My friend was caught cheating

[mdflows]

My friend was caught cheating off of me on our orgo exam and not only is she getting disciplined but I am too. What should I do?

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[tourniquet1963]

My friend was caught cheating off of me on our orgo exam and not only is she getting disciplined but I am too. What should I do?

start crying.. if you do it in front of the professor it might help

 

[LizzyM]

Think like a person accused of a crime. Your goal is to avoid "institutional action" that is, to avoid a "record".

Instituitional action (including disciplinary action such as probation, suspension, expulsion) must be reported on your AMCAS application and can be the kiss of death on an application.

If you can "plea bargain" such that you don't get an institutional action, you will be ok.

You sleep with dogs, you wake up with fleas.

 

[littlealex]

Does it go on your record? It's not the end of the world but it is pretty bad.
I have a friend with a top-notch application who was caught plagerizing in college. He went from an applicant who would have had a great shot at a top10 med school to a crappy school.

In the end, his overall application was too strong for medical schools to reject him, but most top medical schools just overlooked him completely and he barely got into a mediocre medical school

Expect to be grilled on ethical questions during interviews.

 

[ClockworkDoc]

That reminds me of what happened while I was on the Academic Integrity Review Board. There was a very bright pre-med kid I knew who was caught plagiarizing his roommate on a lab assignment. He had a B in the class prior to the incident, but he ended up with a XF. It was really dumb to cheat on a lab assignment when the professor uses plagiarism detection software.

As a former adjudicator of institutional action, you need to do whatever you can to prevent the professor from handing the case over to the review committee. Once they get it, they'll dispense heavy handed justice.

 

[Rotinaj]

Bottom line: If you knew she was cheating and you didn't tell the professor, you're screwed. It's one of those things that no matter how small it seems, you lose the trust. I lost my job over something that seemed pretty trivial at the time, but I understand that once they found me lying to them, how could they trust me on anything else? It's never worth it, although it seems like it at the time.

 

[batman1983]

Sucks to be a bitch. Did you know he/she was copying of you? I had a similar thing happen to me where essentially a friend of mine copied my CS programing code for a project I did. At first, the professor was mad at me. But, everything was okay after I told him that I was unaware that my friend was copying off of me.

 

[TheLesPaul]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=469517

 

[Isoprop]

i really really want to stress what LizzyM said. open a dialog with the professor and the authoritative board (student conduct committee, dean, etc.). if, indeed, it was a mistake and you were unaware of the cheating, they may be more inclined to exclude it from your academic record after completing a course on academic integrity.

i have been accused and found "guilty" of academic dishonesty by using an older edition of a textbook for class. of course, i was unaware that using the book was an "unauthorized resource." i had to take a class for 1 hr a week to keep it from my transcripts.

 

[batman1983]

i really really want to stress what LizzyM said. open a dialog with the professor and the authoritative board (student conduct committee, dean, etc.). if, indeed, it was a mistake and you were unaware of the cheating, they may be more inclined to exclude it from your academic record after completing a course on academic integrity.

i have been accused and found "guilty" of academic dishonesty by using an older edition of a textbook for class. of course, i was unaware that using the book was an "unauthorized resource." i had to take a class for 1 hr a week to keep it from my transcripts.

Wow thats BS. how was it an "unauthorized resource"?

 

[Drogba]

i really really want to stress what LizzyM said. open a dialog with the professor and the authoritative board (student conduct committee, dean, etc.). if, indeed, it was a mistake and you were unaware of the cheating, they may be more inclined to exclude it from your academic record after completing a course on academic integrity.

i have been accused and found "guilty" of academic dishonesty by using an older edition of a textbook for class. of course, i was unaware that using the book was an "unauthorized resource." i had to take a class for 1 hr a week to keep it from my transcripts.

wtf? do elaborate.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Mistake number 1, cheating. Mistake number 2, getting caught.

 

[Isoprop]

after being forced to read and reread that university's student code of conduct, i found out that using a textbook not explicitly permitted by the professor is a breach of academic integrity... even an older or newer edition. go fig.

