Really need to vent because I’m so pissed. So I’m currently in a masters program that acts as a stepping stone to the physician program at this med school. I finished my first trimester at near the top of the class with a 3.6 gpa. Then the second trimester happened and grades for the whole class (me included) went straight into the dirt. The professor for one of our classes was very shocked about our poor grades and assured us if you made at least above a 40 you would pass the class. My average in the class was 60 (and the way the curve was laid out to us I would have ended up with a B- or B) but when final grades came out I was surprised to see I failed the class. The professor wouldn’t give us an explanation on what happened only that her syllabus makes no mention of a curve despite the fact that she assured us that we would pass and shouldn’t drop. So a week or two ago we finally found out why a bunch of us failed, as it turns out quite a handful of people in my program are cheating.

People with special testing privileges (people with add or anxiety) are allowed to take their tests in a special room with no proctor or camera watching them (unlike normally we have proctors walking around and cameras). And surprise they were caught cheating on the final exam using their phones, and were reported to the professor. But since there was no hard evidence (due to lack of cameras) that they were cheating besides he-said she-said (And these people are still in the program right now). The professor had no choice but to ditch the curve and let a lot of people fail. So yeah. I’m currently sitting at around a 2.4 gpa or something. I have a very good chance of being kicked out of the program despite making one of the few A’s first semester and I likely won’t be able to go on to the second year of this program. What a fucking waste of time and money. Fuck people who want so badly to get into the doctor program that they have to cheat to make good grades. I earned my good grades and now it was all for nought.

Explain to me, what is this curve?
Why did the people in the special room not have to resit the exam? Makes zero sense to shitcan the entire class.

A curve is a percentage applied to the class grade to move the average higher. So instead of someone earning a C they would earn a B with a curve. The people didn’t have to retake the exam and they haven’t been expelled because there’s no hard proof of their cheating. They were caught by another student and unfortunately their word isn’t enough to prove them guilty. There has to be hard evidence despite the fact that they have been making straight A’s since the beginning of the program.

So the grades in the class were extremely polarizing. The professors didn’t know what to do because you had a large portion of the class failing and a small portion making straight A’s. There was no nice bell curve apparently. And when it came out that the students at the top might have been cheating but it couldn’t be proven. The professor had no way of knowing how to apply the curve to who because there’s no way of knowing who really was cheating. So they just made the decision to let everyone have the grade they currently had.

Is there an investigation and is the professor doing anything about it?

Sorry to hear that. Can you put them through court for a monetary compensation in case they kick you?

that's pretty fucked up, but at the same time, i've always disagreed with curve-based grading, so i have mixed thoughts on the situation

I just got a 5O% on my dynamics exam which means I'll end up with a B
And one dude got a O which means he'll be getting a 1OO%

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 04:54:54 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 01:01:44 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 12:57:53 PM

Is there an investigation and is the professor doing anything about it?

Nope. When the new trimester started the professor came out and said you should never expect a curve from now on because things have suddenly changed. Basically what she meant was there will be no more curves because the people supposedly cheating have ruined it for everyone.

So is everyone going to get kicked out of the program or be on academic probation?

Not sure yet. Most likely got a 100 on one of my exams though cause it was a from home exam thanks to this virus lmao.

Nice

Are your classes moved online yet?

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 05:59:47 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 04:58:55 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 04:54:54 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 01:01:44 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 12:57:53 PM

Is there an investigation and is the professor doing anything about it?

Nope. When the new trimester started the professor came out and said you should never expect a curve from now on because things have suddenly changed. Basically what she meant was there will be no more curves because the people supposedly cheating have ruined it for everyone.

So is everyone going to get kicked out of the program or be on academic probation?

Not sure yet. Most likely got a 100 on one of my exams though cause it was a from home exam thanks to this virus lmao.

Nice

Are your classes moved online yet?

Yeah they moved online like a week ago. And the school is shut down until May 1st. Hopefully they just move it to the whole semester so we can keep taking these nice exams from our home.

