Are Cuesta College students serial cheaters?
April 9, 2015
A Cuesta College history teacher recently caught 67 of his 250 students cheating on exams. [New Times]
Dr. Anthony Koeninger noticed that students across his six classes had performed unusually well on the first few quizzes of this semester’s “History of the U.S. to 1865” course. He then changed the order of questions on the midterm and the results changed.
Koeninger said he believes that a student or students from the previous semester’s course distributed a master copy of the correct answers to his multiple-choice exams. The master copy spread, and the 67 students showed up to the midterm with the answers lightly shaded in, Koeninger said.
The college is punishing the students by giving them “zeros” on the midterm, sending them letters of reprimand and requiring them to write essays about academic dishonesty. Cuesta administrator Sandee McGlaughlin said the students face additional punishment, but she did not disclose what it is.
After getting caught, multiple students apologized to Koeninger for cheating. Some students shed tears, Koeninger said.
Most of the students who cheated are still attempting to pass the class. Only a small percentage dropped the class.
Koeninger said the students deserve a second chance.
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