ÿWPC …# VUNa %¯ 0(µU:Ýw@ 4W k z L‚ Î 0JÖ 0T 0^t 0hÒ 0r: 0|¬ 0†( 0® 1u> 0d³ U>U*UB) B¨DCÅ AMßUv~4 D3²vÓå 0@¸ AOøÆG 0D  D/Q B€˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLlÎ(ÈhH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡, øð AZ"Arial Regular ŒŽDUU‘D’D“U” Ó€ž¥Hœ$Ô3|xžC:\OFFICE\WPWIN\TEMPLATE\STANDARD.WPT2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(&Times New Roman< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d d$$$$7Border 1dd€-&Cþÿ << Gÿÿ ÕÝ ƒ!ÝÔ€"ÔÝ  ÝÔ€#ÔÔ€#ÔÓ  Óò òÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€#XÔÌÌJuly€29,€1998ÌÌCecil€W.€CrowsonÌAppellate€Court€ClerkÔ  Ôó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'h%%%%'ÿÿdxdStyl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  h HD: Geneva ÒÒ  h HD: Geneva Ò("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò€-‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€"ÔÝ  ÝÓ  ÓÔ€#ÔÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ7€<˜XXdðXXdð7Ñ›œÞ ÞÌÌ›œ›à@ àò òIN€THE€COURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEÌÙ€€ÙœßR€'(&A1-j|æþ2` ç `€€@ÿRß›à@ àAT€NASHVILLEÌœÌÌÌÌÌ›ÌÌœKRISTEN›€œTATUM›€and€JULIE€œDURR›,à à)€€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àó óPetitioners/Appellants,à àò ò)€€Davidson€Chancery€No.€95„3910„IIIÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌœVS›.à àà àà àà àà àà à)€€Appeal€No.€œ01A01›„9707„CH„00326Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌTHE€UNIVERSITY€OF€TENNESSEE,à à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àó óRespondent/Appellee.à àò ò)ó óÌÌÌà@ àAPPEAL€FROM€THE€CHANCERY€COURT€OF€DAVIDSON€COUNTYÌà@ àAT€NASHVILLE,€TENNESSEEÌà@ àTHE€HONORABLE€ELLEN€œHOBBS›€LYLE,€CHANCELLORÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òJOHN€D.€AGEEó óÌò òCOOLEY,€COOLEY€&€AGEEÌó óKingston,€TennesseeÌAttorney€for€AppellantÌÌÌÌò òœBEAUCHAMP›€E.€BROGANÌGENERAL€COUNSELÌTHE€UNIVERSITY€OF€TENNESSEEÌó óKnoxville,€TennesseeÌAttorney€for€AppelleeÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òAFFIRMEDÌÌÌÌÌÌó óà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àò òALAN€E.€œHIGHERS›,€J.ÌÌÌÑ7€ì\XXdðXXdð7ÑÌCONCUR:ÌÌDAVID€R.€FARMER,€J.ÌÌHOLLY€œKIRBY›€œLILLARD›,€J.ó óà àœÌÓÓà àThe›€University€of€Tennessee€at€Knoxville€(ð ðUniversityðð)€found€the€appellants,ÏKristen€Tatum€(ð ðTatumðð)€and€Julie€Durr€(ð ðDurrðð€)€(collectively€ð ðappellantsðð),€guilty€ofÏð ðacademic€cheating€or€plagiarismðð€in€the€completion€of€a€take„home€examination€inÏœviolation€of›€University€of€Tennessee€rule€1720„4„3.03(1)(a).€€As€punishment,€theÏUniversity€placed€appellants€on€indefinite€disciplinary€suspension.€€The€ChanceryÏCourt€of€Davidson€County€affirmed€the€Universityððs€action.€€On€appeal,€appellantsÏassert€that€the€finding€of€guilt€was€not€supported€by€substantial€and€material€evidence.€ÏFor€reasons€stated€hereinafter,€we€affirm€the€trial€courtððs€order.ÌÌà àAt€all€times€pertinent€to€this€case,€appellants€were€graduate€students€at€theÏUniversity€of€Tennessee€at€Knoxville.