…study groups can get you in trouble too.
Chris Avenir, a first year engineering student at Ryerson University in Toronto is facing expulsion for academic dishonesty. The devious rascal is accused of cheating on some chemistry assignments (guess he won’t be going into chem eng) by setting up a Facebook group. In the said Facebook group, students would share tips and answers to assignments which they would then hand in for marks. It was a type of online study group made up of 147 people (coincidentally, Mr. Avenir is charged with 147 counts of academic dishonesty – the other students…not so much).
Many of Chris’s supporters (especially online, Facebook) have accused the University of being behind the times.
What I don’t understand is why they are going only after him and not the other people in the group too? Postings made to Facebook groups are identified by their post-er. It would be fairly easy to expel someone who posted answers and actually cheated. Instead Ryerson University is playing the “you aided academic dishonesty” card and going after the creator of the group.
I do understand why Ryerson is pursuing this though. They’re trying to make an example of Chris; set a precedent for any online collaboration in the future. Unfortunately the hearings are behind closed doors and we don’t know what kind of evidence the university has. His hearing was yesterday so the results should be available I would say at the latest next week.
Here’s the Ryerson University Student Code of Academic Conduct for anyone who would like to take a read.
Bonne chance, Chris! We’re rooting for you.
(Yeah, go ahead an accuse me of aiding and abetting academic dishonesty now!)
Technorati Tags: Ryerson University, engineering, academic dishonesty, Facebook
[...] University has started expulsion proceedings against a student because of his involvement with Facebook study group. Mark Federman, a professor at the Ontario [...]
[...] charging a student with 147 counts of academic dishonesty, they began expulsion proceedings. The student has since not been expelled, forced to attend a [...]