Valedictorian caught cheating

[pinknursepower]

so my graduating class just found out who will be representing our class as valedictorian and it's a student that was caught cheating on an exam. she was caught on camera and later admitted to the cheating. I feel someone like this should not represent our school or class as a valedictorian. It sets a bad example that cheating will be tolerated. there are many students that sacrifice so much for nursing and this bothers me that someone like this would be honored. she was caught once cheating but there could be other times she cheated and didnt get caught. I addressed this issue with administration. Please give me your opinion about this. Am I over thinking this?

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

TOO funny!!! I can see it now, on a student forum... "I fought for my place as valedictorian...AND WON!!!" "My classmates are all a bunch of young-eating haters, but my INSTRUCTORS saw what a very special snowflake I am, and how beautiful I am! I just wanted to share how much adversity I overcame!!!!"

Her cover letter for her first job will likely include how she 'overcame adversity' (cheating and getting caught) and still managed to graduate class valedictorian.

OP, agree that this is wrong on so many levels.

[mc3, ASN, RN]

You know, I'll probably get flamed for this but...Yes, it's terrible this happened and reflects poorly on the school and your instructors that this is allowed to go on. However, in the whole scheme of things it doesn't matter! You're done with them - move on! Try and put this aside and enjoy your graduation. Be proud of your own accomplishments and don't think twice about others... It will catch up to them eventually. And honestly, no one will care in the "real" nursing world, and you'll never have to see this person again.

I've learned in this nursing world we've chosen to choose your battles wisely....

Congratulations and the best to you,

mc3:up:

[Red Kryptonite]

However, in the whole scheme of things it doesn't matter!

Thanks for checking in, Mrs. Clinton. Had any good emails lately?

[RainMom]

You know, I'll probably get flamed for this but...Yes, it's terrible this happened and reflects poorly on the school and your instructors that this is allowed to go on. However, in the whole scheme of things it doesn't matter! You're done with them - move on! Try and put this aside and enjoy your graduation. Be proud of your own accomplishments and don't think twice about others... It will catch up to them eventually. And honestly, no one will care in the "real" nursing world, and you'll never have to see this person again.

I've learned in this nursing world we've chosen to choose your battles wisely....

Congratulations and the best to you,

mc3:up:

I beg to differ. It does matter. Assuming by some miracle she does pass NCLEX, this nurse may very well be a coworker some day for OP (or any number of us).

She lacks the integrity to follow the rules in school & devalues the education she was privileged to receive. It's no stretch of the imagination for me to foresee that the cheating student may become that nurse who disregards the many safety checks we perform daily to protect our pts, the nurse who covers up mistakes to save her butt, and/or the nurse who gets caught for diverting.

[mc3, ASN, RN]

Thanks for checking in, Mrs. Clinton. Had any good emails lately?

Umm, no, actually I'm pretty much a conservative :) As I said, this will catch up to her, and it surely reflects poorly on your instructors and program. It's most definitely wrong! Hopefully she won't pass NCLEX. I'm not saying don't be upset! What I am saying is to move along. She and her classmates have made it clear they're upset, and they've made their point.

As I get older, I try and pick and choose my battles, that's all. With classmates, no. With patients, absolutely yes.

And I think we can agree to disagree without name-calling - just saying.....

mc3:cat:

[Red Kryptonite]

Umm, no, actually I'm pretty much a conservative :) As I said, this will catch up to her, and it surely reflects poorly on your instructors and program. It's most definitely wrong! Hopefully she won't pass NCLEX. I'm not saying don't be upset! What I am saying is to move along. She and her classmates have made it clear they're upset, and they've made their point.

As I get older, I try and pick and choose my battles, that's all. With classmates, no. With patients, absolutely yes.

And I think we can agree to disagree without name-calling - just saying.....

mc3:cat:

Your politics are irrelevant. I said that because of Mrs. Clinton declaring at the Benghazi hearing that it made no difference whether she lied. I don't think most Americans agree with that.

And most people think it really does matter of the valedictorian is a known and proven cheater.

[mc3, ASN, RN]

Ok, I think you're missing my point, though. Not interested in arguing, just expressing my opinion That's what's so great about Allnurses!

mc3

[klone, MSN, RN]

No, I don't think she missed your point. Just doesn't agree with it.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

I want to add something but I just can't stop shaking my head.

She either is sleeping with someone, her parents are donating large sums of money or she has family/friends that work there.

Just because she has a stellar GPA doesn't mean she never cheater before. My guess is, she DID cheat before & she never got caught. So she kept on doing it until they caught her. But the fact that they didn't kick her out & gave her an extra week to study is sickening. It only turns my stomach more that they are letting her be the Valedictorian when she truly doesn't deserve it.

[CaptCrzy]

This situation would piss me off if I were in the OP place but I think it is important to take the high road here and act with a little grace. Don't mess with your special day by holding on to a grudge and acting maliciously; turning your backs on her or walking out is really immature. Make the day about celebration and not a vendetta. Let it go! That being said, the cheater should also act with a little grace and step down but she obviously likes to make poor choices and is selfish. We all have to live with our choices; the good and the bad.

[imenid37]

To a great extent, I'd say you do have to leave it. No matter how lousy it feels, it may not be possible to get the school to change this decision. The schools are sometimes foolish and very worried about getting sued if a student thinks something isn't "fair." Maybe that is why the school let this person be the valedictorian. They may have feared a suit if she had the highest GPA and she did not get this "honour." I bet some of the faculty feel as you do. It does say something (not good) about a school that gives in to this this lack of integrity or lapse in judgement. It must be hard to take if the person herself is very arrogant about it. If your school is like most I have attended, you get a lot of requests for alumni donations. In your case, my answer to donations would be "No way!"

At this point, you can let this student and the flawed decision ruin your experience or you can celebrate your well earned success. It would feel great in some respects to embarrass this person at graduation, but your friends and family care about you guys and want a nice memory of the culmination of a ll you have done. The student and the school deserve the embarrassment, but you don't. The worst I'd do is not cheer for the person. Why should she cheat you out of the celebration?

[pinknursepower, BSN]

Today we had a class meet and administration told us they are investigating the situation and will let us know on Tuesday if this student will be valedictorian or not she continued to say we are haters and laugh at us. She is really childish