€€During€the€fall€semester€of€1994,€appellantsÏwere€enrolled€in€a€graduate€statistics€course€taught€by€Dr.€Mary€Sue€Younger€(ð ðDr.ÍYoungerðð).€€œStudents›€enrolled€in€the€course€were€issued€individual€computer€accountsÏwhich€could€be€accessed€only€by€using€a€studentððs€name€and€confidential€password.€€ÌÌà àOn€December€8,€Dr.€Younger€distributed€to€appellants,€as€well€as€to€otherÏstudents€in€the€class,€a€take„home€examination€(ð ðexamðð)€with€instructions€to€return€theÏanswers€to€the€œexam›€by€5:00€p.m.€on€Tuesday,€December€œ13.›€€œThe›€exam€containedÏfour€problems€which€required€the€use€of€a€computer€and€a€printer.€€The€students€wereÏallowed€to€use€certain€materials€in€the€completion€of€the€exam,€including€classÏmanuals,€notes,€and€prior€homework.€€œStudents›€were€also€allowed€to€consult€with€theÏclass€teaching€assistant€Yuriko€Taketani€and€Dr.€Younger€herself.€€œCollaboration›€onÏthe€exam,€however,€was€not€permitted.€€A€statement€œconveying›€this€thought€wasÏconspicuously€displayed€on€the€cover€of€each€copy€of€the€œexam:€ððI›€understand€that€it€isÏconsidered€cheating€to€give€or€receive€any€unauthorized€assistance€on€this€œexam.ðð€›ÏAppellants€signed€this€statement,€acknowledging€their€comprehension€of€thisÏprohibition.€ÌÌœà àAppellants›€submitted€their€œexams›€to€Dr.€Younger€by€the€designated€deadline.€€œÏData€sets€were€not€required€to€be€turned€in€with€the€exams.€€Appellant€Tatum,Ïhowever,€turned€in€copies€of€her€data€sets.€€In›€the€course€of€grading€the€first€examÏproblem€for€all€the€students,€Dr.€Younger€discovered€that€one€of€the€papers€had€dataÏentry€errors€for€the€problem€which€resulted€in€incorrect€answers.€€€As€she€continued€toÏgrade€papers,€Dr.€Younger€happened€upon€another€paper€with€the€identical€wrongÏanswers.€€€These€papers€belong€to€appellants.€€œDr.›€Younger€further€testified€that€noÍother€student€had€made€similar€errors.€€€Based€upon€a€comparison€of€the€two€testÏpapers,€Dr.€Younger€determined€that€œappellantsðð›€answers€to€problem€one€were€wrongÏin€exactly€the€same€way.€€€She€concluded€that€the€two€students€had€to€have€made€theÏœsame›€data€entry€errors€in€order€to€achieve€the€same€incorrect€œanswers.›€ÌÌà àThereafter,€Dr.€Younger€left€telephone€messages€with€each€of€the€appellants,Ïasking€œeach€to›€contact€her.€€œAppellant›€Tatum€was€out€of€town,€but€appellant€Durr€metÏwith€Dr.€Younger€in€her€office€on€December€14,€1994.€€œAt›€œthe›€meeting,€Dr.€YoungerÏsought€and€received€Durrððs€computer€user€name€and€her€œconfidential€password›€for€herÏclass€account.€€Dr.€Younger€made€a€printout€of€Durrððs€data€sets€and€compared€œit›€toÏTatumððs€data€sets.€€œDurrððs€data›€sets€contained€data€entry€lines€which€were€identical€inÏevery€way€to€the€data€sheet€included€by€Tatum€with€her€exam.€€œSpecifically,›€the€dataÏsets€compiled€by€Tatum€and€Durr€omitted€three€numbers,€and€the€omissions€occurredÏin€the€œexact›€sequence€in€the€set€of€ninety€numbers.€€Durr€offered€no€explanation€to€Dr.