 

[taponthecloud]

after being forced to read and reread that university's student code of conduct, i found out that using a textbook not explicitly permitted by the professor is a breach of academic integrity... even an older or newer edition. go fig.

I still can't figure out how it's a breach of academic integrity... That's pretty lame. I mean, you weren't allowed to read ANY other book besides the one assigned for the class? Unbelievable. Can't believe students have to put up with this when they pay so much for tuition.

 

[Isoprop]

I still can't figure out how it's a breach of academic integrity... That's pretty lame. I mean, you weren't allowed to read ANY other book besides the one assigned for the class? Unbelievable.

tell me about it
evidently, it's a breach in integrity bc they specifically say so in the book. no one takes it seriously i guess... except the head of the physics lab department at this univesrity who had a grudge against me and about 20 other students.

anyway, i didn't really fight it.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

You've got to have **** for brains to cheat on exams in college.

The first time I went to college, I was a slacker. I partied all the time and never went to class. I took easy classes, but it didn't matter because I never did the homework or studied. I graduated with a 2.2 GPA.

There was one time that I had to make up an exam in a "coaching theories and principles" class. I don't remember why I missed it, but it was me and two football players (one of whom is in the NFL now) taking the test together. The professor put us in a room together, left, and shut the door.

Nobody said a word. Not me, the slacker. Not the football players, who never have time to study, and aren't necessarily that smart to begin with. But if we had gotten caught, we were at least smart enough to know the consequences.

 

[Isoprop]

You've got to have **** for brains to cheat on exams in college.

The first time I went to college, I was a slacker. I partied all the time and never went to class. I took easy classes, but it didn't matter because I never did the homework or studied. I graduated with a 2.2 GPA.

There was one time that I had to make up an exam in a "coaching theories and principles" class. I don't remember why I missed it, but it was me and two football players (one of whom is in the NFL now) taking the test together. The professor put us in a room together, left, and shut the door.

Nobody said a word. Not me, the slacker. Not the football players, who never have time to study, and aren't necessarily that smart to begin with. But if we had gotten caught, we were at least smart enough to know the consequences.

posting in the preallo board???

congrats on your acceptance btw.

 

[Drogba]

after being forced to read and reread that university's student code of conduct, i found out that using a textbook not explicitly permitted by the professor is a breach of academic integrity... even an older or newer edition. go fig.

This sounds like bs, no school could expect you to have known this and I guarantee a large part of your student body is using older editions to save money. What is this some weird scam to make sure you pay academia and publishers top dollar for your books? Do you mind mentioning what school you go to because this sounds nuts. How did the teacher even find out?

 

[Isoprop]

This sounds like bs, no school could expect you to have known this and I guarantee a large part of your student body is using older editions to save money. What is this some weird scam to make sure you pay academia and publishers top dollar for your books? Do you mind mentioning what school you go to because this sounds nuts. How did the teacher even find out?

i'd rather not reveal the exact name of the school but i can say it is a UC school (california not cinci).

edit: i believe the purpose of the "unauthorized textbook" is to prevent students from using a "teacher's manual" to do problems in the back of the book. in my case, the clause was used against me. thought i want to say that i'm not bitter from the experience... well, i transferred out of there a quarter later.

 

[taponthecloud]

i'd rather not reveal the exact name of the school but i can say it is a UC school (california not cinci).

edit: i believe the purpose of the "unauthorized textbook" is to prevent students from using a "teacher's manual" to do problems in the back of the book. in my case, the clause was used against me. thought i want to say that i'm not bitter from the experience... well, i transferred out of there a quarter later.

I went to a UC and I have friends who also go/went to UC's. I have NEVER heard of this statute.

 

[Isoprop]

I went to a UC and I have friends who also go/went to UC's. I have NEVER heard of this statute.

here's ucla's definition of cheating:

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the use of unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise; or the failure to observe the expressed procedures or instructions of an academic exercise (e.g., examination instructions regarding alternate seating or conversation during an examination).

the language is very similiar to my former university's code of conduct. this is what they nailed me on. like i said, i don't agree with it, but i didn't fight it.

