Students and staff continue to debate the wisdom and ethics of using online methods of studying and test preparation in Toronto, as Ryerson University student Chris Avenir continues to await his fate.
Avenir was charged under the University Academic Honesty policy and faces possible expulsion. Mr. Avenir faced a Faculty Appeals committee on Monday, and pled his case. He now awaits their findings, which may be announced as late as this coming Monday.
Advocates for Chris Avenir and the Facebook study group maintain that the web site is no more damaging than a library study group, it merely a group of students getting together to study and compare notes from class.
But when Ryerson University Instructor and Professor Andrew McWilliams found the web Facebook page, he felt that the schools academic honesty policy had been violated. He gave Avenir a failing grade for the entire course, and brought him up on Academic misconduct charges.
If Mr. Avenir fails to win his current appeal, then he has one final appeal left. Mr. Avenir may appeal to a complete Ryerson University Faculty Senate Academic Committee Hearing, and he may appear before this committee with his lawyer, John Adair.