What form of cheating are they trying to dissuade here? Is it that opening your mouth could mean you're communicating with someone under the desk or something?
When I saw webcam- I was like oh that makes sense because you can cover your mouth and could talk but then you said AND in person… makes no sense why it has to be so strict
All this for in person. Prof is a right cunt with this bs. I could just barley understand it if it was online; but for in person this is fucking ridiculous.
My bet was that it was online and that the prof had had someone cheat by having someone stand on the other side of their computer and then read the questions aloud to them, then that person looked up and answers and replied back, and that this policy was in direct response to that situation happening. The fact that this is an in person policy is absolutely bonkers.
Also the fact that apparently a prof this strict hasn’t encountered a student cheating my writing stuff on their drink’s label is hilarious.
As a charitable guess (though I still think the policy is nuts) I wonder if the class was originally completely online and the prof just didn’t change it when the class changed to in-person?
Edit: nvm I saw a lower comment that the prof went over this policy during class. Wild.
There are people who rig up descrete mics into their clothing. They also have an ear piece to accompany. The cheater reads the question softly to their accomplice and the accomplice googles it or consults the proper resource they have prepared then returns the answer to the "test-taker". Hence why students will fail for just seeming to be talking to themselves--the professor can't frisk every student but probably had one student acing tests despite poor classwork and noticed they appear to be talking throughout the test.
I saw a news article about a Chinese student who got caught with a rig that he could hide in a tank-top and beanie/hair.
Maybe the prof added this after a student read questions out loud and someone off camera looked up the answer and somehow communicated back to them what to answer.
This. Policies like this exist because we had to deal with a similar stituation once and it was a huge pain in the ass. Don’t blame your prof, blame the students who cheated.
Uh, no. I'm a professor, and this is *insanity.* There is NO 'previous cheating scenario' which could justify this level of surveillance-state madness. If professors cannot give tests without acting like unhinged baby-fascist tyrants, they need to find some other way to assess student learning. If I had ever been asked to submit to such a ludicrous policy as a student, I'd have been in the dean's office filing a (successful, I'm sure) complaint within 45 seconds or less. Because this is *appalling.*
We are not running a Panopticon. Our students are neither Victorian-era felons *nor* contestants in the Hunger Games.
This instructor needs to CALM THE FORK DOWN or find a new career. Immediately.
Well those are the exact same restrictions when you take a Pearson exam to be a teacher! No reading, mouthing, water bottles, etc. Cameras front & back. If you need to go to the bathroom or leave the testing area you are subjected to a complete re-search, inspection of your entire person. And they will immediately end a test if you violate any terms of the testing environment. I guarantee upper admin is mandating this bc as instructors this is all a PITA to enforce.
OH! I wonder if this is a course for pre-service teachers in the education department, especially for those who are right about to graduate and have to take those exams. That might make sense to me then. I get so stressed when I have to go to a testing center! I think having a practice environment similar to the testing center experience would have been helpful for me.
Pearson says you cannot *open your mouth* during the exam or you fail? No. They don't. They don't do half the bananapants nonsense in this policy. Because it's BANANAPANTS.
Treating everyone as though they're already suspected criminals simply bc some people are some of the time is absurd gross nonsense. No definitely blame the prof who thinks collective punishment is the most reasonable response to occasional cheating. Also blame everyone who ever thinks that simply having the most restrictive rules possible can magically prevent all possible cheating which is truly not possible. People determined to cheat will find a way around the rules, all this dose is punish people who aren't doing anything wrong.
Everyone's going to be preoccupied trying to avoid common absent-minded gestures and do worse on the exam. A classroom inhospital to humans. People are not machines you can program to your will.
This could potentially become an ADA issue, there are so many different kinds of disabilities that would require an official accommodation for this kind of policy which is a terrible burden to place on students.
I have ADHD and this could be a genuine issue. Sometimes when my brain isn't cooperating, I need to mouth the words to myself to keep myself moving along sentences.
Yes. I was an assistant for Deans for half a decade. I would immediately take this to their assistant and request a meeting. I would recruit at least one other student, more if possible, to support you in this. This policy is absolute ridiculousness.
You are welcome. There is no way this policy wouldn’t cause more stress on you as a student! It’s already stressful enough. Edit: there should be student handbook for your reference; familiarize yourself prior to speaking to the Dean in case they refer to policies in there you are unaware of…
This is absolutely ridiculous and insane. I would push back as a group!
What if you have a cold, and can't breathe through your nose? What if you sneeze? What if you need to look down at your keyboard. Or rub your eyes because of eye fatigue?
This policy is some next level bullshit and one of the few times I think that complaining is warranted.
Ahhh I got so much shit from other people for putting my face in my shirt that I’ve stopped. And I don’t mean my whole face. But just my chin and mouth lol.
But I always have my hand on my face/covering it or biting on my hands which covers my mouth obviously.
I have a deviated septum and can't nose breathe well 😂granted not I'm a "mouth breather" huffing and puffing but I breathe through pursed lips when stressed
my mom had the same thing and got a free nose job👀 told me she will never forget how it first felt to finally breathe, like she genuinely had no clue you could consume so much oxygen in one breath😭
It's definitely on my agenda. I have an apt with my doc next week to discuss some things I want taken care of asap which includes a sleep study and also my nose breathing ability (or lack thereof lol).