 

[Saregamapadanis]

My friend was caught cheating off of me on our orgo exam and not only is she getting disciplined but I am too. What should I do?

I am assuming you didn't help her cheat and you don't cheat. So, you didn't do anything wrong. You have no control of another person's actions while you are taking your own test.
Tell him that you were not helping her cheat and tell him that you can take the exam and do well.
And oh yea, dump your loser friend.

 

[Drogba]

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the use of unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise; or the failure to observe the expressed procedures or instructions of an academic exercise (e.g., examination instructions regarding alternate seating or conversation during an examination).

That is such bs. You should be able, and be expected to use any study aid you deem helpful to learn the material at hand. Problem sets are supposed to be practice anyway, any teacher that uses them for more than this and makes them a significant part of someones grade is either trying to give students a boost or is severely misguided. It never ceases to amaze me how college sometimes continue to treat their students like children. Could you imagine a medical (law, business, nursing, grad etc) school restricting the material you use to help you understand what you are studying? Talk about counter productive.

 

[da8s0859q]

That is such bs. You should be able, and be expected to use any study aid you deem helpful to learn the material at hand.

Agreed 100%, and I would never let a technicality such as a rule like that get in the way of me using third-party review materials if I felt it necessary to really know my **** in that particular course.

Naturally, if it were "illegal" because of a handbook/syllabus clause, I'd be awfully quiet about it.

As for the OP: Keep it off your transcript if at all possible. If not, well... I dunno what to tell you, but I'm certainly not gonna get self-righteous on your ass.

Good luck.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

The fact that this first post is so short on details makes me wonder if there's some additional tidbit about this story that's being left out...

 

[Isoprop]

That is such bs. You should be able, and be expected to use any study aid you deem helpful to learn the material at hand. Problem sets are supposed to be practice anyway, any teacher that uses them for more than this and makes them a significant part of someones grade is either trying to give students a boost or is severely misguided. It never ceases to amaze me how college sometimes continue to treat their students like children. Could you imagine a medical (law, business, nursing, grad etc) school restricting the material you use to help you understand what you are studying? Talk about counter productive.

i agree, it was complete bunk. also, a lot of students were in the same kind of trouble b/c they were using some girl's handwritten class notes from a few terms back. they were circulating around bc they were really really detailed and really good (can you guess that she was premed??). anyway, i'm just sharing as a cautionary tale.

 

[etf]

i'd rather not reveal the exact name of the school but i can say it is a UC school (california not cinci).

well, i transferred out of there a quarter later.

well, since it's on the quarter system, we can assume it's not berkeley. 1 down, 8 (undergrad) to go...

 

[cheezer]

My friend was caught cheating off of me on our orgo exam and not only is she getting disciplined but I am too. What should I do?

just fight it as hard as you can (but also as politely as you can). you're f*cked if that gets on your transcript...this is going to sound awful but you need to place the blame solely on your friend and claim ignorance.

 

[45408]

i have been accused and found "guilty" of academic dishonesty by using an older edition of a textbook for class. of course, i was unaware that using the book was an "unauthorized resource." i had to take a class for 1 hr a week to keep it from my transcripts.

Wow, I think the school should be expelled for academic stupidity.

 

[45408]

That is such bs. You should be able, and be expected to use any study aid you deem helpful to learn the material at hand. Problem sets are supposed to be practice anyway, any teacher that uses them for more than this and makes them a significant part of someones grade is either trying to give students a boost or is severely misguided.

No kidding. If they want to make the homework a significant part of the grade, then the professor should write his/her own problem sets each year (which is exactly what my gen chem and physics professors did), so the old ones are not available. It's not that hard! Talk about lazy faculty. Homework should rarely be a large part of your grade anyways - it should just be there so that you can keep on track with the professor's learning objectives and evaluate your own performance.

