I am submitting this letter stating my intention to appeal a recent decision from this institution in regards to a charge of cheating on a final exam. The class in question is Labour Law, and I have decided to speak up in defense of my own code of conduct. I can assure you that there was no instance of cheating on my part and that I am quite well aware of the code of ethics that this university follows and would not seek to violate the rules in any way. I did not cheat on this exam, nor have I ever cheated on a single test in my career as a student.
Throughout the term I have studied diligently for this exam and done everything I can in order to give my best performance. On the date that the test was administered I had already logged a large number of hours spent in study and careful preparation in order to receive the highest grade possible. Upon entering I was ready and confident in my ability to score a high mark on the exam.
Throughout the previous years and during many exams I have always kept whatever items are in my pocket on the table in front of me, in plain view, when I seat myself within the exam hall. During the Labour Law exam administered on ( Date ) I had set my watch, wallet, car key, and cell phone on the table. These items were in plain sight and within reach, but were left untouched as I began the exam.
It was around an hour and a half into the examination time that a great number of
messages and alerts began to make my phone vibrate and make an inordinate amount of noise. In
my haste to prepare for the exam I had forgotten to turn off my phone. This led to a great deal of noise that became a disturbance for the other students as well as myself. My phone can only be opened by my fingerprint and as a result I had to open my phone to adjust the volume and then turn it off completely. The phone was in plain sight and was not being used, but in the effort of attempting to shut it off the proctor did happen to notice my action and immediately confiscated my phone. The proctor then accused me of cheating in front of my fellow students, embarrassing me and causing me to storm off in anger. As a result I did not complete the test.
Despite attempting to explain what had really happened to ( Name) and ( Name ) I was told that the proctor was confident and quite justified in calling me a cheater. My belief is that, had I been allowed to explain what had happened, this situation could have been avoided entirely. I do understand that it was my responsibility to turn my phone off, and that it is the responsibility of all students to put forth their best effort when taking an exam. I believe that I was doing this by attempting to eliminate a distraction to the group. In doing so however I was penalized without being given a chance to explain the unfortunate circumstance, or take responsibility for my mistake.
I have studied long and hard for many weeks leading up to this exam, and was fully confident that I could finish with high marks. Because of a misunderstanding, which is in part my fault, I have been given a zero that I feel I did not earn. I would greatly appreciate the chance to explain myself and, if possible, be allowed to somehow retake the exam in order to earn the marks I deserve. I would also ask to be given credit for the work that I did manage to complete. I will gladly take responsibility for my actions, but ask only that I be allowed to show that I am not a cheater. I appreciate your understanding and consideration and am humbly asking that this council consider my request. Thank you for your time, I hope to hear your decision soon.