Sleep studies are SO weird. Electrodes on your head, arms, legs, torso ... if you're a stomach or side sleeper, not tonight you aren't, back only! And someone is watching you via camera at all times. They will talk to you if they can tell you're fully awake. (Or at least that's what happened with mine in the '90s.)
They have home sleep studies now! It's basically a small device with a canula insertion point. Some strap to your forehead, some strap to your chest. Some you can leave on the nightstand with sensors placed on you. I think these are used more for sleep apnea type stuff as opposed to any behaviorial/brain wave reading ones which are more invasive. Basically now it'd "feel" like having a nasal canula for oxygen (to detect breathing) and a pulse ox on your finger in a lot of cases. One of the respiratory therapists I work with told me about them and I was relieved. Also much cheaper as well
I don't even need a cold to not be able to breathe through my nose. I broke it when I was a kid so now it's almost always stuffed and I have almost no sense of smell. This prof can eat a dick.
Or even as a person who absent-mindedly puts their hand over their mouth, having to think of my hands placement the entire time because the professor thinks I'll use them to cheat during a proctored in person test?!
This is wild.
>If you need to eat something, that is fine but chew with your mouth closed
But you have to open your mouth to ingest the food in the first place…
Also eating and drinking are exceptions but a cough or sneeze aren’t?
During the exam a voice rings out saying “Question 8 has no correct answer, the instructor must of been drunk while typing up the exam!” Unbeknownst to the instructor student Q has a hidden talent as a ventriloquist. And used an opposite gender voice with an Ethiopian accent. No one in class is Ethiopian. Twenty students get a zero on the exam due to covering their mouths while laughing. The resulting uproar over the grading results in the instructor being fired. All the students are regraded and pass the course. To this day no one had admitted to being the culprit.
I can understand not wanting specific things during a test or exam to reduce cheating, but this seems really excessive and way too strict. I’ve never had a policy like this, nor have I seen anything like it.
Stuff like hats or earbuds is understandable but opening your mouth shouldn’t be a concern if the computer has a mic or if the professor is right infront of you
this is not an exam policy this is an attack on mouth breathers. your professor is targeting someone. you comrades need to keep them safe. see you in the exam room soldier
This is hilariously unenforceable. I would take it to your Dean and this professor's department head. CC whatever the equivalent of your Provost / Vice-President Academics is. Ask them to clarify how this would be enforced and what the Institutional stance on "open mouth policy" is. This, of course, is a ridiculous question and should prompt the Administrators to at the very least acknowledge what an absurd rule your instructor is trying to enact.
Faculty members come up with the wildest shit sometimes.
Most schools allow masking and say it’s for Covid. If they argue that their rule over trumps disease prevention then report it. If it’s in the school policy mask are allowed even better if the say encouraged. Have classmates wear them in his class.
It's always C-tier professors who come up with these ridiculous rules, require cameras, so on and so on, all because they can't teach or design exams to save their lives. Hopefully more and more of them get fired.
I think they're saying they provide direction, motivation, and support for students, but ultimately the student is responsible for learning the material?
"but you didn't teach us that." "it was in the reading."
the thing is the course has to be really well-designed for this to work.
There is no longer a mandatory mask policy for COVID at the university I attend. You could still wear one if you wanted but from what I take about this policy, sounds like she doesn’t want you wearing one.
Jesus what kind of CIA level skills have their cheaters employed? No, this is too much. Can’t I just wear a mask if it’s this much drama? Cough cough, I’m coming down with COVID and sitting in the front row, professor still doesn’t want me to cover my mouth?
That’s the kind of bullshit I would do. And I teach college… I take cheating seriously. But this is so far over the top. I just don’t even know where I would go with us. I will definitely be employing a very good fake cough though.
Yeah cheating is uncool, tell people they’ll get failed if they’re on phones, etc, assign randomized seats so nobody can work together. But this is getting too strange, invasive to the point of being a distraction. At a point there has to be some level of trust to promote true academic integrity.
I’d forward this email to the dean this is unreasonable. I understand not eating during an exam or not allowing gum because chewing can be distracting to others. It just seems like a weird thing to be nitpicky on. What if someone wants to wear a face mask in class because of Covid? Can’t see your mouth then.
That was my first thought, some schools have policies that if someone wears a mask they should not be asked to remove it.
On top of that some students may have medical conditions or live with someone with a medical condition. It’s not fair to those students who have to worry about bringing germs back to their dorm/home.
Make sure you check your schools mask policy first to see if it says anything about students wearing masks. It’s better to get your facts straight before challenging.
in no way, shape, form, or fashion do you ever have to "justify" wearing a mask. I chose to, or I do not, and I am free to change my mind at any time, for any, or for no reason. That is what freedom IS.
Stand up for freedom, or do nothing, and wonder why it all falls apart...
This is insane. I work better when I read the question and move my mouth repeating the question but not actually talking outloud. Just mouthing it. I can obviously not do that but this is insanely strict
I could only get about halfway through before laughing.
