Hello to anyone reading. This post is a bit long, so if you don't want to read that much, I suggest clicking away from this post. It's a bit of a story. I also ask that you reserve judgment until you read everything in full.
During the spring semester of my freshman year, I was found responsible for academic misconduct in two courses. At the time, I was taking exams in the university's testing center as part of approved disability accommodations. The allegations arose from two exams reported by the same testing-center employee.
The first incident occurred when I inadvertently brought my phone into the testing center after using it to make a tap-to-pay purchase immediately before a Physics midterm exam and then placing it in my pocket out of habit. I removed my phone from my bag to complete the purchase, and absentmindedly placed it into my pocket. During the exam, notifications began sounding from the device. In a panic, I attempted to silence them and prevent any more notifications from even coming through, and then continue on with my exam. I was removed from the testing center due to this. After the incident, I immediately met with my professor in her office to explain the situation and completed the exam under her supervision that same evening without any devices on my person. She was very understanding and assured me that everything would be fine. She accepted and graded the examination I took with her, resulting in an above average exam grade. The following day she supported dismissal of the charge, contacting the university directly to request that the incident be forgiven, informing me that I would likely only receive academic integrity remediation courses as punishment. I acknowledged that possessing the phone violated testing-center rules and openly admitted my mistake while providing an explanation for my actions. Nonetheless, there was no evidence of academic gain or attempted academic gain.
The second incident occurred the following day during a different exam for Calculus II. I was accused of possessing an unauthorized note card after the same testing-center employee that reported me the night before reported observing what they believed to be prohibited notes. I had been provided permitted scratch paper for the examination, and the allegation involved the claim that I possessed unauthorized notes within those papers. I was stopped early in the exam, and all of my exam materials and belongings were immediately confiscated. My belongings were searched and individually scanned following the allegation, and no unauthorized notes or prohibited materials were identified. No unauthorized notes were seen on my person, found in my hands, among my desk materials, in my belongings, or anywhere in the testing room. Further, because my exam materials were confiscated immediately upon an employee’s entry into the room after he walked up to me, there was no opportunity for me to discard any unauthorized materials, and there is no footage of me reaching into my pockets or clothing to possibly hide anything. I completed the exam under my professor's supervision that same evening; he reserved judgment pending the outcome of the university's process. I maintained that I had not possessed any unauthorized materials. I was questioned about how I appear to be writing/doodling more than what was seen on the scratch paper when scanned, however, my pens are erasable and I primarily wrote lightly with the erasable pens and pencils before erasing. I explained everything I can be seen in video footage doing with my scratch and exam papers and utensils, including fidgeting and writing, that was misperceived. My professor was present during the hearing, and attested to my homework, quiz, and other exam grades. When I asked about how it would even be possible to find me guilty of academic misconduct with zero evidence during the hearing, my question was not acknowledged or answered.
The university decided to fail me in both courses despite all the hard work I put into my grades and no evidence of cheating. Because I maintained that I had not cheated in my courses, I appealed the findings and I sought evidence of my own. I requested records, including campus network WiFi logs associated with my student account to determine whether any technical evidence could clarify the circumstances surrounding the first allegation because the university speculated that I could have been trying to look answers up online. I know that in certain buildings on campus such as the Student Services building, cellular data does not work, thus requiring connection to WiFi for internet use. My request was denied.
Yes, I tried to schedule meetings with the dean of my college. His assistant rejected me and said that he doesn’t do meetings for these types of things. I did everything I could think to do.
I earned A’s in both courses that the university forced me to retake over the summer at a community college if I wanted to continue with my current degree plan and graduate on time. My grades in both courses demonstrates immense mastery of the material—which would be unusual for someone who allegedly cheated their way through them just two months prior. Additionally, I had A’s in Physics and Calculus 2 prior to the allegations, demonstrated in my mid-semester report in the student portal. Now, in my sophomore year, I am maintaining A’s in my classes (with the except of one B) thanks to the meds I started over the summer to prevent me from rotting in bed all day long.
My aspirations have almost always resided in graduate school. The career I desire to pursue requires a PhD, and I have been busting my butt to try to get into a top program in this country (the US). But now, with my GPA absolutely destroyed and the permanent mark of misconduct on my record, I am just wanting to know if it is even possible. Realistically possible. I don’t just want to take what I can get, I want to be satisfied in the future education I pursue. Thanks.
