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The Big Q A dialogue on the big questions college students face.
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The following postings have been filtered by category Grades, Classes, Academics. clear filter
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Wednesday, Apr. 24, 2013
The best student comment on "A Tale of Two Cheaters" wins a $100 Amazon gift certificate. Entries must be received by midnight, Sunday, May 5th, 2013. Subscribe to the blog (by RSS or by e-mail in the right hand column) for updates.
**DISCLAIMER: All characters and scenarios in this post are fictional.**
Rebecca is a freshman this year, and the transition from high school to college has been pretty academically difficult for her. She has always been an excellent student, however, so she takes the challenge in stride.
After turning in a final paper for one of her English classes, Rebecca receives an e-mail from her professor informing her that she has failed the class. Rebecca can’t believe it—perhaps she put less effort into this paper than her others, but she certainly didn’t produce F-quality work! She immediately responds and asks why. Her professor informs Rebecca that she had included a paragraph in her paper that was copied and pasted verbatim from an online source, and that Rebecca had failed to provide a citation. The professor then refers Rebecca to the section on academic integrity in the course syllabus, which clearly states that any student found plagiarizing will fail the course.
At the same university that week, Nick wraps up his first round of sophomore year exams. He’s thrilled to be heading home for break after an extremely tough quarter, and is pretty happy with his grades as they begin showing up online. However, he notices he received a C in a class that he was expecting a solid A in, and e-mails his professor to ask why. His professor responds that she found several instances of plagiarism in his final paper, so he failed his final assignment, and that affected his final grade. She also notes that this is consistent with her policy on academic integrity as stated in her syllabus.
Ultimately, for similar acts of plagiarism at the same school, Rebecca and Nick suffer very different consequences. Rebecca fails a course, while Nick fails a final paper. Is this fair? Should schools force faculty to have the same policy about plagiarism across the board, or should it be up to the faculty’s discretion? What would be a fair punishment?
Useful Resources
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Monday, Mar. 11, 2013
The best student comment on "Picking Up the Slack" wins a $100 Amazon gift certificate. Entries must be received by midnight, Sunday, March 24, 2013. Subscribe to the blog (by RSS or by e-mail in the right hand column) for updates.
**DISCLAIMER: All characters and scenarios in this post are fictional.**
Greg and Natalie have been in business classes together since freshman year. While they’re not close friends, they have always enjoyed each other’s company in class and have been in the same social circle as they’ve moved from lower division courses to where they are now: senior capstone. Greg and a few of his friends invite Natalie to join their group at the start of the term, and they begin to work on their project.
Fairly quickly, though, Greg realizes that Natalie isn’t pulling her weight. Any aspect of the project that’s assigned to her has to be redone by other members of the group, she doesn’t pay attention in meetings, and she consistently shows up late or hung over. Greg and his other groupmates think that Natalie needs to step it up and take this project seriously, but they ultimately agree it would be more trouble than it’s worth to confront her about it. They decide to just push through and let her do her own thing. Natalie continues to participate marginally in discussions, planning, and writing, but makes it clear through her actions that their final presentation is not her biggest priority.
After Greg’s group gives its final presentation, the members are asked to write an evaluation on their teammates that the professor will use to determine individual grades. When it comes to most of his teammates, Greg easily gives them all A’s and B’s for their participation and contributions to the project. However, when Greg comes to Natalie’s evaluation, he is faced with a dilemma. It’s their last big project before graduation, and if he were to evaluate her in a harsh way, it could negatively affect her cumulative GPA. He doesn’t want to throw her under the bus; however, her apathy and poor work ethic put a huge burden on everyone else’s shoulders, and Greg had to personally sacrifice a lot of time and effort to make up for her mistakes or tasks that she left undone.
Is it worth giving her an honest evaluation, just so the professor will give her the grade she deserves? Or is giving her a bad evaluation petty and unnecessary, considering that they are all about to graduate and their group received an A, regardless of her performance?
Useful Resources
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Monday, Nov. 26, 2012
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Monday, Jul. 23, 2012
The best college student comment on "Once A Cheater..." wins a $200 Amazon gift certificate. Entries must be received by midnight, August 5. Finalists are selected by likes, so get your friends to like your comment. Subscribe to the blog (by RSS or by email in the right hand column) for updates.
