Last Thursday my Spanish literature class took its second test of the semester. I had studied a lot and was feeling pretty good about it. Twice during the test the professor went out for a few minutes. The first time nothing happened; the second, as soon as the door closed, the entire class- and this is the only appropriate way to describe it- erupted in cheating. At least the Ecuadorian students did. There are only about 8 international students in this class, and we were all looking around at each other like, "what the hell is going on?" These weren't secluded whispers but MINUTES of full-out, sentences, talking, conversations, outrageous cheating. I was incredibly pissed off, and an extranjera I was sitting next to asked me if I wanted to go get the professor, and I said no, because I wasn't going to be the tattletale who got up and ratted people out- at least in the middle of class.
Everyone immediately stopped when we were able to hear the door creaking open, and the professor was none the wiser. I was furious, and for the rest of the test it was all I could think about. Not only the ridiculous nature of the cheating, but the fact that these kids can sit down and read these stories in 10 or 20 minutes, and I sit down with a dictionary and struggle for a few hours for each class period- and usually still am not entirely sure. How can they be so disrespectful to their class, their university, their own education? I knew I was going to say something to him after class, because even if he didn't do anything then, he needed to know that he can't leave the room (and close the door) in this university, because that is what happens. (I've heard many other instances of blatant cheating from my friends.)
So when I finished, when about half the class had already left, I asked to speak with him outside and basically told him all of that; and the student who'd asked me if I wanted to talk to him was waiting as well. He said "oh okay, oh, okay, I should have known, thanks, I usually trust that I can leave the room and the gringos will behave..." (He is a gringo as well.)
Come class Tuesday, he walks in and gives a very harsh lecture to the class which hopefully hit them hard- asking why Ecuador was a troubled country. Was it because people didn't want to work? No. Was it a lack of resources? No, the problem is corruption, and "you all are continuing that corruption." It was intense. Then he said he wished he had a list of the people who cheated so he could go to the Dean's Office, report them and kick them out of the class, but he didn't, so he was going to throw our tests in the trash- which he did, in front of us- and gave us a new exam to take.
I think he did the right thing, and I think he did the only thing he could do. I'm sure he couldn't have used those grades knowing that there was so much cheating on the test, but one of my friends was really mad that she had to retake it because she didn't cheat and it wasn't fair. Yeah, I didn't cheat either- obviously- and of course it wasn't fair, but it wasn't fair to him that all his students disrespected him and that classroom. There was no other alternative. It would have been discriminatory for him to believe that the international students didn't cheat, and besides, anyone could have said that. While completely unfair to those of us who studied and took the test honestly- and probably did worse on the second test because it was unannounced- it was the only option he had.
That incident made me so disillusioned with this school. Students are disrespectful. In that same class, students are constantly holding conversations, audible to me 10 feet away, when the professor is clearly talking... students keep their cell phones on their desk during class, texting or obviously looking at the time... students regularly walk in 10 minutes late... and this is said to be the best university in Ecuador. I am not diggin' it. This would not fly at Beloit, but more than that, your classmates would resent you for your bad attitude.
Is this a judgement? Definitely. Unfair? I think not. They have to know cheating is wrong. On the second test, the professor included a 15-point question which was: What is the honor code of USFQ? Why is it important to have? What does the word "ethics" imply? How has Ecuador suffered from corruption? Maybe if they grow up and see corruption and cheating as a way of life, it claws its way into what they believe to be normal... it was astounding, and depressing. I hope these students learn to value their education and opportunities more than that, because there is no point in going to college if that is how you are going to act. I am not ashamed that I told, in fact, if I heard any of them complaining about it, I would say I informed the professor, and you need to grow up.
No comments:
Post a Comment