 

[da8s0859q]

just fight it as hard as you can (but also as politely as you can). you're f*cked if that gets on your transcript...this is going to sound awful but you need to place the blame solely on your friend and claim ignorance.

If, of course, you have no problem doing that.

Assuming that both people were in on it, I couldn't do it, and I'd instantly lose most respect I ever had for a person that does such a thing.

The more jaded/cynical will call me short-sighted for it, but my loyalty lies primarily with those who I care about.

 

[drizzt3117]

The more jaded/cynical will call me short-sighted for it, but my loyalty lies primarily with those who I care about.

Their friend was obviously deserving of their loyalty by cheating off them. I'm of course, assuming they weren't complicit in it... if they were, then...

 

[littlealex]

well, since it's on the quarter system, we can assume it's not berkeley. 1 down, 8 (undergrad) to go...

There aren't that many UC schools...

Davis/Berkeley both use semester systems.

He said it was similar to UCLA's language, implying that it was not UCLA that made the action.

UCSD, UCIrvine, UCRiverside.

My money is on UCIrvine. UCSD is another powerhouse and one would have no real reason to transfer out. He quoted the UCLA handbook probably because he's familiar with it and may currently go there. UCIrvine is both close to LA and significantly lower ranked that it would entice students to transfer over.

 

[cheezer]

If, of course, you have no problem doing that.

Assuming that both people were in on it, I couldn't do it, and I'd instantly lose most respect I ever had for a person that does such a thing.

The more jaded/cynical will call me short-sighted for it, but my loyalty lies primarily with those who I care about.

if both were in on it, then i don't recommend what i suggested. if your friend cheated off you without you knowing, i absolutely recommend it

 

[etf]

There aren't that many UC schools...

Davis/Berkeley both use semester systems.

He said it was similar to UCLA's language, implying that it was not UCLA that made the action.

UCSD, UCIrvine, UCRiverside.

My money is on UCIrvine. UCSD is another powerhouse and one would have no real reason to transfer out. He quoted the UCLA handbook probably because he's familiar with it and may currently go there. UCIrvine is both close to LA and significantly lower ranked that it would entice students to transfer over.

UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Merced.

I didn't know Davis was on the semester system...

 

[drizzt3117]

if both were in on it, then i don't recommend what i suggested. if your friend cheated off you without you knowing, i absolutely recommend it

+1...

If this happened to me, I'd probably be a lot more worried about the institutional action for assault that i'd be facing then the cheating

 

[taponthecloud]

That is such bs. You should be able, and be expected to use any study aid you deem helpful to learn the material at hand. Problem sets are supposed to be practice anyway, any teacher that uses them for more than this and makes them a significant part of someones grade is either trying to give students a boost or is severely misguided. It never ceases to amaze me how college sometimes continue to treat their students like children. Could you imagine a medical (law, business, nursing, grad etc) school restricting the material you use to help you understand what you are studying? Talk about counter productive.

If you google the phrase "the use of unauthorized materials, information..." it turns out that many schools (not just a UC phenomenon) have the rule in their academic code of conduct. The language is obviously very vague (ie. what exactly constitutes unauthorized materials, information, etc.) Even if they did go on to provide a list of specific offenses that fall under this statute, I highly doubt using old versions of a physics textbook was one of them.

 

[taponthecloud]

There aren't that many UC schools...

Davis/Berkeley both use semester systems.

He said it was similar to UCLA's language, implying that it was not UCLA that made the action.

UCSD, UCIrvine, UCRiverside.

My money is on UCIrvine. UCSD is another powerhouse and one would have no real reason to transfer out. He quoted the UCLA handbook probably because he's familiar with it and may currently go there. UCIrvine is both close to LA and significantly lower ranked that it would entice students to transfer over.

Well, I doubt it's UC Irvine. I have friends who go there and the profs don't care one way or another if you use old textbooks. There's even CloneNotes, where the professors write their own notes and sell them through the bookstore.

