By Maurice Cacho
A student who attracted international media attention when he was accused of academic misconduct on Facebook will not be expelled from Ryerson.
The school e-mailed its decision to first-year engineering student Chris Avenir Tuesday afternoon. He said he felt relieved when he read the decision. Avenir was targeted by Ryerson when he became the administrator for a Facebook group last semester, where members of the group could exchange class-related material.
But the student isn’t off the hook. He will receive a zero for the assignment he is alleged to have cheated on, and he will have to attend an academic integrity tutorial before the end of the Fall 2008 term. As well, he will have a disciplinary notice placed on his record. The notice will be gone upon graduation, Avenir said.
But the door is still open for the school to become involved with the conduct of students when they’re online.
“The argument that a student should be entitled to do whatever they want online is a false argument,” said university spokesperson James Norrie, after learning of the school’s decision through a reporter and not through the university. Avenir has not decided if he’ll appeal the disciplinary notice.
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