ÏYounger€as€to€how€the€data€replications€occurred.€ÌÌà àFollowing€her€meeting€with€Durr,€Dr.€Younger€continued€to€compare€the€twoÏexam€papers.€€She€found€that€problem€two€of€the€exam€also€contained€identicalÏincorrect€results.€€Tatum€had€erroneously€repeated€a€series€of€three€numbers€whichÏresulted€in€an€incorrect€total€of€forty„eight€data€sets€rather€than€forty„five.€€œDurr›€alsoÏentered€forty„eight€data€sets€rather€than€forty„five.€€œDr.›€Youngerððs€testimony€was€thatÏthe€computer„generated€output€for€problem€two€was€identical€for€both€œTatumððs›€andÏDurrððs€exams.€€At€trial,€it€was€undisputed€that€identical€incorrect€data€had€to€have€beenÍentered€in€both€exams€for€this€to€have€occurred.€€ÌÌà àOther€common€errors,€format€congruencies,€and€common€œpeculiarities›€wereÏalso€put€into€evidence€at€the€hearing.€€A€majority€of€the€incorrect€or€peculiar€entriesÏdiffered€only€in€terms€or€abbreviations€that€were€used€to€designate€the€same€set,Ïcategory,€or€item.€€Both€Tatum€and€Durr€plotted€a€graph€erroneously€by€swapping€the€XÏand€Y€axis.€€€On€the€same€graph,€Tatum€and€Durr€used€letters€rather€than€numbers€toÏplot€points.€€œOne›€other€student€plotted€a€backward€graph,€but€used€numbers€instead€ofÏletters€to€plot€the€points.€€œAppellants›€arranged€their€data€sets€for€problem€one€inÏalphabetical€order€rather€than€the€order€in€which€the€data€appeared€with€theÏexplanation€at€the€hearing€that€at€some€point€during€the€course€of€the€class,€they€wereÏtold€that€alphabetical€ordering€was€appropriate€to€use€with€the€SAS€program.€ÏHowever,€Dr.€Younger€pointed€out€in€her€testimony€that€neither€Tatum€nor€DurrÏfollowed€an€alphabetic€designation€for€the€data€in€problem€two.€€Further€instances€ofÏsimilarities€can€be€found€in€the€record€which€render€the€exams€submitted€by€appellantsÏto€be€strikingly€congruent.€€ÌÌà àAppellants€testified€on€their€œown›€behalf.€€Each€denied€collaborating€with€theÏother€on€the€exam.€€€Tatum€contends€that€she€could€have€entered€her€data€into€theÏcomputer,€made€a€print€request,€inadvertently€picked€up€another€studentððs€dataÏprintout€and€then€reentered€the€data€as€her€own.€€€Both€Tatum€and€Durr€suggested€thatÏthe€similarities€could€be€attributed€to€computer/printer€ð ðglitches.ðð€€Appellants€further€Ïtestified€that€they€had€the€habit€of€transposing€the€X€and€Y€axis€on€their€graphs.€ÌÌà àThe€trial€court€noted€that€ð ðno€testimony€was€offered€to€support€œappellantsðð›€claimÏthat€a€computer/printer€error€could€have€occurred€such€that€computer€entries€made€byÏthe€two€students€could€have€become€commingled€on€the€same€printed€document€orÏthat€such€commingling€did€in€fact€occur.ðð€€œThe›€record€evinces€that€one€witness€testifiedÏthat€the€printer€in€the€computer€laboratory€could€have€printer€misfeeding€problems.€€œBut›Ïthe€witness€testimony€evinced€that€these€misfeeding€problems€only€resulted€in€paperÏbeing€printed€out€of€order.€€œThis›€witness€testified€that€the€quality€of€the€printouts€wouldÏnot€be€affected€nor€would€the€printouts€result€in€a€combination€of€words€or€misprints.