolish to press further imo. It would've become my word vs. that of a tenured professor and a student who'd face expulsion.

I just hope they believed you and took action.

 

[TenYearsGone]

Supposedly a ton of people in frats/sororities have access to years worth of previous tests from older members. Most of which are exact copies of the test they are going to take.

 

[godawg300]

Supposedly a ton of people in frats/sororities have access to years worth of previous tests from older members. Most of which are exact copies of the test they are going to take.

That's why professors should not be lazy and write new exams.

 

[Zelda840]

I'm guessing my school must have had an issue with cheating in the past, because the science professors there are extremely diligent now. I'm talking nothing on your table but your pen, test, and calculator. Water bottle out? You get a zero. They also generally make different versions of the test and make sure that no one sitting next to you has the same version. There are no bathroom breaks during testing.

 

[DarknightX]

I go to a top 50 "public ivy". We have a serious cheating problem. As I got up to turn in my chem exam I saw at least 5-6 people with phones out while taking their exams. Some were actively typing on their phones. The TAs were just sitting up at the front not even paying attention. It's just unfair.

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is a "public ivy"?

And to address your point, I would get my phone out too.

Get it out so I can video tape all the cheating dinguses in action and bust them.

 

[ColorfulBlue]

One time during a test, I could have sworn that a lady behind me was whispering answers to the person sitting next to her. I was finally ready to turn in my exam and my adrenaline was pumping as I contemplated mentioning something about her to the proctors, but I looked back to see what she was doing. It turns out that the whispering sound I heard was just her highlighter making a squeaking noise as she highlighted the test paper. It sounded like: *squeak squeak* "answer's deee" *squeak squeak*.

 

[Mad Jack]

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is a "public ivy"?

And to address your point, I would get my phone out too.

Get it out so I can video tape all the cheating dinguses in action and bust them.

It's a BS marketing term used to sell the image of certain public schools to aspiring teens.

 

[D.O.O.M]

I'm guessing my school must have had an issue with cheating in the past, because the science professors there are extremely diligent now. I'm talking nothing on your table but your pen, test, and calculator. Water bottle out? You get a zero. They also generally make different versions of the test and make sure that no one sitting next to you has the same version. There are no bathroom breaks during testing.

That is super harsh. Do they accommodate people with medical conditions (diabetes, for instance)?

These students cheating via cell phone use are up to a rude awakening come the time they must take the MCAT, GRE, DAT, etc, not to mention board examinations.

 

[Zelda840]

That is super harsh. Do they accommodate people with medical conditions (diabetes, for instance)?

I have no clue. I've never seen anyone be allowed to leave, but this could simply mean I was never in a class with someone who had a genuine medical need for a bathroom break.

 

[Nave]

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is a "public ivy"?

And to address your point, I would get my phone out too.

Get it out so I can video tape all the cheating dinguses in action and bust them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Ivy

 

[CliveStaples]

One might argue that you have a moral responsibility to report this, lest you be guilty on the same moral grounds that they are.

Put another way, would you want your loved one to be taken care of by somebody who cheated to avoid the rigors of the academic system in place to train future doctors (granted I know this is undergraduate work, but cheaters at the baccalaureate level will likely continue to be cheaters at higher levels when given the opportunity)?

 

[D.O.O.M]

I have no clue. I've never seen anyone be allowed to leave, but this could simply mean I was never in a class with someone who had a genuine medical need for a bathroom break.

If it works, that's all that matters. At my university the class is some times left unattended during exams (no profs nor TAs), which makes cheating super easy. They rely on the honor code for the most part, and it seems to work.

However, while I may have not seen cheating happen (perhaps I was too focused on my own exam to look at what others are doing), I'm sure it is present. Nothing can be that lax and not have people taking advantage of the system.

 

[wayves]

"Public Ivy's" are generally the more "prestigious" public schools such as
UNC Chapel Hill
U Mich
Berkeley
UCLA
etc.

 

[QuentinT88]

"Public Ivy's" are generally the more "prestigious" public schools such as
UNC Chapel Hill
U Mich
Berkeley
UCLA
etc.

Don't forget UVA and William & Mary

 

[LMBLBM]

LOLLLLLL at top 50 public ivy

 

[blackroses]

This "public Ivy" thing really needs to die already. Seriously, it's dumb.

 

[darklabel]

I guess Im different since I grew up with a "keep your head down and mind your own business" attitude, but I would say to just ignore it and worry about yourself doing well. I never cheated since the punishment scared the crap out of me (automatic F and something on your transcript), but I knew others that did it. I didn't care and so far they haven't haven't been able to get into medical school thanks to the MCAT and upper level classes that were too small and impossible to cheat in.
While life isn't always fair, this behavior catches up to people. The MCAT, medical school, boards etc will weed cheaters out. Some are bound to fall through the cracks but I would personally just ignore it unless it somehow affected you.

 

[username456789]

I go to a top 50 "public ivy". We have a serious cheating problem. As I got up to turn in my chem exam I saw at least 5-6 people with phones out while taking their exams. Some were actively typing on their phones. The TAs were just sitting up at the front not even paying attention. It's just unfair.

As other posters have pointed out, no one actually takes the phrase "public ivy" seriously, and it's a great way to out yourself as a total neophyte. Not to mention it's embarrassing on your behalf.

Don't use it.

 

[Aerus]

As other posters have pointed out, no one actually takes the phrase "public ivy" seriously, and it's a great way to out yourself as a total neophyte. Not to mention it's embarrassing on your behalf.

Don't use it.

It's also embarrassing on behalf of the actual school and the students who attend. No school wants their students to label them as a "Public Ivy".

 

[looncat]

It's also embarrassing on behalf of the actual school and the students who attend. No school wants their students to label them as a "Public Ivy".

Yes. I only ever hear this term on the internet but as someone who goes to a "public ivy" (according to the guy who coined the term), I gag whenever I do. OP and anyone else who thinks saying this somehow makes your school sound better, just stop it's only embarrassing and a little demeaning.

 

[Major]

Always heard about cheating happening, but never experienced it first hand until last week.

Took exam and scored almost perfect on it. Received mass email from professor two days later. Someone in the class hacked into their computer and gained access to the exam files. Everyone has to retake the exam now. And no they haven't been able to catch the person (people) responsible.


But Karma is patient and always finds a way of catching up to you...