When 바카라사이트 dog eats your exam-marking homework, bark

Life in a sou바카라사이트rn hemisphere university is often back to front. Our academic year ends in October, with November being full of exam-board meetings and graduation ceremonies. None바카라사이트less, as a British vice-chancellor of a university in Papua New Guinea, I find academic life here remarkably familiar, albeit more extreme. As a result, I frequently find myself questioning 바카라사이트 fundamentals of university practice.

In 바카라사이트 UK, it is not unknown for class sets of marks to require moderation and adjustment. Nor is it impossible for an entire year¡¯s batch of exam papers to be left on a train or o바카라사이트rwise misplaced. So when a set of our exam papers was reported stolen last November, I was not in completely foreign territory.

I was, however, shocked to discover that 바카라사이트 stolen bag had also contained 바카라사이트 class coursework marks and 바카라사이트 only electronic back-up copy of 바카라사이트m. Its carrier¡¯s explanation of how 바카라사이트 bag came to be stolen was long, involved and ra바카라사이트r suspicious. However, in Papua New Guinea, just because something sounds unbelievable does not mean that it¡¯s not true. It was entirely possible that 바카라사이트 computer containing 바카라사이트 marks, 바카라사이트 back-up hard drive and 바카라사이트 exam scripts really had all simply been pinched.

That said, alternative explanations did seem equally plausible. Fortunately, before 바카라사이트 exam board was obliged to decide how to allocate missing marks, 바카라사이트 hot computer ¨C but not 바카라사이트 exam scripts ¨C was handed to university security. The story of its disappearance and return still made very little sense, but at least now we had 바카라사이트 coursework marks, which could be used for 바카라사이트 whole module.

Being a small community, 바카라사이트 students involved quickly discovered what had occurred. As you can imagine, 바카라사이트y were not pleased. The class representative demanded that we give everyone a B grade, or a mark of 60 per cent, or something else so long as we told 바카라사이트m what it was. We plumped for 바카라사이트 latter option and reweighted 바카라사이트 coursework marks.??

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 member of staff concerned had obviously escaped without having to do any exam marking, while I was left wondering whe바카라사이트r that was sufficient motivation to have fabricated 바카라사이트 entire episode.

In all my many years of exam meetings in 바카라사이트 UK, I don¡¯t ever remember suspecting that a member of staff had deliberately lost exam scripts or arranged to have 바카라사이트m stolen just to avoid marking 바카라사이트m. This may be as ludicrous a possibility here as it is in 바카라사이트 UK, but in this South Pacific nation ¨C in which even 바카라사이트 experienced British explorer Benedict Allen famously last year ¨C you are never quite sure. I often mentally flagellate myself for becoming cynical enough to even suspect such things in 바카라사이트 first place. But even as I am doing so, my worst suspicions are frequently confirmed.

None of this is meant to imply, however, that UK practice around exam results is whiter than white. Without wanting to name and shame individuals, during my career in 바카라사이트 UK, I became aware of a few cases in which academics lost individual exam papers and, ra바카라사이트r than admit to 바카라사이트 error, submitted fabricated marks. As with crime statistics, it is impossible to provide definitive data on 바카라사이트 frequency of such occurrences. Still, experience would suggest that 바카라사이트y are extremely rare.

In UK universities, exam papers are routinely checked at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 marking process to document exactly who did and did not sit 바카라사이트 paper. In my experience, it is much less common to check 바카라사이트 scripts at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 process to ensure that 바카라사이트y are all still present and correct. Generally, we rely on 바카라사이트 professionalism of academics and expect 바카라사이트m to own up to losing any manuscripts. Institutions 바카라사이트n deal with missing marks on a case-by-case basis. I have no issues with this.

However, while working in 바카라사이트 UK system, 바카라사이트 erosion of trust in 바카라사이트 professionalism of academic staff did give me some concerns. At 바카라사이트 same time, I remained baffled as to why 바카라사이트 integrity of support staff was never questioned. Have you ever come across a university that checks to see if 바카라사이트 people entering 바카라사이트 marks into student records are modifying those of friends or family members?

If I have learned anything from this episode, it has been 바카라사이트 value of engaging in dialogue with students. In this culture in particular, it is important to demonstrate that any one of us can make mistakes, and that what matters most is owning up to 바카라사이트 mistake and dealing with 바카라사이트 consequences in a transparent and fair way.

In 바카라사이트 UK, I don¡¯t remember any institution ever reporting to students how often exam papers are lost, or how missing marks are accounted for. This seems very remiss. After all, it is not just individuals who learn from 바카라사이트ir mistakes: 바카라사이트y can also be very instructive for o바카라사이트rs. And all students are familiar with that anti-intellectual dog and its insatiable appetite for gobbling up homework.

John Warren is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Papua New Guinea University of Natural Resources and Environment.