Fraudulent Students

The Problem

In the past we had an infiltration of fraudulent students enrolling in classes.  Some of these fake students used stolen identities to attempt to get financial aid.  A Cuyamaca faculty member raised the alarm when he noticed unusual behavior (a high number of late add requests for the 2nd 8-week term, unusual email addresses where the email name didn’t match the student name, etc.).  Class work by these students was usually unrelated to the instructions. 

While the state and our Admissions and Financial aid departments have taken steps to prevent fraudulent enrollments, we’d like for you to be alert for potential fraud.  If you notice suspicious activity, please contact Lauren Vaknin Lauren.Vaknin@gcccd.edu, Dean of Student Affairs, with the student name/ID and course number (e.g. POSC-121-7601).

 

Here are some additional steps you should take:

  • INCLUDE AN ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION POLICY IN YOUR SYLLABUS.  Let students know what constitutes excessive unexcused absences in your course – this is described in AP 5075 Links to an external site..  For an online course, attendance is framed as regular participation, so it’s important to clarify your expectations.
  • SUBMIT YOUR CENSUS ROSTERS ON TIME TO CLEAR INACTIVE STUDENTS.  Retaining inactive students is problematic for multiple reasons and may cause harm to active students. Regulations require faculty to clear no show students from the roster before the census date.  It’s also important to make sure every student attending the class is on the roster.  Census dates are shown on the Summer deadlines Links to an external site. page.
  • DROP INACTIVE STUDENTS FROM YOUR COURSE.  AP 5075 Links to an external site. requires faculty to drop students who are no longer participating in the course unless there are extenuating circumstances. 
    • For in-person and synchronous online classes (like those with scheduled Zoom sessions), active means the student regularly attends the class sessions.  Because there may be connection issues with online conferencing, teachers are encouraged to offer an alternative if possible.  For example, students could be asked to view a recording of the class and post a summary to a discussion. 
    • For asynchronous online classes, active means the student regularly logs in to Canvas, completes assignments, and participates in regular and substantive interaction.  Use the  syllabus to specify what “active” means in your course.
  • CONTACT STUDENTS BEFORE YOU DROP THEM. Reach out to student through Canvas/email/phone if they do not participate in the class or if they stop participating. Let them know that they will be dropped unless they contact you by a particular date. Make sure to give students enough time to contact you back. 

 

Here’s some example syllabus language:

SAMPLE 1.  Attendance in an online course or online portion of a hybrid course means regular participation in online learning activities (quizzes, discussions, assignments, conferences, etc.). Your participation matters to me and to the class community! Checking in to the Canvas class at least twice a week will help you engage and succeed. Let me know right away if you can’t fully participate so we can discuss options and help you meet your goals. I’m required to drop inactive students but I will contact you first to check in -- I will reach out if I see that you have not been participating.  I know you can do well and am here to support you!

SAMPLE 2.  To count as your attendance during the first week and to avoid being dropped, be sure to log into the Canvas course and complete the assignments in the orientation module. I will check in on you if you forget to participate. Assignments will be due weekly on Canvas. To avoid being dropped, it is important for you to log in and complete work regularly. If you do not make progress for four or more consecutive class days, I'll be emailing you to check in and help you re-engage with the course.

We need your help to prevent fraud and really appreciate your attention to this matter.  If you have questions, please contact Brianna Brown, our new DE Coordinator, at brianna.brown@gcccd.edu.