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Mehle said this has lowered the
grading standards because grad
ers are required to know many
more versions. But, he said, "a
third of the students still flunk
and two-thirds still get A's or
A-pluses."
Mehle said the most common
type of cheating in his course was
the use of crib notes, a collection
of information on a small piece of
paper.
"Cheating is a desperation move
by students who don't have good
study skills and feel they need an
unfair advantage over other stu
dents," he said.
A dramatic change has occured
in the number of cheating inci
dences reported from the psy
chology class since its reorgani
zation, Mehle said.
"It has just about dried up
compared to other semesters,"
said Mehle, who claims about a
90 percent decrease in the number
of cheating incidences.
However, he said, bribes have
been offered to teaching assis
tants several times this semester.
He quoted one student saying,
"How much will it take, I'm serious,
to get you to change my grade?"
Students even threaten the lives
of his teaching assistants. Mehle
said, all of which violates the uni
versity's Code of Conduct.
Mehle said people forge his
name to get into the course. He
'Hub ' of UNL judicial process
tries to instill academic integrity
By Kevin Dugsn
Daily Nebraskan Sti ff Reporter
LuAnn Krager of the Division
of Student Life, says that unless
students have a sense of aca-
demic integrity, grades and pride
are meaningless. , ,
Krager, the "hub" of UNL'sjudi-
cial process, works with students
suspected of violating the univer-
sky's Code of Conduct.
Once evidence of code viola-
tion is obtained, Krager sends
notice to the student citing the
code number and giving an expla-
nation. She tells the students their
rights, and has them come to her
office to give their accour.t of the
situation.
Students are given the right of
due process, Krager said. There is
no anonymous activity; the
accused get to face their accusors.
She then works with both par
ties and, depending on the sever
ity of the complaint, works out a
resolution or refers the case to
the Judicial Board. Krager said
she applies a developmental phi:
losophy to her job. Actions which
are quickly met with consequen
ces become a better learning
experience for the student, she
said.
III an instance where, because
of naivete, a freshman follows the
bad advice of an upper-classman
and forges an instructor's signa
ture to get a class, Krager said,
she would probably resort to pas
sive disciplinary action like a warn
ing or perhaps academic proba
tion. In the case of repeated offenses
or more serious and blatant ones,
such as changing grades on a
document, Krager said she would
apply more active disciplinary
action like academic or personal
counseling, or else send the casa
before the Judicial Board.
. The Judicial Board, which con
sists of five students and four
faculty members, reserves the
power of expulsion. However,
Krsgsr said, "it b more likely the
student will be suspended than
expelled. We are not a busting
unit "
Krager said she arranges the
Judicial Board hearings. Though
said he normally does not take
these cases before the Judicial
Board. In order to alleviate this
problem, he wants to increase'
enrollment by 20 percent and
thereby not turn down any stu
dents who wish to take the class.
Sisson, who published an arti
cle on cheating in the Winter
1983 issue of Blue Print, a college
of engineering and technology pub
lication, said he is aware of a
reluctance on the part of some
professors to get involved.
"I have on several occasions,"
Sisson said, "reported incidences
of academic dishonesty to the
teacher and chairman, and have
met with opposition from (them)."
Sisson said the chairman told
him that if the teacher would not
do anything, there was nothing
he could do.
On another occasion, two stu
dents collaborated on a lab re
write which, Sisson said, was a
"black and white" situation of
cheating, according to the sylla
bus. Sisson said when he con
fronted the teacher with it, the
instructor was hesitant and did
not want to get involved.
Sisson said net all cheating is
clearly defined; there exists a
gray area as well. He gave an
example of sources being improp
erly used, which constitutes pla
giarism, but the intent is difficult
to prove.
Mehle, who claims he has never
lost an appeal, said preparation
she is not part of the deliberation,
she monitors the hearing, gives
the record of events and sche-
dules counseling if deemed neces-
sary. Once the board makes a
decision, participants are given
three days to appeal, she said.
