A screen shot stating members of group chats sharing answers would be charged as guilty by association began circulating on social media two weeks ago, prompting several students to leave their respective chats.
UTRGV Associate Dean of Students Rights and Responsibilities Douglas Stoves explains that academic dishonesty is having an unfair advantage against others and while it is a punishable offense at UTRGV, each investigation is not “cookie-cutter” and is taken on a case-by-case basis.
“If we get a referral of, let’s say of 50 people, that doesn’t mean that automatically 50 people are going to be charged,” Stoves said. “But it’s our responsibility then to look into it and see, ‘OK, what’s the culpability of individuals within this context?’.”
He said that Students Rights and Responsibilities investigations take into consideration the weight of the assignment and the seriousness of the offense.
Graphic design junior Eddie Galindo uses group chats to keep up to date with his assignments and as a way to connect with classmates now more than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Because everything is online,” Galindo said. “I think that group chats are really helpful for students because you can’t really ask questions in person or people next to you.”
He recalls a situation from his summer session where his group chat was needed.
“[A UTRGV instructor] really wasn’t prepared and he wasn’t answering emails so we had this group chat that we would always go to and we would discuss what was happening because we were also lost and we ended up actually agreeing and coming to terms that we would actually report this,” Galindo said.
He also said he has never joined a group chat with the intention of cheating and adds that the screen shot in question has not given him worries about joining one in the future.
“When I join group chats, I have the mentality that I’m joining them because it’s going to be, like, a discussion where we help each other out not necessarily cheating,” Galindo said.
Stoves offers a tip for students in group chats to remember around test-taking time.
“When it comes to the exam being open, I wouldn’t touch my WhatsApp with a 10-foot pole until my exam was submitted,” Stoves said.
According to Stoves, also setting ground rules at the beginning of a chat formation helps the students be aware of the chat’s purpose.
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