'XF' Grade Proposed to Make Cheating a Lesson in Ethics

Most errors will be minor with limited impact. But when it comes to cheating, UNC students convicted of the Honor Code violation in the future could face severe consequences.

According to a new proposal made by a task force charged with reviewing the student judicial system, cheaters could be branded for life. The proposal suggests that students receive an "X" attached to an "F" grade on their transcripts if they are convicted of violating standards of academic integrity.

The mark could hinder students in their eligibility for graduate and professional schools or jobs.

The current policy calls for students to receive only temporary marks on their transcripts that are removed when their sanctions, like suspension, are terminated. The chancellor, Student Congress and the Faculty Council all will have to review the "XF" proposal before it is approved.

"We're concerned (the system) doesn't teach anything," said Marilyn Yarbrough, chairwoman of the task force. "One of the problems is that students who were found responsible in Honor Court received just another 'F' in the course.

"We thought there ought to be some other consequences but wanted it to have educational value. We wanted to prepare students for later in life."

And Yarbrough isn't the only person who thinks cheaters need a penalty to learn from their mistakes -- many higher education admissions officers from across the nation are in agreement.

"Someone who's done wrong and won't accept the fact or doesn't think it is a big deal doesn't give a lot of confidence that they won't do it again," said Winston Crisp, associate dean at UNC's School of Law. "What you tend to look for (in an applicant) is that they understand what they've done and show remorse."

The "XF" proposal also states that UNC students who have been convicted of cheating will be able to learn from their actions by taking special classes on ethics. Students who take these classes will be able to erase the "XF" grades from their transcripts, and the ethics courses will be made available to all students on campus.

The classes would be offered in different departments and tailored to certain professions, Yarbrough said.

But even if these classes are offered, it doesn't mean students will take them.

At Kansas State University, which implemented the "XF" grade system in 1999, about 20 of the nearly 75 students who have received the sanction have failed to take the ethics course.

And at the University of Maryland, which has given the "XF" grade for 12 years, only about 60 percent to 70 percent of the more than 1,000 students who received an "XF" grade took the ethics course that could erase the grade.

Helene Marcoux, associate director of the honor system at Kansas State, said the class is effective nonetheless. No students who took the class have been accused of violating Kansas State's honor code a second time, whereas two of the students who failed to take the class became repeat offenders.

But Sue Estroff, chairwoman of the Faculty Council at UNC, isn't sure that a class consistently would have that impact. "It's an odd proposal. ... Just because someone takes a class doesn't mean that they've learned a life lesson," she said.

Gary Pavela, director of judicial programs and student ethical development at Maryland, said the "XF" policy is a good midrange penalty. "People are capable of moral growth," he said.

He said that he does not know why some students choose not to take the class, which can be taken at Maryland even 10 years after graduation, but that he thinks procrastination might be a factor.

Every year, about a dozen former students who already have graduated choose to take the course, he said.

He said he suspects some students might have come back because they had trouble with an "XF" grade on their transcripts once they entered the real world.

Marcia Harris, director of career services at UNC, said that even if students graduated 20 years ago, there is still a strong possibility that employers will look at their transcript before hiring.

"Employers are disturbed to see an 'F' on a transcript in any case, so the student (with an 'XF') is going to have to convince the employer that they have resolved the situation, learned from it and put their past problems behind them and will be a good employee," Harris said. "Employers today are very concerned about ethics."

Employers aren't the only ones who are concerned about integrity. Officials at prestigious graduate and professional schools across the nation said they see integrity as an integral part of their admissions process.

Yet none of the representatives from these schools' admissions offices said they would automatically refuse students with "XF" grades on their transcripts.

"I think that an 'XF' presents more serious problems (than an 'F'), but I wouldn't deny someone for that reason alone," said Dennis Shields, associate dean for admissions and financial aid at Duke Law School, saying he would consider the students' reactions to the event and whether they had learned from the experience.

"If we look at a transcript and see an 'F,' we want to know why it is there," said Eric Chambers, senior associate director of master's of business administration admissions at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

"We want to know what was the situation and the specifics behind it. ... Is this an isolated incident or a pattern in their life? People make mistakes when they're younger; people make mistakes their whole life. It doesn't mean that they are going to cheat for their whole life."

Bob Adler, associate dean of the UNC master's of business administration program, said he thinks students with "XF" grades on their transcripts can turn their lives around despite their scarlet letter.

"Live a life of integrity, reflect upon what you did that got you into trouble, and make a determination that you will never make a mistake like that again," Adler said. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.