"Making a bad decision" is just a euphemism in this case for "deciding to cheat". How is that different from "a plot to cheat"? Do you really think the level of planning makes such a big difference? So what if it's a spur-of-the-moment thing? They still cheated, and that should go on their records.
Certainly. It would be inappropriate were the school to do otherwise. If the administration of this individual's case follows the typical pattern, her "indiscretion" will be marked on her transcript, which will doubtless result in meaningful consequences. As mentioned earlier, an earlier offer of admission may be rescinded. The student may also be obligated to conduct a detailed self-criticism, which is standard procedure for those who apply to college having already been convicted of an episode of academic dishonesty.
he has plenty of opportunities to make amends. Going back and upgrading her diploma would show that she's done something to make up for what she did, which is far better than waltzing into university as if nothing happened. And if she manages to do that, and get into university, and get a degree, then this little high school indiscretion won't haunt her for the rest of her life. But right now, she is acting as if the slightest consequence is unacceptable, and that's utter bullshit. Quite frankly, she should not be allowed to enter any kind of university as long as she has that attitude.
I am extremely curious why you believe that taking a year to retake a single course is a good use of anyone's time, even in pursuit of a useful "life lesson." In this case, your medicine, because so diversionary, may be worse than leaving the student to languish even if she is not admitted to college. The matter is complicated by the great possibility that other observers would not interpret a choice to retake the course as a sign of intentional contrition, thereby further diluting the benefits.
It behooves us, too, if we are ethical, to ask what is a "normal" punishment for somebody in this girl's position. The answer is, "Exactly what she got."
Given the popular emphasis on the sheer ceremony of graduation; the credibility of the argument that the investments of four years, and membership in the community, should not necessarily be negated by one act of academic treachery; and the potential that the lawyer is really an expression of her parents' efforts and not her own, I don't see how the view that this individual hasn't learned her lesson is at all justified. The school does have a right to deny her a place. I'm just not inclined to hold the protest against her.
During my academic career, I was many times suspicious that other students were cheating, but never in a position to render decisive proof or make a fair accusation. I am also well aware of the "tax" paid by excellent students at universities where grade inflation is the norm (often motivated by the hard-nosed argument that before it is a place of intellectual endeavor, a university is a business), some professors nurse grudges, and others are vocal about their desire to research rather than to teach. I have to say, though, that I never felt that I was in competition with anybody who might have been cheating. My sense was often that the material I handed in was not very susceptible to it, and that soon enough, students without a firm grasp of the material or the concepts necessary to succeed would hit a brick wall.