€ÏThe€trial€court€properly€noted€that€of€the€eight€affidavits€submitted€by€the€appellants€inÏsupport€of€the€ð ðprinter€problemðð€theory,€only€one€person€claimed€personal€knowledgeÏof€the€printer€in€question€having€combined€print€on€one€page€sent€from€two€differentÏpeople€or€monitors.€€€ÌÌà àThe€sole€issue€before€this€Court€on€appeal€is€as€follows:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 àœWhether€the€decision›€of€the€University€of€Tennessee€atÏKnoxville,€affirmed€by€the€trial€court,€œwas€supported›€byÏsubstantial€and€material€evidence?ÌÓÓÌà àBoth€this€Court€and€the€Chancery€Court€review€decisions€under€theÏAdministrative€Procedures€Act€pursuant€to€Tennessee€Code€Annotated€ðð€4„5„322(h),Ïwhich€provides:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 àThe€court€may€affirm€the€decision€of€the€agency€or€remandÏthe€case€for€further€proceedings.€€The€court€may€reverse€orÏmodify€the€decision€if€the€rights€of€the€petitioner€have€beenÏprejudiced€because€the€administrative€findings,€inferences,Íconclusions€or€decisions€are:Ìà8 àà8 àÌà8 àà8 à(1)€In€violation€of€constitutional€or€statutory€provisions;Ìà àà8 à(2)€In€excess€of€the€statutory€authority€of€the€agency;Ìà8 àà à(3)€Made€upon€unlawful€procedure;Ìà8 àà à(4)€Arbitrary€or€capricious€or€characterized€by€abuse€of€discretionÏor€à8 àclearly€unwarranted€exercise€of€discretion;€€orÌà8 àà à(5)€Unsupported€by€evidence€which€is€both€substantial€andÏmaterial€à8 àin€the€light€of€the€entire€record.€€ÌÌÓÓIn€determining€the€substantiality€of€evidence,€the€court€shall€take€into€account€whateverÏin€the€record€fairly€detracts€from€its€weight,€but€the€court€shall€not€substitute€itsÏjudgment€for€that€of€the€agency€as€to€the€weight€of€the€evidence€on€questions€of€fact.€€ÌœTenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€4„5„322(h)€(Supp.€1997)›.ÌÌà àFurther,€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€4„5„322(I)€requires:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 àNo€agency€decision€pursuant€to€a€hearing€in€a€contestedÏcase€shall€be€reversed,€remanded€or€modified€by€theÏreviewing€court€unless€for€errors€which€affect€the€merits€ofÏsuch€decision.€€ÌÌœTenn.€Code€›Ann.€ðð€4„5„322(I)€(Supp.€1997).€€ÌÌà à€ÌÌÓÓà àIn€addition,€such€review€is€limited€to€the€record€of€the€case.€€œTenn.€›Code€Ann.€ððÏ4„5„322(g).€€Findings€of€fact€made€by€the€agency€may€not€be€reviewed€òòde€novoóó€by€theÏtrial€or€appellate€courts,€and€courts€should€not€substitute€their€judgment€for€that€of€theÏagency€as€to€the€weight€of€the€evidence€on€factual€issues.€€òòSouthern€Ry.€Co.€v.ÏTennessee€Bd.€of€Equalizationóó,€682€S.W.2d€196,€199€œ(Tenn.€1984);›€òòCF€Indus.€v.ÏTennessee€Pub.€Serv.€€Comm'nóó,€599€S.W.2d€536€œ(Tenn.€1980);›€òòNational€Council€onÏCompensation€Ins.€v.€Gaddisóó,€786€S.W.2d€240,€242€(Tenn.€Ct.€App.€1989).€€FactualÍissues€must€be€reviewed€upon€a€standard€of€substantial€and€material€evidence.€ÏòòHumana€of€Tennessee€v.