A Note
from the President of Purewater University
First of all, I would like to thank the editors at EastWesterly
Review for allowing space in this venue for our humble attempts
as an institution to get at the bottom of a mystery.
Between February 14 and March 3 of this year, a number of old tests
began appearing in various humanities classes at Purewater University.
The tests were all the same and were all dated “Spring 2002.”
(see Figures 1, 2,
and 3). The course listing on the test indicate
it initially appeared in Dr. Martin Winkendale’s Studies in Popular
Culture class, a course still taught at Purewater, but by another professor,
as Dr. Winkendale retired with emeritus status in 2004.
So far, none of the recently recirculated tests have appeared in that
class, but instead have been handed in either in lieu of or in addition
to (this is so far not clear) legitimate quizzes and tests for the other
classes. All of the twenty tests that have made their way to my desk
appear to have been graded, but it is also not clear by whom—by
the perpetrators of this odd hoax? By Dr. Winkendale himself? By well-meaning
but ultimately clue-challenged Graduate Teaching Assistants?
Scores varied, as shown in the figures referred to above, and research
of student records has revealed that the names on the tests are those
of students who were enrolled in the class at that time. Whether these
are the actual tests taken by those students is not clear either, but
owing to federal regulations under FERPA, those names have been redacted
on the sample tests we are releasing.
This incident poses difficult questions for PU: if the tests were stolen,
stored, then filled out and handed in on a lark, there is a potential
for a breach of academic integrity by those responsible for the original
theft. If the tests were acquired after they had been scored and handed
back to the students, there is a potential FERPA violation on the part
of the students involved, unless the students from whom the tests were
taken can be proven to have given their express consent.
Whatever its origin, this is a serious matter, and the cooperation
and information provided by all on the PU campus is necessary for the
perpetrators of this reckless caprice to be brought to account. Any
information readers of this plea might have can be sent anonymously
to:
Dr. Mary Scarry, President
Purewater University
2345 College Drive
Purewater, KS 67772
m.scarry@purewater.edu
Thank you,
Mary Scarry, PhD.