All of this is done to get stu-
dents to face their actions, to
represent themselves and to deal
with the logical consequences of
bad decisions, Krager said.
All "meetings and hearings are
confidential, unless a student signs
a release waiver for professional
school or a job application, Krager
said. Sanctions are kept private
and hearings kept closed unless
the student wants to bring a
Sr fi)
xX
for Judicial Board hearings are
time consuming and emotionally
draining. To provide proof of aca
demic dishonesty, Mehle said, he
brings in witnesses, statements
and documents. He said the paper
work and scheduling of witnesses
takes about 10 to 15 hours of
preparation.
"It is understandable to me
why some professors would look
the other way " Mehle said, "but I
think I owe it to the honest stu
dents to detect cheaters."
Mehle also said he owes it to
the cheaters to be fairly punitive.
"I try to prosecute appropriately,"
he said. "Not too much, not too
little."
Although he has met with obsti
nance from some faculty members,
Sisson said he has received sup
port from some instructors. His
Blue Print article raised people's
consciousness and produced posi
tive effects in his classes, he said.
Sisson said one change
instructors have made to prevent
"gray area" academic dishonesty
is to outline specific rules in their
syllabi One instructor changed
policy in the middle of the semes
ter because of student complaints
on the potential for cheating,
Sisson said.
If teachers do not want to con
front cheaters, then they should
remove the potential and make it
impossible to cheat, Sisson said.
Of all the reasons for cheating,
the general consensus of those
friend or counsel, but the student
must speak for themselves, she
said.
.
"We really work at being
protective of student information,
That's first and foremost," Krager
said.
The files are not completely
confidential, however.
UNL faculty have limited access
to the files, Krager said. First,
they must explain their interest
in a particular student's file and
how it relates to their helping the
student. Then if the request is
deemed worthy, Krager said, some
specific information maybe
released,.
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interviewed was that people cheat
because of pressures to get good
grades and to maintain a high
grade point average.
Harri3 said the emphasis on
GPA only makes things worse.
Sisson said class priority in
some colleges (for example busi
ness administration) is based on
a student's GPA. Some forms of
financial aid also are based upon
merit, he said.
"These are the pressures which
create the need to cheat," Sisson
said.
Sisson said he is concerned
with the effect cheating has on
the institution.
CORRECTION
In our Monday, November 26th ad in the
Daily Nebraskan, we inadvertently priced all
Big Red clothing and Trivial Pursuit at 20 off.
We regret any problems
this might have caused.
I J I X S 7 vYW
i
MM til
.... V
The A uthors revealed Saturday, December 1. See
Friday's Journal Star and Daily Nebraskan for details.
mm
ibm a Bodzstom
It's time to
Conduct your
JuniorSenior Check
f
And there's help if it reminds
you of a needed course that you
meant to take but didn't.
UNL's independent study by correspondence could
help you fit your needed course into your busy final
semester. Over 75 courses are available, so you can
work at your place, at your pace. For more
information visit the Division of Continuing Studies
Independent Study Department, room 269, Nebraska
Center for-Continuing Education, 33rd & Holdrege.
Take the shuttle bus
472-1926.
UNL does not discriminate
in its ecaderric, admissions
or emloym4nt programs,
nd tfc-idas by eJl federal
regulations pertaining to
same.
"One or two cheaters in a small
class can raise the grading curve
immensely," he said. "If cheating
is ignored it will tend to snowball
and create incompetency in the
field down the line.
Cheating lessens the quality of
education and bssens the respect
of the institution in the job
market," Sisson said.
Sisson said this is why he advo
cates students, who have con
crete evidence, turning in cheat
ers and contacting the Division of
Student Life for guidance. He said
records kept by the division will
prevent repeat offenders from
slipping by.
OnMntwMl ltW
? J
Open Monday Fnday. 8-5 30. Saturday. 9 5 30
iii
12tttRStrett In Lincoln Ctntor 476-0111
from city campus.
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Or call 0
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