€Tennessee€Health€Facilities€Commissionóó,€551€S.W.2d€665Ï(Tenn.€1977).€€Substantial€and€material€evidence€is€such€relevant€evidence€as€aÏreasonable€mind€might€accept€to€support€a€rational€conclusion€and€such€as€to€furnishÏa€reasonably€sound€basis€for€the€action€under€consideration.€€òòClay€County€Manor,€Inc.Ïv.€Stateóó,€849€S.W.2d€755€(Tenn.€1993).€€The€"substantial€and€material€evidenceÏstandard"€in€œTenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€4„5„322(h)(5)€requires€a€searching€and€careful€inquiryÏthat€subjects€the€agency's€decision€to€close€scrutiny.òò€€Wayne€County€v.€Solid€WasteÏDisposal€Control€Bd.óó,€756€S.W.2d€274,€280€(Tenn.›€Ct.€App.€1988).€ÌÌà àAppellants€allege€that€the€hearing€œofficerððs›€decision€was€not€supported€byÏsubstantial€and€material€evidence€in€the€record.€€Tenn.€Code.€Ann.€ðð€4„5„322(h).€€WeÏdisagree.Ìœ›à àIn€her€Initial€Order,€the€hearing€officer€stated€that€the€exams€papers€submitted€byÏTatum€and€Durr€were€ð ðrife€with€identical€errors€and€nearly€identical€entries.ðð€€AfterÏperusing€the€record,€the€trial€court€found€extensive€evidence€to€support€the€UniversityððsÏcharges€of€collaboration.€€œSpecifically,the›€trial€œcourt€›€œfound€the›€following€to€beÏindicative€of€collaboration:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 àò ò**ó ó€the€omission€of€the€same€three€œnumbers›€in€the€exactÏsame€œsequence›€in€a€90„number€data€set€in€Question€#1Ï(resulting€in€identical€incorrect€answers);Ìà8 àà8 àò ò**ó ó€the€addition€of€the€same€three€œnumbers›€in€consecutiveÏœsequence›€in€a€45„number€data€set€in€Question€#2€(resultingÏin€identical€incorrect€answers);Ìà8 àà8 àò ò**ó ó€rows€of€data€in€reverse€order€in€Question€#1,€but€normalÏorder€in€Question€#2;Ìà8 àà8 àò ò**ó ó€the€use€of€letters€for€values€in€Question€#3,€but€not€in€theÍother€three€questions;Ìà8 àà8 àò ò**ó ó€the€uses€of€numbers€ð ð1"€and€ð ð2"€instead€of€the€letters€ð ðmððÏand€ð ðfðð€to€designate€male€and€female;Ìà8 àà8 àò ò**ó ó€the€uses€of€numbers€instead€of€names€to€representÏtelevision€shows€in€Question€#1;Ìà8 àà8 àò ò**ó ó€the€omission€of€the€same€key€term€in€the€printed€formulaÏfor€Question€#1,€even€though€it€was€included€in€bothÏstudentsðð€calculations;Ìà8 àà8 àò ò**€ó ógraphs€charted€backwards€on€Question€#3.ÌÌÌÌÓÓà àœEven€taking€into€account€all€matters€in€the€evidence€which€detract€from€theÏweight€of€the€evidence,€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€4„5„322(h),€the›€findings€of€theÏAdministrative€Law€Judge€and€the€trial€court€are€supported€by€substantial€and€materialÏevidence.ÌÌà àAccordingly,€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed.€€Costs€of€this€appeal€areÏtaxed€to€appellants,€for€which€execution€may€issue€if€œnecessary.ÌÌÌÓÓÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ïóóà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àHIGHERS,€J.ÌÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌFARMER,€J.ÌÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌLILLARD,€J.›Ìà à€€ò òòòÌÌÌÌó óóó