Kenneth Steele wrote:
> My anecdotal impression is that "my computer crashed and ate my
> disk" has now replaced "dead grandmother" and "sibling in car
> crash" as the most popular reason why a paper cannot be turned
> in at the assigned time.
>
> So far today it is 2/16 and still 15 minutes until class.
In The Chronicle of Higher Education (4/28/00), the following article
was published:
"He Ain't Dead, He's My Brother" by Joel Hardi
"Struggling to finish an assignment at Columbia University in the fall
of 1998, Puneet Bhandari would have loved some extra time. Sadly, his
wish was granted after his car was hit by a drunk driver. Although he
escaped without a scratch, his twin brother, Parag, remained in the
hospital in critical condition. Puneet told his professor that he needed
to stay close to his family. Later, when Parag died after being taken
off life support, Puneet needed even more time off.
"A terrible turn of events--or so it seemed. But this semester, Columbia
official[s] discovered that Mr. Bhandari had made the whole thing up.
They promptly suspended him for two years, and last month a federal
judge turned down Mr. Bhandari's request for an injunction forcing
Columbia to let him finish his last semester.
"Mr. Bhandari's story had unraveled after he asked the professor to
write him a recommendation for medical school. The letter praised Mr.
Bhandari's resilience in the face of his brother's death, but the
student didn't know that. So when a medical-school interviewer asked a
general question about his brother, Mr. Bhandari answered that Parag was
doing quite well as an investment banker. The interviewer, baffled,
contacted Columbia. Officials there investigated, the senior admitted he
had lied, and in March, he was suspended.
"The student sued, challenging the suspension and asking the court for
an injunction. But the U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl turned down
Mr. Bhandari's request, calling his lies "heart-wrenching" and
"egregious." Judge Koeltl ruled that Columbia officials had not treated
Mr. Bhandari unfairly. 'It is not irrational for a university to suspend
for two years a student who, in order to obtain academic advantage,
spins an elaborate web of lies', the judge wrote.
"Both sides refused to comment on the case. The target of the lie, Greg
Downey, an adjunct professor of anthropology, says Mr. Bhandari was
actually a 'very good student' who didn't need any extra help to do well
in the course." (p. A12)
--
Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D. Office Phone: (480) 423-6213
9000 E. Chaparral Rd. FAX Number: (480) 423-6298
Psychology Department [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale, AZ 85256-2626
"The truth is rare and never simple."
Oscar Wilde
"Science must begin with myths and with the criticism of myths"
Karl Popper
