Professors at fault for cheating

Hiding notes, writing answers in hand, wandering eyes, and asking other classmates for answers are only a few ways to cheat on a test. But let’s get creative.

Taking pictures of the textbook with a phone or text messaging answers are clever ways to cheat.

To most cheaters, there is nothing better than getting away with the act and acing a test.

But those who pulled an all-nighter preparing for a tough exam, and still do not receive the grade they hoped for as the cheater celebrates victory, feel cheated.

I’ve fallen victim to this many times. Though I will never tell on someone- I am no snitch, it really irks me when I show up to class sleepy eyed from last night’s study session, and still receive a poor grade while others who blatantly cheated give each other high-fives.

But sometimes, I have to hand it to the cheaters, because if teachers did not make it so easy to cheat, many students would not take the risk.

According to the Florida A&M University’s student handbook, properly titled The FANG, the repercussions for academic honesty violations range from a grade reduction to expulsion from the university.

But with teachers who leave the room, work on their computer while testing is being conducted or are just too nonchalant, everybody and their mother will cheat, no matter how heart-pounding and scary the thought of consequences maybe.

In one situation, a student placed their textbook in their lap and looked up answers. And no, this was not an open book test, and yes this occurred while the teacher was in the room. Not only is this off-the-wall cheating, but it shows ignorance on behalf of the teacher.

After observing a few oblivious teachers, I became curious about whether or not teachers could be punished for being so unaware of their students.

In many of my classes, teachers will hand out a syllabus along with an honor code that you must sign, agreeing to follow the academic honesty rule. Let’s just say a few students signed with invisible ink.

I spoke to Henry Kirby, dean of students, and found out that teachers could be reviewed for dishonesty if they noticed students cheating and did nothing about it.

But of course, another student would have to notify the proper authorities to spark a review. Allowing a student to cheat is basically giving them a grade they did not earn and that is not being fair to hard working students.  Kirby slightly laughed when he said that the teacher would be breaking their own honor code.

So my complaint or rant or whatever people might call it is not just identifying students who cheat, but the teachers who make it easy to do so. While teachers might not allow students to cheat and call it wrong, being oblivious to the act is unspoken permission.         

Matthew Richardson is newspaper a student from Jacksonville.  He can be reached at famuanopinions@gmail.com.