Texas A&M professor threatens to fail entire class

Updated
Texas A&M Professor Threatens to Fail Entire Class
Texas A&M Professor Threatens to Fail Entire Class


A Texas A&M professor said "enough was enough" and threatened to give failing grades to an entire class, citing rampant cheating and "maturity" issues.

"It became apparent that they just couldn't do some of the most simple and basic things they should have been able to do at that point," Irwin Horwitz told KPRC.

Professor Irwin Horwitz says students in his strategic management course took photos of exams, spread rumors about him and even fought one another to the point that he required police protection for the class.

The university, though, isn't completely behind Horwitz's decision. The vice president of academic affairs told KPRC students can only fail on an individual and academic basis, which is decided at the end of the semester.

A university spokesperson Inside Higher Ed, "No student who passes the class academically will be failed."

"It's just ridiculous because, I mean, I had never had a problem in the class. I'd thought I'd done pretty well," a student told KPRC.

Some students say they never cheated or offended Horwitz and they're worried this action will hurt their chances at getting a job -- but Fox News notes Horwitz didn't make his decision without the non-cheaters in mind.

"The problem is, apparently a number of the students were not involved, and he said to the administration, 'All right, I'd like to teach them privately,' and the administration said, 'No, you can't do that.'"

According to Inside Higher Ed, Horwitz believes the university violated his academic freedom as a professor to assign grades. He's since left the course, and KPRC reports the department head will oversee the class until the semester ends.

Also on AOL:
GoFundMe takes down page for bakery that refused same-sex couple
Picture of teen walking 96-year-old home goes viral
Artist Kaya Mar paints Kate Middleton as the Virgin Mary

Advertisement