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From: beth@gymble.UUCP (Beth Katz)
Newsgroups: net.college
Subject: Re: Honor System for tests
Message-ID: <10@gymble.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Oct-84 12:56:37 EDT
Article-I.D.: gymble.10
Posted: Fri Oct 19 12:56:37 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Oct-84 07:47:32 EDT
References: <1970@stolaf.UUCP> <1681@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Organization: U of Maryland, Laboratory for Parallel Computation, C.P., MD
Lines: 32

The College of William and Mary has an honor system for everything.
Why should tests be special?  Professors or instructors don't have
to leave the room.  They can be there to answer questions and make
clarifications about the test.  It's very difficult to make up an
exam that cannot be misinterpreted in any way.  They may go back to
their offices, and sometimes students leave the room to find a more
comfortable place to write.  You don't necessarily write a pledge on
your answers; you sign a pledge to abide by the honor code when you
enter the school (I think it is actually on the application for
admission, but I did that several years ago).

If you observe someone cheating (or lying, or stealing), you have to
give them 24 hours to turn themselves in to the honor council.
Even faculty members must wait the 24 hours.  The accused is given
a trial by his peers (all students) in confidential surroundings.
The results become part of the student's discipline record (distinct
from his academic record) and are published anonymously in the school
newspaper.  First offense might get you kicked out of school, but a
second offense will surely get you at least a suspension.

This system seems to work very well.  I know people have been kicked
out (even if they were on athletic teams), and most people won't 
tolerate cheating.  The system has been in place since sometime in
the 1700's (Jefferson was involved in its creation, I believe.)

William and Mary is a small, state-supported, coeducational (55%women,
45%men), highly competitive, liberal arts university in Williamsburg,
Virginia.  It keeps the college name for historical reasons.

				Beth Katz (U. of MD, College Park)
				...!seismo!gymble!beth
				beth@gymble