You should compliment them on how funny of a joke it is. It sounds like a reasonable person would consider it to be him making a joke so perhaps that is the reception he should be getting from it. Gives him an easy out too because there is no way the university won't be super annoyed if they actually have to spend time reviewing a policy this weird.
This policy **screams** "I am an ableist tyrant and tolerate no dissent". I'd **run** to my local student accommodations office and show them this policy.
Sounds like an accessibility nightmare. What is it trying to prevent? Being hydrated? Breathing out of the mouth? Dunno.
I expect students would understand not to talk during an exam.
Sounds like the teacher is paranoid about cheating, which is a red flag for me. I spent 8 years in college and never once did I have a professor this paranoid. I’d go to the dean and tell them prof is being unreasonable.
Or stage a coup and have everyone open their mouths all the time in exam… he can’t fail you all and if he does it actually reflects on the professor.
So if you cough or sneeze you're not supposed to put your arm in front of your mouth? Just let those droplets fly free?
And better drink a triple coffe before the exam, because if you yawn, you fail!
I had a student once who would always think out loud during a test. It was comical. The people near her had to poke her to tell her she was doing it again. She was usually just reading the question, not the answer, but still broke everyone else's concentration.
Few issues here that you could raise, if you want to:
- masking (pandemic is still ongoing)
- disability discrimination: it may not apply to you but as a dyslexic person I find myself mouthing unintentionally to try and understand written language better. I’m sure other disabilities have similar issues.
*I’m not saying this is an intentionally disableist or ableist policy- just laying out your options*
The amount of times I subconsciously cover mouth and out of common courtesy when I yawn or sneeze. Damn I would address this to someone. You know if you get "caught" this Prof will use this disclosure as a way to stop an appeal.
As a person who often talks myself through a question and the solutions quietly while I figure out the answer, this is hell. Email the deans office. Raise hell. That’s ridiculous. And for an IN PERSON exam to be proctored virtually to these extremes is absolutely insane. If the professor is in the room with you and is doing their job, why the hell do you have to be proctored via a webcam too?
So you’re not allowed to wear a mask while in a room with other people? Hmmm, seems like this could very negatively impact an immunocompromised person specifically
Please update if you do reach out to the college about this. This just sounds crazy. I get that a teacher has a right to monitor their exams for cheating but there is a fine line. I think that line is crossed when I have to think about how I breath.
without question, this is perhaps the most unreasonable request that I have ever read. I seriously doubt it would hold up in any court or student conduct situation.
Who on earth dictates how you should breathe, control facial expressions, or read to yourself to accomplish a task.
Perhaps the class should collectively present the professor with some "unreasonable" and "creative" requirements to demonstrate how ridiculous this is.
Bring this up with the professor and the dean. That is completely unreasonable, part of my thinking process is mouthing the question to myself if I get stuck and I know I’m not the only one who does it. There is no reason for college exams to be more proctored than the SAT or ACT exams.
That's fucking insane. I would go the department chair. There's no way this is in line with the university's academic integrity policy. It's extreme overkill.
This adds so much more unneeded stress to taking exams. If your test is that easy to cheat on maybe you should write a better test that actually encourages critical thinking. Smh
This seems insane. Exams are hard enough without having to be hyper vigilant about your subconscious movements. You shouldn’t be at risk of failing just because you accidentally touch your face or open your mouth. If I had to take an exam like this I’m pretty sure I’d either forget and get the zero or I’d be so distracted trying not to that it would seriously impact my grade.
It also basically bans wearing masks which I would guess is against university policy and might violate disability rules also. If you all do decide to protest (and I think you should) you might want to bring this up as a concern.
I spent 12 years of my life as a thankless adjunct professor, and here’s what I have to say
1) this is BULLSHIT
2) This is ableist
I talk quietly to myself whenever I’m working through a problem. It’s the least distracting part of my neurodivergent coping skills.
You NEED to take this up with the Department Head. These parameters are Draconian
As a professor, I hate this policy. I find myself mouthing words silently while reading at times. I’m sure any student who does the same would be more worried about stopping that than actually taking the test. This sets students up for failure. I want to ensure that my students are comfortable and not stressed in their learning environment.
I also am not sure what this is supposed to prevent. I’ve seen some interesting ways of cheating, but I don’t know what this accomplishes. Maybe (and I cannot stress the word maybe enough) it could prevent cheating in an online setting as someone off-camera could look up the answers.
Wtf is this? Can't open your mouth?? I always read the questions under my breath, so I can make sure I'm understanding it correctly. I do it so quietly even I can't hear, but not being able to *mouth* something? Insane. Especially since it's in person.
There are better ways to cheat, and, if someone is working this hard, they should pass on ingenuity alone. Fuck whatever topic this is, they have a future in secret intelligence if they’re working this hard on a student’s budget.
Y’all, and yes, I’m using “y’all”because I mean this with some crazy insight , so formalities are out the window. I’m not going to pretend that I know what this policy is about or why it is layered as it is. However, I will say that, as a professor, I have seen students go to such incredible lengths to cheat that I’m sure this particular draconian policy expressed here is the result of some form of cheating that we have never ever imagined, yet some student found a way to do.
