Student No Longer Faces Expulsion for “Facebook Study Group”

By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews

You may recall that Chris Avenir, a first-year chemical engineering student at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, faced expulsion after it came to light that he had created a Facebook-based chemistry study group.

The study group, called “Dungeons/Mastering Chemistry Solutions,” after a campus-based engineering study group called “The Dungeon,” attracted the attention of school administrators over the winter break.

As there were 146 members in the group, Avenir was charged with 147 counts of academic misconduct and recommended for expulsion. At the same time, his class grade was changed from A to F.

However, Avenir stated that the group was no different than any other study group, providing tutoring and tri-mentoring, not cheating as administrators claimed. Other students expressed outrage as well.

The university had somewhat of a change of heart last week, telling him that he wouldn’t be expelled. However, he will still receive a zero on the assignment section of the chemistry course. That is worth 10% of the grade, but since, as previously indicated, he had an A originally, he still passed the course easily.

It’s possible that Avenir could still appeal through the Ryerson Students’ Union, but as he had been facing expulsion, this is already a victory of sorts. He still faces mandatory attendance in a academic misconduct workshop.