Also if it was UC Irvine that handed down the punishment, wouldn't it be hard to transfer to UCLA, a school that's ranked higher?

Finally, I went to UCLA so I know it's not UCLA that made the action

 

[DavisStudent]

There aren't that many UC schools...

Davis/Berkeley both use semester systems.

He said it was similar to UCLA's language, implying that it was not UCLA that made the action.

UCSD, UCIrvine, UCRiverside.

My money is on UCIrvine. UCSD is another powerhouse and one would have no real reason to transfer out. He quoted the UCLA handbook probably because he's familiar with it and may currently go there. UCIrvine is both close to LA and significantly lower ranked that it would entice students to transfer over.

Davis is actually on the quarter system. But most professors seem to encourage students to use older editions so they save money. A lot of time, they will post homework assignments for the new editions as well as the old editions of the textbooks. Atleast that is how things often work in many of my engineering courses.

 

[etf]

Davis is actually on the quarter system. But most professors seem to encourage students to use older editions so they save money. A lot of time, they will post homework assignments for the new editions as well as the old editions of the textbooks. Atleast that is how things often work in many of my engineering courses.

in my ochem class, the professor also encouraged us to use older editions if cheaper, and he wrote the thing!

 

[Just Joshin]

At my school, you're required to buy the solutions manual for the gen chem, physics, and Ochem textbooks so that you can check your homework. It's part of the required materials for class. It's very hard to believe that anyone got busted for using the old edition of an approved textbook and just "took it." I think we're all being played here. Sorry, Isoprop, I don't buy it.

 

[taponthecloud]

At my school, you're required to buy the solutions manual for the gen chem, physics, and Ochem textbooks so that you can check your homework. It's part of the required materials for class. It's very hard to believe that anyone got busted for using the old edition of an approved textbook and just "took it." I think we're all being played here. Sorry, Isoprop, I don't buy it.

I did sense some bogu-osity in the air, but anyway, if he's claiming it's a UC then I just have to speak up and say that this is strange, twisted, isolated case (if it's really true). There's obviously more to the story.

 

[horhay1241]

Ive heard of this rule before, but I really don't think anyone would get in trouble for using an extra or different learning resource. Not calling the person a liar, but sounds more like a grudge. At UCSD they use it to refer to old exams or labs that not all students have access too, but never for books. Sounds dumb in this case though.

To the op, you just really have to make a strong case against your "friend" and make yourself look like an angel. Fight it till the end

 

[gotmeds?]

My friend was caught cheating off of me on our orgo exam and not only is she getting disciplined but I am too. What should I do?

Actually, you were both caught cheating.

 

[Corker]

Actually, you were both caught cheating.

This is not necessarily true. The OP may NOT have been cheating at all. She may have innocently been taking her test when her friend looked at her paper. I feel we should give her the benefit of the doubt (though I would love to hear it from her on this forum so we could all quit speculating.) Most of us who have been at the top of our classes have probably had people attempt to look at our papers while we were testing (without our knowledge). I actively keep my test scantron covered, volunteer to sit at a different table (if the class is asked to "spread out"), and NEVER speak to anyone during a test (even to ask for pencil lead or something like that.) I have worked TOO HARD to let someone else ruin my academic career. This may sound harsh, and I have been teased by friends about being so proprietary about my test scantrons, but I also know that teachers actively observe both the top students and the struggling students to be sure that no information is shared during a test. A "friend" would never ask you to compromise your academic career to help him on an exam, unless he is too immature to understand the brevity of his request. Simply pointing out to the friend the importance of integrity to a person's reputation should be enough to quell any future requests for dishonesty. I have stated my values that plainly to "friends" in my classes and I believe they respect me for it. That being said, I am ALWAYS willing to help in study groups, share my study notes, etc. BEFORE the test for anyone who needs extra help. Teaching others helps me, too.

The lesson to be learned from this thread is that we must maintain integrity throughout our ENTIRE academic career. Having compassion for someone who is not as capable as you and needs help is an admirable quality (in fact, it is a quality that will add to your fit as a doctor.) But this should never overshadow integrity. The time to help someone is BEFORE the test, not DURING.