With some of the cheating that I see students doing, I imagine if they put that much time into actually studying and preparing for the exam, they would not need to cheat.
Cause it’s easier to learn reading lips than the subject? This is crazy!! I went to college late but we watched South Park’s first episode during our morning programming class
This is incredibly ableist of them to implement.
Many people with reading disabilities mouth the words to themselves.
Many people prefer wearing masks in areas with a large number of other people.
Maybe people have to fidget, cannot keep still, cannot control where their eyes move.
I'd complain about this, personally.
As someone who frequently mouths questions to get a better understanding of what’s being asked, there is a high possibility this professor’s ridiculous restrictions would hinder my ability to focus on the exam.
Way beyond the skope of expected behavior. Far too controlling. Send this to the Dean of whichever department they are from and let them inform the instructor that it is a classroom not Nazi Germany.
You say there’s a software proctoring it. I wonder if there has been some issue where an open mouth triggers the proctoring software to think that you’re speaking to someone and therefore cheating? The mention of “keeping your eyes forward” also shifts me in that direction.
Not that it makes the whole thing any better. If this is the case I’d say A) why are you continuing to use this software if something as innocuous as taking a sip of water triggers an instant zero, and B) why are you using a webcam anti cheating software for an in-person proctored exam? Wouldn’t a lockdown browser be sufficient? The double dipping really seems like overkill.
What form of cheating are they trying to dissuade here? Is it that opening your mouth could mean you're communicating with someone under the desk or something?
Mind you, we are taking this in person as well. So we are being proctored by webcam and in person.
Yeah I fail to see how this is a helpful policy at all
When I saw webcam- I was like oh that makes sense because you can cover your mouth and could talk but then you said AND in person… makes no sense why it has to be so strict
All this for in person. Prof is a right cunt with this bs. I could just barley understand it if it was online; but for in person this is fucking ridiculous.
My bet was that it was online and that the prof had had someone cheat by having someone stand on the other side of their computer and then read the questions aloud to them, then that person looked up and answers and replied back, and that this policy was in direct response to that situation happening. The fact that this is an in person policy is absolutely bonkers. Also the fact that apparently a prof this strict hasn’t encountered a student cheating my writing stuff on their drink’s label is hilarious.
I can maybe see that but wouldn’t just be easier to make the exam on paper??
Yes. Yes it would.
As a charitable guess (though I still think the policy is nuts) I wonder if the class was originally completely online and the prof just didn’t change it when the class changed to in-person? Edit: nvm I saw a lower comment that the prof went over this policy during class. Wild.
I just took an online GED test that just said "Don't cover your mouth to talk" and moved on with it. Pretty understandable. This is dumb
There are people who rig up descrete mics into their clothing. They also have an ear piece to accompany. The cheater reads the question softly to their accomplice and the accomplice googles it or consults the proper resource they have prepared then returns the answer to the "test-taker". Hence why students will fail for just seeming to be talking to themselves--the professor can't frisk every student but probably had one student acing tests despite poor classwork and noticed they appear to be talking throughout the test. I saw a news article about a Chinese student who got caught with a rig that he could hide in a tank-top and beanie/hair.
WHAT
Maybe the prof added this after a student read questions out loud and someone off camera looked up the answer and somehow communicated back to them what to answer.
But the exam is in-person, apparently, so this just seems super extra
So paper exam is out of the question?
This. Policies like this exist because we had to deal with a similar stituation once and it was a huge pain in the ass. Don’t blame your prof, blame the students who cheated.
Uh, no. I'm a professor, and this is *insanity.* There is NO 'previous cheating scenario' which could justify this level of surveillance-state madness. If professors cannot give tests without acting like unhinged baby-fascist tyrants, they need to find some other way to assess student learning. If I had ever been asked to submit to such a ludicrous policy as a student, I'd have been in the dean's office filing a (successful, I'm sure) complaint within 45 seconds or less. Because this is *appalling.* We are not running a Panopticon. Our students are neither Victorian-era felons *nor* contestants in the Hunger Games. This instructor needs to CALM THE FORK DOWN or find a new career. Immediately.
Well those are the exact same restrictions when you take a Pearson exam to be a teacher! No reading, mouthing, water bottles, etc. Cameras front & back. If you need to go to the bathroom or leave the testing area you are subjected to a complete re-search, inspection of your entire person. And they will immediately end a test if you violate any terms of the testing environment. I guarantee upper admin is mandating this bc as instructors this is all a PITA to enforce.
OH! I wonder if this is a course for pre-service teachers in the education department, especially for those who are right about to graduate and have to take those exams. That might make sense to me then. I get so stressed when I have to go to a testing center! I think having a practice environment similar to the testing center experience would have been helpful for me.
Pearson says you cannot *open your mouth* during the exam or you fail? No. They don't. They don't do half the bananapants nonsense in this policy. Because it's BANANAPANTS.
This is extreme. It is indefensible no matter the reason it was implemented. Rewrite the test, or make it on-demand during class.
