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Hmmm... now lemme' think.

I recall Wayne Canis.

He was my Earth Science prof.

I thought him very animated in his delivery of course material. He made it come alive!

And, he did NOT tolerate cheating. In his classes' semester opening remarks, Dr. Canis made is VERY PLAIN that he would do everything in his power to get anyone caught cheating in his classes EXPELLED from the university.

I hate cheaters.

Leopards are okay. But I hate cheaters.

I remember once that during one of his few absences (about which he did not foretell) his test was proctored. As events unfolded during the moments before class, one doofus had revealed that he had written crib notes on the palm of his hand.

What made him so brassy was that the idiot was seated center, in the first row!

I made no particular scene when he bragged outside to others, but purposed in my heart I would reveal his dishonesty.

So, during the test, I waved the proctor to my seat and wrote a note to her about the cheating that young man had done while she stood at my desk.

I had hoped she would ask to see his hand.

She did not.

Instead, she stood in front of him throughout the test. I didn't see him peek at his hand, and he made every effort to keep it concealed.

I was beside myself with incredulity!

When I completed the test and left the classroom, I made no particular demonstration.

Later that week, when Dr. Canis returned, I spoke with him in confidence about the matter.

I too, wanted to see that cheater and liar expelled from the university, not only for his blatant dishonesty, but for his brazenly craven attitude.

Unfortunately, Dr. Canis said there was nothing he could do since he did not witness the event, and the proctor did nothing. But, he assured me she would not proctor any more of his tests. I left his presence sensing she would probably not proctor any more tests at UNA.

Though I don't recall with great clarity, I think that liar/cheater/thief dropped out of the class, and may have dropped out of the university.

I recall this verse when I think about what I did: "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." [Ephesians 5:11 - NKJV]

Considering honesty and integrity of character, there is a little school not too far from Nashville, in the tiny Tennessee town of Bell Buckle.

It's called "The Webb School." That 6-12 private boarding school has produced ten Rhodes scholars... far more than any other school.

It's been around for well over 100 years, and every student voluntarily signs their code of honor. It reads, "I pledge my word of honor as a Webb gentleman or lady that I will not lie, cheat, or steal."

Interestingly, theft is not a problem there.

Webb School's 1870 founder William Robert "Old Sawney" Webb wrote this about personal integrity: "Personal integrity is more important than money, power or fame."

In a recent (15 September 2008) article about computer-based technology and higher education, TimesDaily writer Michelle Rupe Eubanks wrote "The university has an academic honor code, but the punishment for being caught for cheating or plagiarizing is nebulous."
(ref: Link)

"Nebulous..." Imagine that.

I think if UNA had such a code that relied upon the highest character qualities comprising exemplary integrity, the quality of students, the character of the university and the overall sense of pride in the institution within and without would rise exorbitantly.

Perhaps they will.

Pride cannot co-exist with dishonesty.

Now THAT would be Lion pride!
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During my senior year we had a proctor for our Money & Banking (finance class) final. A lot of people cheated on the final AND were caught. What happened? Every person in the class was given the option to retake their final or take the average of their class tests for their grade on the final. I see one of the cheaters around town, he works for a bank in Florence, and it makes me want to puke. No one was expelled or even disciplined.
Everyone knows that the University's policy regarding penalties for cheating is "nebulous" because the University administration focuses more on quantity of students than on quality -- never mind if some are lazy, dumb, or dishonest. Enforcement of university honor codes is risible. Some professors go to length to counter some of the more blatant cheating: for example, by giving alternate exams with mixed-up orders of questions to make it a little harder for students with roving eyes to cheat.
UNA professors don't care about their students. I have been to three colleges in my lifetime. At the first one, I had a 4.0 all the while graduating high school and getting ready to be married. The second, I was enrolled in the Honors Forum classes (which meant a higher level of acedemics) with a 3.5 gpa. When I transfered to UNA my first semester was a 1.2 gpa!

There was an instance when I became so sick I was nearly hospitalized. I went to the teacher and asked for the work I had missed (with dr's note in hand) he told me that he couldn't help me because he didn't keep up with it and I should get the makeup work from a peer!

This same professor then told me that in order to give me a few more minutes on an exam (in a proctored environment) I would have to have a certified learning disability.

I should have stayed at UWA
So no, UNA doesn't care about their domestic students. And why should they?! Exchange students bring in much more revenue.

My best friend was attending to be a science teacher. She took every science class UNA offered. EVERY ONE. However she could not graduate because she needed 16 more hours of science to complete her requirements!

How does that make sense?
Sassy, you should have gone to the dean and requested your make up work--explaining what happened when you asked your teacher. Don't dismiss all UNA professors just because of one bad example. Just asking--in your first post you said you went to your first college while still finishing high school and getting ready to be married? What were you enrolled in some type of dual enrollment or something?
But, I also understand the problem your friend had. UNA required me to take two graduate level reading courses when completing my master's. Problem was they only offered one. We finally worked out a solution--again by getting the dean involved.
quote:
Originally posted by sassyfied19:
UNA professors don't care about their students. I have been to three colleges in my lifetime. At the first one, I had a 4.0 all the while graduating high school and getting ready to be married. The second, I was enrolled in the Honors Forum classes (which meant a higher level of acedemics) with a 3.5 gpa. When I transfered to UNA my first semester was a 1.2 gpa!

There was an instance when I became so sick I was nearly hospitalized. I went to the teacher and asked for the work I had missed (with dr's note in hand) he told me that he couldn't help me because he didn't keep up with it and I should get the makeup work from a peer!

This same professor then told me that in order to give me a few more minutes on an exam (in a proctored environment) I would have to have a certified learning disability.

I should have stayed at UWA

Since I am an alumni and my son is attending, I find I must disagree with your assesment of the university as a whole. There are always a few that are arzes, 99% would bend over backwards to help. My son has chronic migraines and has always made that known at the start of every semester, he has always been treated fairly and has been given help when he has missed class.
I do not understand how you went from a 3.5 to a 1.2. Since a doctor's excuse is not required now except for missed finals, I do not see how you performed so badly. You would have had to blow almost every test and project. Was this all do to missed classes?
Last edited by LMM
quote:
My best friend was attending to be a science teacher. She took every science class UNA offered. EVERY ONE. However she could not graduate because she needed 16 more hours of science to complete her requirements!

UNA general science secondary education degree has 81 hours of courses listed plus the mandatory 64 for general studies, which total 145, so I don't see how your friend did not have enough hours.

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