Columbus-Area College Closes Doors Amid Major Cheating Scandal
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North Carolina-based Apex School of Theology has closed the doors to its Columbus Campus on Armour Road after an internal investigation has revealed a major cheating scandal was taking place at the local campus.
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Apex School of Theology operated a small campus at 5210 Armour Road in Columbus. The location of the campus was an extension from the colleges Durham, North Carolina-based location. The main campus which was founded in 1995 began operations in Columbus in 2011 at a small location at the intersection of 13th Avenue and 15th Street. As of June 1st officials at the main campus closed the doors to the Columbus campus after an ongoing investigation has revealed acts of cheating and plagiarism were evident at the local location.
A post on the website of the school reads as follows: "Apex School of Theology has made the difficult, but necessary, decision to cease all operations at the Columbus, Georgia Learning Center effective June 1, 2018 as a result of significant problems with academic integrity at the site. The integrity of the teaching and the students’ work at the school is a matter that Apex School of Theology takes seriously and, as such, will now and in the future undertake measures to guard that integrity. For the students currently at the Columbus, Georgia Learning Center who are impacted by this decision, the school will work to help facilitate transfers to the Main Campus to minimize disruption in the students’ matriculation. Apex School of Theology is grateful to all our students, faculty, and staff who work with us during this transition as we continue to strive toward excellence."
The Columbus campus which was known as the Georgia/Alabama Learning Center was one of the largest satellite campus of the institution. In addition, to local students at Apex attending the Columbus campus a large number of local and regional students were also enrolled in online coursework. Apex administration is now working with students who were enrolled at the Columbus campus to transition their coursework to other locations of the school.
While officials have found evidence that demonstrates there was some type of cheating going on at the Columbus campus the exact nature of the level of cheating was not disclosed publicly. An email sent to students enrolled at the Columbus campus does shed some light on what led to the closure of the campus. The email reads as follows:
This email is to provide you with the instructions for continuing your matriculation at Apex School of Theology. As you have already been made aware, Apex School of Theology’s Columbus, GA learning center has been closed due to significant academic integrity issues, which include cheating and plagiarism. Cheating occurs when multiple students submit the same work for an assignment. Plagiarism occurs when students submit work that has been copied directly from the internet or another source without citing where the work came from. Apex School of Theology’s policy for "Cheating and Plagiarism" is found on our website in the Academic Catalog, page 139, and states the following:
Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating is a serious offense in any academic setting. Students who cheat will receive a grade of “F” for that assignment or examination, and will be reported to the Academic Dean for further disciplinary action. To plagiarize is to steal and pass the ideas or words of another as your own, or to use a created production without crediting the source. Simply put, plagiarism is literary theft. Such conduct will not be tolerated in this institution. Students found guilty of such conduct may face discipline up to and possibly including suspension from Apex School of Theology.
In an effort to ensure the Department of Education that we take "Cheating and Plagiarism" seriously and since both violations have already been identified in some of the course work at the Columbus, GA learning center, we are taking efforts to verify the academic integrity of the work of all the students associated with the Columbus, GA site. This is a tedious and time-consuming process. Thus, in order to not interrupt the matriculation of students who desire to continue at Apex School of Theology, we will allow all students who wish to continue to register for the 2018 Fall Session. Over the course of the summer we will be verifying the work of all the students who do register for the 2018 Fall Session. If the course work that you have submitted thus far in your classes is found to have NOT violated our "Cheating and Plagiarism" policy, you will be allowed to continue your education without interruption. However, if the course work you have submitted DOES violate our “Cheating and Plagiarism” policy, your registration for the 2018 Fall Session will be withdrawn as the school decides what course of disciplinary action to take."
As the email sent to students outlines one of the issues of the cheating scandal at the Columbus campus of Apex includes several students submitting in the same work. Also issues of active plagiarism seem to be an issue with the local location. These offenses have resulted in a continuing investigation into what occurred at and school officials reviewing the coursework of enrolled students at the local campus. The email also points out that officials are still looking into the coursework of students at Columbus' Apex campus to seek students whose work may contain questionable submissions.
The signs are still up at the Columbus campus of Apex School of Theology which closed its doors on June 1st.
Students who were enrolled at the Columbus campus are being given an opportunity to continue their work at other campuses of the 23-year-old institution. Local students were emailed details on how to continue their coursework and to enroll in the upcoming semester. Students were also assigned a new academic adviser and given contact details of that individual. Apex is a Durham, North Carolina-based institution that is accredited by Virginia-based, TRACS also known as, Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.