Cheating in class

[RNStudent-2013]

Two students were caught stealing an instructors exam when she stepped out for a moment. She came back and about 30 minutes later noticed that the test was missing, at that time she began to panic and asked the entire class to look around to see if she has set it down or if they had accidentally picked not up. Well, to no surprise nobody turned it in and everyone went home for the day. Later a classmate returned in tears saying that she had "accidentally" gone up to the podium grabbed the test taken it to her car, left it there on a break and then returned to class. It wasn't until an hour later when she arrived home when she realized that she had the exam. Now the reason that I say 2 students is because after she took it she allegedly gave it to her friend who then put it in her notebook... This part is a bit confusing but what we do know is the two of them we're in on this together. Now where the story gets really good is that knowing all of this took place, the students are still enrolled and were given the exact same test that was stolen. Oh and the RN program is almost over, only 2 weeks left to go. Now did the school fail to act? Knowing that a test was stollen shouldn't reprimand be be in place? Any input would be nice.

[AndreaBurris]

I think that even if the teacher was giving those two students the benefit of the doubt for "accidently" taking the test, the fair thing to do would be to give both of these students a different version of the test. Whether they took it intentionally or unintentionally the chances are that they looked at the test, giving them an unfair advantage.

[ADN2B]

Sounds fishy to me. How in the world do you manage to accidentally take the instructor's exam?

[RNStudent-2013]

Exactly, how do you accidentally take something after walking to the podium while the instructor is out of the room? Then you decide to pack up all your things to go on a break (which is when it was somehow got left in her car) and then she returned to class. We were all asked numerous times if we had seen the test and to go through our books/notes to see if somehow it had been passed out with all the mix of papers we had been given. After 45 min of searching and not finding it we were all dismissed for the day. Then this girl decides to come back an hour later in tears saying that she found it and had taken it on accident.

Sorry, but there are just too many accidents in this story for it to make any sense. I think that she needs to be held accountable for her actions. Policy for things like this are automatic dismissal from the program...weather you only have 2 weeks to go or not. In some ways only having 2 weeks left makes it even worse!

[donk]

Wow... That sounds like quite the accident. I would think that qualifies as academic dishonesty and there would be serious repercussions but that's me.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

If this had happened in my nursing school, both students would have failed the course. How does one "accidentally" steal a test?

[SunshineDaisy, ASN, RN]

Ok, I could understand if she had put her papers or notebook or whatever on top and grabbed it, unknowingly. That is an accident. Especially if you didn't know the test was there. But, from what it sounds like, she knew the test was there, grabbed it, then took it to her car, then gave it to a friend? Yeah, that's not an accident. That seems intentional and should be punishable.

[Kimynurse]

If the school feels it was an accident. There is nothing you can do about it accept to graduate in 2 weeks and pass the NCLEX.

The cheaters if they've been cheating the whole time will fail the NCLEX.

The Karma bus will take care of them.

It stinks if the cheated, and school did nothing, but I don't think you can do anything.

[tracylynne79]

At this point it seems pointless to worry about it or get involved. Really, you should only worry about yourself in school. I am in class with women who spend far too much time with their noses in everyone else's business. I am not implying that is what you are doing...but at the end of the day it really doesn't have anything to do with you! Keep your nose to the grind stone, finish strong and get through school!!! They will have to sleep at night knowing they cheated. Take responsibility for your own actions and let go of things beyond your control!

Congrats on being close to the finish line! I only have 55 days left myself :)

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

Later a classmate returned in tears saying that she had "accidentally" gone up to the podium grabbed the test taken it to her car, left it there on a break and then returned to class.

So was she trying to get the restroom, got lost, ended up at "the podium," and then just decided to take some random papers and go to her car? Kinda weird if you ask me. Then again, as someone else mentioned, if they school buys her story, not much you can do. They know about, they didn't do much about it....such is life.

As for karma, I don't buy it. Many people justify 'not doing anything' with the though that karma will take care of it, but that is really not a very good course of (in)action. However, there truly is little that can be done in this situation. On the NCLEX, this student could pull a lot of questions in one of the areas in which they are strong and pass. Not fair, but neither is life.

[elkpark]

The first nursing program (community college) in which I taught had a policy that I used to think of as "the first bite is free" -- that is, I was shocked to learn the first time I caught a student cheating that the student was not going to get kicked out of school. The first time you were caught cheating, you got told that you weren't allowed to do that (well, duh ....). At least in that program, though, the student got a 0 on that exam/assignment, and whether or not they continued in the program depended on whether or not her/his other grades were good enough to end up with a passing grade at the end of the term (and, if they got caught cheating a second time, they were kicked out).