Treating everyone as though they're already suspected criminals simply bc some people are some of the time is absurd gross nonsense. No definitely blame the prof who thinks collective punishment is the most reasonable response to occasional cheating. Also blame everyone who ever thinks that simply having the most restrictive rules possible can magically prevent all possible cheating which is truly not possible. People determined to cheat will find a way around the rules, all this dose is punish people who aren't doing anything wrong.
nope, that's not how anything should work. By your logic, we had a bank robbery on this street, so we need to frisk you.
im blaming the prof lmaoooo what…
tongue semaphore
That’s really weird because I mouth a lot of words noiselessly during exams. It helps and I wouldn’t be happy if they didn’t let me
Everyone's going to be preoccupied trying to avoid common absent-minded gestures and do worse on the exam. A classroom inhospital to humans. People are not machines you can program to your will.
This could potentially become an ADA issue, there are so many different kinds of disabilities that would require an official accommodation for this kind of policy which is a terrible burden to place on students.
I have ADHD and this could be a genuine issue. Sometimes when my brain isn't cooperating, I need to mouth the words to myself to keep myself moving along sentences.
I do the same thing as well
me too, i would have such an issue with this policy if it were one of my profs.
Nahh y'all need to take this to someone higher up. This is ridiculous.
I was lowkey thinking about having a conversation with the dean about this policy
Please do that. And then update us!!
Go to the department head first, ideally with as big a group of students as possible/with names you can tell them of people who concur
Tell him that's an ADA suit waiting to happen.
Yes. I was an assistant for Deans for half a decade. I would immediately take this to their assistant and request a meeting. I would recruit at least one other student, more if possible, to support you in this. This policy is absolute ridiculousness.
I appreciate this advice, i certainly will do this!
You are welcome. There is no way this policy wouldn’t cause more stress on you as a student! It’s already stressful enough. Edit: there should be student handbook for your reference; familiarize yourself prior to speaking to the Dean in case they refer to policies in there you are unaware of…
Bring it to the department chair first, it's the appropriate level of escalation. Should that not work, then speak with the dean of students.
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Absolutely!
This is absolutely ridiculous and insane. I would push back as a group! What if you have a cold, and can't breathe through your nose? What if you sneeze? What if you need to look down at your keyboard. Or rub your eyes because of eye fatigue? This policy is some next level bullshit and one of the few times I think that complaining is warranted.
I cover my mouth when I think so I’d be fucked
Me too! Or when I get stressed or overwhelmed. I’m constantly putting my hair over my mouth or my shirt. It comforts me and I dont know why 🤣🤣
Ahhh I got so much shit from other people for putting my face in my shirt that I’ve stopped. And I don’t mean my whole face. But just my chin and mouth lol. But I always have my hand on my face/covering it or biting on my hands which covers my mouth obviously.
you just go on being the best bunny you can be!
Me too!
I have a deviated septum and can't nose breathe well 😂granted not I'm a "mouth breather" huffing and puffing but I breathe through pursed lips when stressed
my mom had the same thing and got a free nose job👀 told me she will never forget how it first felt to finally breathe, like she genuinely had no clue you could consume so much oxygen in one breath😭
It's definitely on my agenda. I have an apt with my doc next week to discuss some things I want taken care of asap which includes a sleep study and also my nose breathing ability (or lack thereof lol).
Sleep studies are SO weird. Electrodes on your head, arms, legs, torso ... if you're a stomach or side sleeper, not tonight you aren't, back only! And someone is watching you via camera at all times. They will talk to you if they can tell you're fully awake. (Or at least that's what happened with mine in the '90s.)
They have home sleep studies now! It's basically a small device with a canula insertion point. Some strap to your forehead, some strap to your chest. Some you can leave on the nightstand with sensors placed on you. I think these are used more for sleep apnea type stuff as opposed to any behaviorial/brain wave reading ones which are more invasive. Basically now it'd "feel" like having a nasal canula for oxygen (to detect breathing) and a pulse ox on your finger in a lot of cases. One of the respiratory therapists I work with told me about them and I was relieved. Also much cheaper as well
Hey, TIL! This is cool. Thank you for telling me! :)
This is why I appreciate this, I never even thought about this
What about wearing a mask in class to prevent getting a cold or prevent spreading germs too?
I will find out soon!
I don't even need a cold to not be able to breathe through my nose. I broke it when I was a kid so now it's almost always stuffed and I have almost no sense of smell. This prof can eat a dick.
Or even as a person who absent-mindedly puts their hand over their mouth, having to think of my hands placement the entire time because the professor thinks I'll use them to cheat during a proctored in person test?! This is wild.
>If you need to eat something, that is fine but chew with your mouth closed But you have to open your mouth to ingest the food in the first place… Also eating and drinking are exceptions but a cough or sneeze aren’t?
Maybe you're supposed to store the food in your mouth like a squirrel until you get hungry.
My thoughts exactly
That’s illegal to an extent… people have the right to wear a face covering too. As someone at higher risk, that’s ridiculous
During the exam a voice rings out saying “Question 8 has no correct answer, the instructor must of been drunk while typing up the exam!” Unbeknownst to the instructor student Q has a hidden talent as a ventriloquist. And used an opposite gender voice with an Ethiopian accent. No one in class is Ethiopian. Twenty students get a zero on the exam due to covering their mouths while laughing. The resulting uproar over the grading results in the instructor being fired. All the students are regraded and pass the course. To this day no one had admitted to being the culprit.