I hope this OP did NOT help her "friend." If she did not, she should definitely state her innocence (respectfully), explain the steps she took to avoid any student cheating from her (as I described above), and fiercely fight any academic penalty.

 

[gotmeds?]

This is not necessarily true. The OP may NOT have been cheating at all. She may have innocently been taking her test when her friend looked at her paper. I feel we should give her the benefit of the doubt (though I would love to hear it from her on this forum so we could all quit speculating.) Most of us who have been at the top of our classes have probably had people attempt to look at our papers while we were testing (without our knowledge). I actively keep my test scantron covered, volunteer to sit at a different table (if the class is asked to "spread out"), and NEVER speak to anyone during a test (even to ask for pencil lead or something like that.) I have worked TOO HARD to let someone else ruin my academic career. This may sound harsh, and I have been teased by friends about being so proprietary about my test scantrons, but I also know that teachers actively observe both the top students and the struggling students to be sure that no information is shared during a test. A "friend" would never ask you to compromise your academic career to help him on an exam, unless he is too immature to understand the brevity of his request. Simply pointing out to the friend the importance of integrity to a person's reputation should be enough to quell any future requests for dishonesty. I have stated my values that plainly to "friends" in my classes and I believe they respect me for it. That being said, I am ALWAYS willing to help in study groups, share my study notes, etc. BEFORE the test for anyone who needs extra help. Teaching others helps me, too.

The lesson to be learned from this thread is that we must maintain integrity throughout our ENTIRE academic career. Having compassion for someone who is not as capable as you and needs help is an admirable quality (in fact, it is a quality that will add to your fit as a doctor.) But this should never overshadow integrity. The time to help someone is BEFORE the test, not DURING.

I hope this OP did NOT help her "friend." If she did not, she should definitely state her innocence (respectfully), explain the steps she took to avoid any student cheating from her (as I described above), and fiercely fight any academic penalty.

Completely agree with you. I am willing to help out my friends in every possible way before test day -- study groups, sharing notes, whatever. But on test day, I sit right at the front of the classroom where it would be pretty much impossible to cheat. Luckily, my med school is strictly P/F and it seems to be full of like-minded people who post class notes and helpful charts for everyone else. I can't even begin to tell you how great this makes our class environment.

As far as the OP goes, I agree that she may not actually have been cheating. I guess I'm just a bit more of a pessimist about her "innocence" in this mater. I figure if she wanted to explain herself, she would've done it by now.

 

[Saregamapadanis]

Completely agree with you. I am willing to help out my friends in every possible way before test day -- study groups, sharing notes, whatever. But on test day, I sit right at the front of the classroom where it would be pretty much impossible to cheat.

Yea , same here, but at my school I have noticed people cheat and get away with it, they get As without any real knowledge of the material. Sigh, it is pathetic, I mean what is the satisfaction in earning something when you know deep down that you cheated to get it?

 

[WinterLights]

Yea , same here, but at my school I have noticed people cheat and get away with it, they get As without any real knowledge of the material. Sigh, it is pathetic, I mean what is the satisfaction in earning something when you know deep down that you cheated to get it?

People will do anything to get to where they want to go in life. What kind of sheltered life have you been living?

 

[taponthecloud]

People will do anything to get to where they want to go in life. What kind of sheltered life have you been living?

I'm not a cynical person but WinterLights is right. I hope to believe that most people have good intentions that guide their actions, but sometimes it's very easy for a person to get carried away with their own ambitions to the point where lying and cheating to get what they want become second nature. (case in point: our current gov't)

 

[da8s0859q]

I'm not a cynical person but WinterLights is right. I hope to believe that most people have good intentions that guide their actions, but sometimes it's very easy for a person to get carried away with their own ambitions to the point where lying and cheating to get what they want become second nature. (case in point: our current gov't)

Government/political comment aside, yeah, that's all too unfortunately true a lot of the time.