Post-Final

Is that title an oxymoron?

I passed my classes. I walked across a stage in a robe and got a nice little folder to put my degree in. Lot's of pomp and circumstance, but it's over now. Feuwf'.

BUT...finals didn't finish without drama. I just heard an interesting story. It took some doing, but I tracked down the source (I just got a degree in journalism, after all).

Here is the story exactly as it came to me. Given the source, I'll vouch for this. It's totally legit. I've met Professor Stice, when I presented him one of these in front of his class. Great guy, and apparently quite the sleuth himself.

Without further ado...

THIS JUST HAPPENED.

Enjoy.

From: Earl K Stice
Date: Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 6:54 PM
Subject: Acc 210 note of thanks to all honorable students
To: Earl K Stice students

I hope your spring has started well. -- This note is to tell you about the results of a cheating investigation I have been finalizing since the end of our final exam last Wednesday. As a result of this investigation, seven Acc 210 students received failing grades of “E” and are currently being referred to BYU’s Honor Code Office. As I have told each of those students, my recommendation is that each of them be expelled from BYU.

During the semester I received indications that a group of students were engaged in a systematic effort to cheat on the Acc 210 exams. I used the Exam 3 results to confirm the existence of this plan. The Exam 3 evidence was generally consistent with there being a ring of people cheating on the exams, but the evidence was not enough (in my opinion) to convict anyone of anything. – I needed further evidence.

To generate this evidence, for the Final Exam I placed four different versions of the exam in the Testing Center. Each version of the exam was identical (including the sequencing of the questions) except that the order of the answer choices was altered. So, a correct answer on one version of the exam would be an incorrect answer on another version.

The evidence generated by this arrangement was overwhelming. For example, in one case a student received a complete set of correct answers from an accomplice who had taken the exam on a previous day. Unfortunately, the student didn’t receive the same version of the exam as had the accomplice. Thus, the student gave a perfect set of answers … for the wrong version. I calculated the odds of this perfect set of wrong answers happening by chance, without possession of the answers for the other version, to be one in 1.495 septillion. Pretty unlikely.

Acc 210 is a challenging class, as were the other courses you took last semester, and I’m sure all of you were presented with opportunities to cheat, in some way or another, during the semester. This note is to thank you for keeping your word and obeying the Honor Code. Whatever grade you got in Acc 210, I consider you a success for maintaining your sacred honor.

Thanks.

Earl K. Stice
PricewaterhouseCoopers Professor of Accounting
Marriott School of Management
520 TNRB
Brigham Young University