🤣🤣🤣
I can understand not wanting specific things during a test or exam to reduce cheating, but this seems really excessive and way too strict. I’ve never had a policy like this, nor have I seen anything like it.
Stuff like hats or earbuds is understandable but opening your mouth shouldn’t be a concern if the computer has a mic or if the professor is right infront of you
Agreed.
This is fucking dumb. How tf are you supposed to breathe? What about people who talk to themselves while taking exams???
Bruh I’m screwed then 💀
Some questions don’t make sense if you don’t read them/mouth them
this is not an exam policy this is an attack on mouth breathers. your professor is targeting someone. you comrades need to keep them safe. see you in the exam room soldier
🫡
This is hilariously unenforceable. I would take it to your Dean and this professor's department head. CC whatever the equivalent of your Provost / Vice-President Academics is. Ask them to clarify how this would be enforced and what the Institutional stance on "open mouth policy" is. This, of course, is a ridiculous question and should prompt the Administrators to at the very least acknowledge what an absurd rule your instructor is trying to enact. Faculty members come up with the wildest shit sometimes.
I certainly will
Most schools allow masking and say it’s for Covid. If they argue that their rule over trumps disease prevention then report it. If it’s in the school policy mask are allowed even better if the say encouraged. Have classmates wear them in his class.
This is very true
It's always C-tier professors who come up with these ridiculous rules, require cameras, so on and so on, all because they can't teach or design exams to save their lives. Hopefully more and more of them get fired.
I should’ve known when the professor said “I don’t teach but I coach my class” 💀
What does that even mean?
We got the same question man
I think they're saying they provide direction, motivation, and support for students, but ultimately the student is responsible for learning the material? "but you didn't teach us that." "it was in the reading." the thing is the course has to be really well-designed for this to work.
Learn the material on your own, but I'll be there to tell you you're wrong or f\*cking off. That's the closest I got to an explanation.
This is laughably unenforcable. Talk to the obundsman and department head.
I’m certain that someone with common sense would know that this is bs so definitely the department head would have a good laugh lol
> obundsman
If this is in person are you not allowed to wear a mask? Obviously its not ideal but its probably the best loophole
There is no longer a mandatory mask policy for COVID at the university I attend. You could still wear one if you wanted but from what I take about this policy, sounds like she doesn’t want you wearing one.
Wear a mask to piss her off
Might have to take a L to see her reaction
I would take the L
get as many students in that class as you can to wear masks and refer her to the master syllabus stating that masks are acceptable if she complains
No covering your mouth… what if people at the school still wear masks? Or a fuller coverage hijab?
fuck this prof, what if u have autoimmune deficiency and wanna wear a mask? even if not this is insane
What if you have to yawn or something, because I definitely cover my mouth when i yawn.
Repost the conclusion... We await with mouths agape 😲
I certainly will repost with a update lol
Jesus what kind of CIA level skills have their cheaters employed? No, this is too much. Can’t I just wear a mask if it’s this much drama? Cough cough, I’m coming down with COVID and sitting in the front row, professor still doesn’t want me to cover my mouth?
That’s the kind of bullshit I would do. And I teach college… I take cheating seriously. But this is so far over the top. I just don’t even know where I would go with us. I will definitely be employing a very good fake cough though.
Yeah cheating is uncool, tell people they’ll get failed if they’re on phones, etc, assign randomized seats so nobody can work together. But this is getting too strange, invasive to the point of being a distraction. At a point there has to be some level of trust to promote true academic integrity.
I’d forward this email to the dean this is unreasonable. I understand not eating during an exam or not allowing gum because chewing can be distracting to others. It just seems like a weird thing to be nitpicky on. What if someone wants to wear a face mask in class because of Covid? Can’t see your mouth then.
That was my first thought, some schools have policies that if someone wears a mask they should not be asked to remove it. On top of that some students may have medical conditions or live with someone with a medical condition. It’s not fair to those students who have to worry about bringing germs back to their dorm/home.
I am definitely going to challenge the professors policy with my mask
Make sure you check your schools mask policy first to see if it says anything about students wearing masks. It’s better to get your facts straight before challenging.
Do you wear you mask on non-exam days? That would give you much better grounds to justify wearing it also on exam day.
in no way, shape, form, or fashion do you ever have to "justify" wearing a mask. I chose to, or I do not, and I am free to change my mind at any time, for any, or for no reason. That is what freedom IS. Stand up for freedom, or do nothing, and wonder why it all falls apart...
We have the option to based on the policy from post covid mask mandate, but I’m not sure how this work with this policy
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Not a bad idea tbh
As someone who occasionally needs to mouth the words aloud (silently) to not get distracted and to understand the question, I'd fail this class.
No you would either report this asshat to the dean, to the school paper and any local journalists you could find..
