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From: cetron@utah-cs.UUCP (Edward J Cetron)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Cheating on Programming Assignments (Honor System)
Message-ID: <4546@utah-cs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 6-May-87 00:30:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: utah-cs.4546
Posted: Wed May  6 00:30:36 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 7-May-87 06:45:27 EDT
References: <263@rruxa.UUCP>
Reply-To: cetron@cs.utah.edu.UUCP (Edward J Cetron)
Organization: Center for Engineering Design, Univ of Utah
Lines: 34
Keywords: cheating, honor systems, crock

In article <263@rruxa.UUCP> gwl@rruxa.UUCP writes:
>
>In article <278@herman.UUCP> root@herman.UUCP writes:
>>
>>First of all i have to let out a little school rah-rah:  I did my undergraduate
>>work at the University of Virginia (wah-hoo-wah (:-)) which has a famous (at
>>least on the east coast) honor system.  Essentially, its precepts are:  One
>>does not cheat, and therefore there need be little energy spent on it.  One did
>
>    This is a crock.  Honor Systems are a joke.  I attended Stevens
>Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ my freshman year.  At Stevens

whooooaahh..... now I'm not familiar with the honor system at stevens, but if
its like most, the punishment is simply an f, maybe even probation or 
suspension.  U.Va. has a slightly more draconian punishement - full expulsion
- you are gone for good with no appeal or lesser punishment - just like the
military academies used to be.  After 3 years as and undergrad I saw NO cases
of cheating, but did get to watch 1 honor trial - and watched the student
expelled.  My fourth year (being a good boy :-)  )  I spent time as a TA and
sort-of and intstructor in physical chemistry among other things.  Even then,
when specifically charged with looking for cheating and also since I was now
from the other side, I never saw any examples of cheating.  But the clincher
was when i helped TA the pre-med organic chemistry labs - which are the most
obvious place to expect cheating given the moral fiber of most pre-meds.

	Maybe the honor system at stevens is a joke 'cause the students feel
it is a joke (or maybe just students without pride) but the honor code (in
spite of its draconianess) works just fine at the University of Virginia.

-ed cetron	(college '79)
Computer Services Manager
Center for Engineering Design
Univ. of Utah
cetron@cs.utah.edu