Devon thought it might be difficult to make friends when he went to college, but three weeks into his freshman year, he had already found two of the best friends he could ask for. They did everything together, from basketball to homework. And, as luck would have it, Devon randomly shared the same class as one of these friends, Cory.
In that class, Devon noticed that his friend cheated profusely. Not only would Cory plagiarize assignments, but he would also use his phone to cheat on tests. Still they were friends; whatever Cory did in class was his own business and shouldn’t matter to the friendship, Devon thought.
One night, however, the three friends were playing poker, and Cory kept getting good hand after good hand. As much as Devon wanted to call it coincidence, he couldn’t help thinking of Cory cheating in class. On a later day, Devon played against his two friends in basketball; Cory claimed he was fouled even though Devon didn’t see it.
Now, Cory has asked to “look over” Devon’s essay for their class--just to give Cory an idea of where to start. Devon wants to help his friend out, but worries about what Cory’s real intentions might be.
Is Devon just being paranoid? Would it make sense for Devon to trust his other friend more than Cory? Does cheating in class reflect anything about your character outside of it?
A Framework for Ethical Decision Making
Cheating in College is Widespread - But Why?
What is Plagiarism, and is it Always Bad?
Photo by theentiregospel available under a Creative Commons license on Google Images.
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Thursday, Jun. 21, 2012
The best college student comment on "Cheat Sheet" wins a $200 Amazon gift certificate. Entries must be received by midnight, August 5. Finalists are selected by likes, so get your friends to like your comment. Subscribe to the blog (by RSS or by email in the right hand column) for updates.
Shelby has been studying for the past two weeks for her final in chemistry. Her grade in the class is much lower than it should be, and her father has warned her to improve it or there will be consequences. So declining party invitations, restricting her time with friends, and spending hours in the library, Shelby has done a lot to prepare for this exam.
Come test day, Shelby sits next to a mutual friend of hers that lives on the same floor in their dorm. Talking with her before the test begins, Shelby notices that this friend has hidden a cheat sheet at the top of her backpack.
Ordinarily, Shelby wouldn’t be concerned about it; however, the professor has already announced that he will be grading the test on a strict curve. Even if everyone does really well, the professor will divide up the grades to make sure there’s a limited amount of A’s and B’s. Should Shelby report what she’s seen to the teacher? Should she keep it to herself? What would you do?
A Framework for Ethical Decision Making
Cheating in College is Widespread - But Why?
What Does It Really Mean to Curve Grades?
Photo by Mr_Stein available under a Creative Commons license.
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Monday, Jun. 18, 2012
With about two-thirds of 14,000 undergraduates in a recent study admitting that they cheat on tests and assignments, colleges and universities are looking for ways to engage students on the importance of academic integrity.
This summer, The Big Q will focus on cheating. Every two weeks beginning June 25 and ending July 30, The Big Q Facebook page and blog will feature a new case study illustrating an aspect of academic integrity. A $200 Amazon gift card will go to the best undergraduate response on each of three cases. The Big Q will also run a weekly poll on students' attitudes toward cheating.
For the past three years, the Ethics Center has partnered with SCU's Office of Student Life to offer summer sessions on academic integrity to every incoming freshman at Santa Clara.
"What we've found," says Center Assistant Director Miriam Schulman, "is that students often think of cheating as a victimless crime—an action that may be unethical but that doesn't hurt anyone else." The materials for The Big Q project put cheating in the context of fairness, showing how it provides an unfair advantage that does, indeed, harm classmates.
Also, Schulman notes, "Many students believe that they can quarantine cheating—just doing it in classes outside their major or courses that have no impact on their professional readiness. " In response, The Big Q case studies encourage students to think about how the act of cheating changes the cheater, eroding character in ways that affect every aspect of their lives.
SCU will be using the cases and polls this year in 26 orientation sessions for freshmen, and organizers hope the dialog spreads beyond the Santa Clara campus. The Big Q is free and available to faculty or staff at any university who wish to use the materials. Contests are open to any student at a 2- or 4-year college or university.