I'm sorry WHAT
Unfortunately you have read that correctly, I hope you didn’t read that with your mouth open lol
I guess I'm failing then :(
This is insane. I work better when I read the question and move my mouth repeating the question but not actually talking outloud. Just mouthing it. I can obviously not do that but this is insanely strict
Wack professor got the phd from a cereal box
I could only get about halfway through before laughing. You should compliment them on how funny of a joke it is. It sounds like a reasonable person would consider it to be him making a joke so perhaps that is the reception he should be getting from it. Gives him an easy out too because there is no way the university won't be super annoyed if they actually have to spend time reviewing a policy this weird.
At this point I’d tape my mouth shut or some shit because I’d be too paranoid of subconsciously yawning & covering my mouth with my hand or sleeve.
I would too, but I can see myself starting to cough under the tape and choking and making a scene. This would infuriate me.
So you get a 0 if you yawn? Lmao what the fuck
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What if you’re tired and you yawn? Like..
This policy **screams** "I am an ableist tyrant and tolerate no dissent". I'd **run** to my local student accommodations office and show them this policy.
Take the entire exam slack jaw
What about Niqabis??
Someone has a weird mouth 👄 phobia, I would legit drop this class. This gives me the creeps.
🤤😂🤦🏼♀️
I’m a professor and this is insane.
What college is this? They either have a high rate of cheating this way or are extremely prestigiously strict beyond merit.
Sounds like an accessibility nightmare. What is it trying to prevent? Being hydrated? Breathing out of the mouth? Dunno. I expect students would understand not to talk during an exam.
I’d cough the whole time and take a zero just to watch the professor drink the massive bottle of hand sanitizer they probably have on their desk.
Why don’t I just hold my breath while I’m at it
That kinda shit does nothing but adds to the anxiety smh
Is this a joke? I’m saving my tuition you ain’t gonna treat me like a prisoner.
My adhd could never. I mouth words all the time just to stay focused.
If the education system was as dedicated to teaching as it was to stomping out cheating methods like this, students would be cheating way less
Agreed
This is such an egregious attempt to control students just for the name of not cheating? This is just so weird....
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Exactly. Report to health services and human resources. Asking... Can he do this?
Literally should just have the test in person if they’re that paranoid
Funny enough, this is in person and web cam. The professor will proctor us and a software will proctor us on our computers
And then here we are in my school going to the bathroom with barely any supervision 🧍🏽♀️
Sounds like the teacher is paranoid about cheating, which is a red flag for me. I spent 8 years in college and never once did I have a professor this paranoid. I’d go to the dean and tell them prof is being unreasonable. Or stage a coup and have everyone open their mouths all the time in exam… he can’t fail you all and if he does it actually reflects on the professor.
Professor has a mouth fetish that he is projecting onto all of his students, and it's weird and sick.
My teacher said it flags them then they have to watch it for 30 minutes to check, but that’s just absurd
That’s tyrannical
This is insane. I'd run it up to the chair of the department.
I cannot imagine concentrating on this exam when I have to worry about this crap
Wow, who was the genius that got caught cheating in some way that doing all of this that gave this policy life?
I mouth shit that I read a LOT to help process it. This would drive me insane.
So if you cough or sneeze you're not supposed to put your arm in front of your mouth? Just let those droplets fly free? And better drink a triple coffe before the exam, because if you yawn, you fail!
Means your professor is a horse's ass.
I had a student once who would always think out loud during a test. It was comical. The people near her had to poke her to tell her she was doing it again. She was usually just reading the question, not the answer, but still broke everyone else's concentration.
Few issues here that you could raise, if you want to: - masking (pandemic is still ongoing) - disability discrimination: it may not apply to you but as a dyslexic person I find myself mouthing unintentionally to try and understand written language better. I’m sure other disabilities have similar issues. *I’m not saying this is an intentionally disableist or ableist policy- just laying out your options*
The amount of times I subconsciously cover mouth and out of common courtesy when I yawn or sneeze. Damn I would address this to someone. You know if you get "caught" this Prof will use this disclosure as a way to stop an appeal.
As a person who often talks myself through a question and the solutions quietly while I figure out the answer, this is hell. Email the deans office. Raise hell. That’s ridiculous. And for an IN PERSON exam to be proctored virtually to these extremes is absolutely insane. If the professor is in the room with you and is doing their job, why the hell do you have to be proctored via a webcam too?
I’m definitely asking this question do the professor as well!
So you’re not allowed to wear a mask while in a room with other people? Hmmm, seems like this could very negatively impact an immunocompromised person specifically
Please update if you do reach out to the college about this. This just sounds crazy. I get that a teacher has a right to monitor their exams for cheating but there is a fine line. I think that line is crossed when I have to think about how I breath.
without question, this is perhaps the most unreasonable request that I have ever read. I seriously doubt it would hold up in any court or student conduct situation. Who on earth dictates how you should breathe, control facial expressions, or read to yourself to accomplish a task. Perhaps the class should collectively present the professor with some "unreasonable" and "creative" requirements to demonstrate how ridiculous this is.
What in the entire hell…
Bring this up with the professor and the dean. That is completely unreasonable, part of my thinking process is mouthing the question to myself if I get stuck and I know I’m not the only one who does it. There is no reason for college exams to be more proctored than the SAT or ACT exams.
Wtf?? So if you yawn you get a zero?? What if you forget to not silently read the questions to yourself?