Do you find it easier because I took five exams this past week and they’re still ass

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 07:01:08 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 06:50:15 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 05:59:47 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 04:58:55 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 04:54:54 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 01:01:44 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 12:57:53 PM

Is there an investigation and is the professor doing anything about it?

Nope. When the new trimester started the professor came out and said you should never expect a curve from now on because things have suddenly changed. Basically what she meant was there will be no more curves because the people supposedly cheating have ruined it for everyone.

So is everyone going to get kicked out of the program or be on academic probation?

Not sure yet. Most likely got a 100 on one of my exams though cause it was a from home exam thanks to this virus lmao.

Nice

Are your classes moved online yet?

Yeah they moved online like a week ago. And the school is shut down until May 1st. Hopefully they just move it to the whole semester so we can keep taking these nice exams from our home.

Do you find it easier because I took five exams this past week and they’re still ass

It’s easier when you have your notes by your side to help

Yeah
I had a professor say this is an honors test no notes or internet lmao

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 07:11:13 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 07:02:29 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 07:01:08 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 06:50:15 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 05:59:47 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 04:58:55 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 04:54:54 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 01:01:44 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 12:57:53 PM

Is there an investigation and is the professor doing anything about it?

Nope. When the new trimester started the professor came out and said you should never expect a curve from now on because things have suddenly changed. Basically what she meant was there will be no more curves because the people supposedly cheating have ruined it for everyone.

So is everyone going to get kicked out of the program or be on academic probation?

Not sure yet. Most likely got a 100 on one of my exams though cause it was a from home exam thanks to this virus lmao.

Nice

Are your classes moved online yet?

Yeah they moved online like a week ago. And the school is shut down until May 1st. Hopefully they just move it to the whole semester so we can keep taking these nice exams from our home.

Do you find it easier because I took five exams this past week and they’re still ass

It’s easier when you have your notes by your side to help

Yeah
I had a professor say this is an honors test no notes or internet lmao

Are you not taking your classes and exams from home?

I am

One professor made us do the test on honor pledge
Another is recording our desktop, face, and voice while testing
Another decided since it's online to make it hard as balls

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 08:04:37 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 07:18:47 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 07:11:13 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 07:02:29 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 07:01:08 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 06:50:15 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 05:59:47 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 04:58:55 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 04:54:54 PM

Quote from: Septy on March 27, 2020, 01:01:44 PM

Quote from: Ingy on March 27, 2020, 12:57:53 PM

Is there an investigation and is the professor doing anything about it?

Nope. When the new trimester started the professor came out and said you should never expect a curve from now on because things have suddenly changed. Basically what she meant was there will be no more curves because the people supposedly cheating have ruined it for everyone.

So is everyone going to get kicked out of the program or be on academic probation?

Not sure yet. Most likely got a 100 on one of my exams though cause it was a from home exam thanks to this virus lmao.

Nice

Are your classes moved online yet?

Yeah they moved online like a week ago. And the school is shut down until May 1st. Hopefully they just move it to the whole semester so we can keep taking these nice exams from our home.

Do you find it easier because I took five exams this past week and they’re still ass

It’s easier when you have your notes by your side to help

Yeah
I had a professor say this is an honors test no notes or internet lmao

Are you not taking your classes and exams from home?

I am

One professor made us do the test on honor pledge
Another is recording our desktop, face, and voice while testing
Another decided since it's online to make it hard as balls

What happens if you disable your camera and mic and say you don’t have one.

She says you can cover your webcam if you’re uncomfortable with it recording but it’ll still record your sound and desktop

So I just look up the answers on my phone

Honesty I’ve learned how to game the system more than anything else in uni

Dang that’s infuriating. In that situation I would raise hell somehow, continue to push it up the ladder of authority. Not sure how well it would work but holy shit brah

This “solution” doesn’t make sense to me. Wouldn’t the people that cheated just be more likely to pass, or are they just trying to blanket-fail everyone? I’d try to fight it, however you can.