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Monday, May. 14, 2012
The best college student comment on "The Dream Act" wins a $100 Amazon gift certificate. Entries must be received by midnight, May 28. Finalists are selected by likes, so get your friends to like your comment. Subscribe to the blog (by RSS or by email in the right hand column) for updates.
Ana immigrated illegally to the United States from Mexico when she was just two-years-old. Alongside her father and two older siblings, Ana was carried on her mother’s back to California where they now reside. Sixteen years later, Ana is applying to college; however, she needs public funding in order to attend these institutions.
The California DREAM Act—a bill similar to the national DREAM Act which helps minors who have arrived illegally attain permanent residency—would allow Ana access to scholarships and funding she needs to attend college. However, any money that she receives from the state is the same taxpayers’ money that could be going to other students.
Is it fair, then, that Ana, who is in the country illegally, receive the funds that Californian citizens could use as well? Should Ana’s eligibility to receive such public funds depend on whether her parents have worked and contributed to society during their time in California? How much of Ana’s educational aspirations should be sacrificed because of her parents' decision when she was an infant?
Further Information
Framework for Ethical Decision Making
Overview Of The National Dream Act
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Monday, Mar. 19, 2012
The best college student comment on "Making the Grade" wins a $100 Amazon gift certificate. Entries must be received by midnight, April 1. Finalists are selected by likes, so get your friends to like your comment. Subscribe to the blog (by RSS or by email in the right hand column) for updates.
Alejandro is a junior economics major who wants to go into business. Right now, he needs to choose his classes for next quarter. He’s interested in “Mathematical Economics and Optimization,” but it has the reputation of being a killer course. Instead, maybe he should take a class in Spanish, his native language. That would certainly help his GPA.
Should Alejandro challenge himself with the mathematical economics class knowing he will learn a lot? Or is he better off just taking the Spanish class, knowing he will get an A, which will help him toward his eventual goal of grad school or a business career?
Useful Resources
Framework for Ethical Decision Making
Does Your GPA Really Matter?
When the Tail Wags the Dog: Perceptions of Learning and Grade Orientation in, and by, Contemporary College Students and Faculty
Photo by Jose Kevo used under a Creative Commons license.
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Monday, Sep. 19, 2011
Juliana was a good student in high school. She wasn't valedictorian, but she got mostly As and Bs. Her parents thought they had to sit on her to get her assignments done, but she thought they worried too much. After all, she did get into the college of her choice and was starting her freshman year at school.
Juliana was looking forward to the independence of the college environment. There was only one hitch: her parents were insisting that she allow them to see her grades. Because she was 18, by law, she was an adult. But by her parents' law, she was either going to make her records accessible or they weren't going to pay for school.
Was it right for them to invade her privacy like this?
Here are some useful resources:
A Framework for Ethical Decision Making
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Photo by quinn.anya available under Creative Commons License.
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Monday, Aug. 1, 2011
Best student comment wins a $50 Amazon Gift Certificate. Responses must be received by midnight August 7, 2011.
Francesca is taking an introductory chemistry class this quarter with a bunch of people from her dorm. Knowing that chemistry is not her strongest subject, she studies regularly. Before the midterm, her friends from the dorm go out partying, but she stays up all night going over the material.
Francesca goes into the exam feeling somewhat confident. She knows the professor will grade on the curve, and she will probably do better than her dormmates, who have hardly cracked the book. During the exam the professor leaves the room temporarily. While he is gone, Francesca notices Nick, a guy from her dorm, sneakily pulling out his IPod and consulting a crib sheet he has downloaded. He then passes the IPod over to Chloe. Both of them notice her watching, and wink at her.
Should Francesca inform the professor of this cheating? Won't her dormmates suspect she was the "snitch"? She has to live with these people for the rest of the year.
Here are some resources you might find useful
A Framework for Ethical Decision Making
Cheating in College is Widespread - But Why?
What Does It Really Mean to Curve Grades?
Photo by Jixar available under Attribution- Non Commercial- No Derivs License.
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