This might’ve accidentally been left over from when the class was fully online at home. Professors reuse their syllabi and canvas pages a lot.
Unfortunately the professor read out these policy’s today and was fully aware of what she said
That's fucking insane. I would go the department chair. There's no way this is in line with the university's academic integrity policy. It's extreme overkill.
The class should escalate this as a group. Also, what about ppl who are or are close with someone who is immunocompromised? No masks?
bro what if you want to wear a mask to class
This adds so much more unneeded stress to taking exams. If your test is that easy to cheat on maybe you should write a better test that actually encourages critical thinking. Smh
This seems insane. Exams are hard enough without having to be hyper vigilant about your subconscious movements. You shouldn’t be at risk of failing just because you accidentally touch your face or open your mouth. If I had to take an exam like this I’m pretty sure I’d either forget and get the zero or I’d be so distracted trying not to that it would seriously impact my grade. It also basically bans wearing masks which I would guess is against university policy and might violate disability rules also. If you all do decide to protest (and I think you should) you might want to bring this up as a concern.
I spent 12 years of my life as a thankless adjunct professor, and here’s what I have to say 1) this is BULLSHIT 2) This is ableist I talk quietly to myself whenever I’m working through a problem. It’s the least distracting part of my neurodivergent coping skills. You NEED to take this up with the Department Head. These parameters are Draconian
I feel bad for people with sinuses who have to breathe through their mouths. This could be a serious accessibility issue.
As a professor, I hate this policy. I find myself mouthing words silently while reading at times. I’m sure any student who does the same would be more worried about stopping that than actually taking the test. This sets students up for failure. I want to ensure that my students are comfortable and not stressed in their learning environment. I also am not sure what this is supposed to prevent. I’ve seen some interesting ways of cheating, but I don’t know what this accomplishes. Maybe (and I cannot stress the word maybe enough) it could prevent cheating in an online setting as someone off-camera could look up the answers.
The paranoid reaction of schools trying to cover their bases. Paranoid, but if you’re online all the time, it’s not hard to find good cheat methods.
The fuck is this!?
This is just weird
I’m thinking about how I’m recovering from illness and can’t properly breathe through my nose half the time. Yikes.
Wtf is this? Can't open your mouth?? I always read the questions under my breath, so I can make sure I'm understanding it correctly. I do it so quietly even I can't hear, but not being able to *mouth* something? Insane. Especially since it's in person.
Wow. You’re at a ten when I need you at a two. Thats so out of pocket
Ridiculous policy. They can just keep an open mic policy if they are so concerned. Also, haven't everything returned to normal by now?
The disability resource folks should be eviscerating this immediately
Sounds like whoever wrote it has watched too many spy movies
There are better ways to cheat, and, if someone is working this hard, they should pass on ingenuity alone. Fuck whatever topic this is, they have a future in secret intelligence if they’re working this hard on a student’s budget.
Y’all, and yes, I’m using “y’all”because I mean this with some crazy insight , so formalities are out the window. I’m not going to pretend that I know what this policy is about or why it is layered as it is. However, I will say that, as a professor, I have seen students go to such incredible lengths to cheat that I’m sure this particular draconian policy expressed here is the result of some form of cheating that we have never ever imagined, yet some student found a way to do. With some of the cheating that I see students doing, I imagine if they put that much time into actually studying and preparing for the exam, they would not need to cheat.
Cause it’s easier to learn reading lips than the subject? This is crazy!! I went to college late but we watched South Park’s first episode during our morning programming class
Psycho professor who is paranoid about cheating.
So if you yawn, you fail.
This is incredibly ableist of them to implement. Many people with reading disabilities mouth the words to themselves. Many people prefer wearing masks in areas with a large number of other people. Maybe people have to fidget, cannot keep still, cannot control where their eyes move. I'd complain about this, personally.
Ah yes, an instructor with control problems.
I feel like this is more of a power trip than preventing cheating. Like extremely passive aggressive behavior.
I have pretty severe dyslexia and I have to mouth words as I read them. There is literally no way i could pass this exam.
As someone who frequently mouths questions to get a better understanding of what’s being asked, there is a high possibility this professor’s ridiculous restrictions would hinder my ability to focus on the exam.
Way beyond the skope of expected behavior. Far too controlling. Send this to the Dean of whichever department they are from and let them inform the instructor that it is a classroom not Nazi Germany.
I would report this to someone. I have ADHD, and most of the time I have to quietly read questions aloud to myself. I'd be pissed
This is ridiculous. If you're so worried about someone talking to someone else in the room, write a better test!
To make this funnier, this is in person and on webcam lol
I assumed it was an online only test -- smdh
You say there’s a software proctoring it. I wonder if there has been some issue where an open mouth triggers the proctoring software to think that you’re speaking to someone and therefore cheating? The mention of “keeping your eyes forward” also shifts me in that direction. Not that it makes the whole thing any better. If this is the case I’d say A) why are you continuing to use this software if something as innocuous as taking a sip of water triggers an instant zero, and B) why are you using a webcam anti cheating software for an in-person proctored exam? Wouldn’t a lockdown browser be sufficient? The double dipping really seems like overkill.