Academic Integrity
Phi Beta Kappa Welcomes 25 Harvard Juniors
Twenty-five juniors at Harvard College learned of their induction into the Alpha Iota Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honor society, through an email from the Office of Undergraduate Education on March 28.
Sciences Dean Stubbs Lauds Return to Campus As Division Expands to Quantum Realm
Dean of Science Christopher W. Stubbs said the return to in-person instruction has been “energizing” as he outlined updates regarding the Sciences Division’s ongoing endeavors in a Tuesday interview with The Crimson.
Harvard Courses Turn to Monitored Exams, Open-Book Assessments, and Faith in Students As Classes Move Online
With the first week of online classes underway, faculty say they have faith in the College’s Honor Code to guard against the temptation of mid-exam Googling.
CS50 Releases Report on ‘Regret Clause,’ Cheating Cases
Computer Science 50: “Introduction to Computer Science I” released a report about the long-term efficacy of its “regret clause,” an academic honesty policy that stirred controversy upon its induction in 2014 for allegedly bypassing the Honor Council.
Brigitte Libby Named Assistant Dean of Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct
Current Pforzheimer House resident dean Brigitte A. B. Libby will assume the position, which helps oversee the Honor Council, starting June 4.
Honor Council Increases Student Outreach, Meets With Athletic Teams
The College’s Honor Council is increasing its outreach to students this semester as part of a broader push to grow the body’s influence on campus.
Ec10, CS50 Once Again Top Course Enrollment
Keeping in line with last fall’s enrollment numbers, Economics 10 edged out Computer Science 50 as the College's most sought-after class.
CS50 Updates Course Policies, Asks Students To Go To Class
Students shopping one of Harvard’s most popular undergraduate courses will arrive in Sanders Theater tomorrow to a changed CS50.
Some Accused of Cheating in CS50 Sought Legal Counsel
One lawyer said Harvard is unlikely to face lawsuits from students accused of cheating in CS50 because the cases are “awfully hard” to prosecute.
With CS50 Cheating Cases, FAS Dean Taking Hands-Off Approach
FAS Dean Michael D. Smith said he was reluctant “to get involved too deeply” in the Computer Science department, where he still teaches.
As CS50 Expanded, Course Materials Became More Publicly Available
Some CS50 staffers said the course’s recent expansion and online availability of answer keys likely contributed to high levels of academic dishonesty.
For Some in CS50, Collaboration Policy Was Too Vague
Former students and course staff said course policy was unclear about what constituted cheating, creating the potential for unintentional violations.
Sophomores, Sciences Saw Most Honor Council Cases Last Year
The vast majority of 115 academic dishonesty cases the College’s Honor Council heard last academic year occurred in courses offered in the Sciences Division or the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, according to the adjudicating body’s first-ever annual report.
Professors Ask Computers to Catch Cheating
Professors are more widely employing algorithms, from decades-old codes to ones created by instructors, as an automated means to detect plagiarism in student assignments.
Honor Council Takes to Dining Halls To Expand Outreach
Undergraduate members of the student-faculty body tasked with implementing the College’s first honor code are reaching out to their classmates in dining halls and lecture halls about the goals and philosophy of the young committee.
Honor Code Could Prompt Talk of Students’ Roles in Discipline
Administrators acknowledge that a question that logically follows the honor code’s introduction is whether Harvard will move to expand students’ role in disciplinary procedures later on.
At Honor Code Panel, Students and Faculty Talk Communication
“The vast majority of faculty really do care, and the vast majority of students care. Yet I think a good portion of the time, we miss each other in unintentional ways,” said Brett Flehinger, the Honor Council’s secretary.
To Curtail Cheating, Study Suggests Randomly Assigned Seats
A study co-authored by Steven D. Levitt suggests that assigning students randomly to seats during exams significantly reduces instances of cheating.
Honor Council Members Adjust Schedules as Hearings Begin
Undergraduate members of the Honor Council—the student-faculty body tasked with enforcing the honor code—are adjusting their schedules as the Council hears its first slate of academic integrity cases.
College Stalls Plans for Ad Board Database Meant To Increase Transparency
The Administrative Board has repeatedly pushed the database’s target release date back, amid concerns that the summaries could compromise the privacy of individual students.
Faculty Approve Theater Concentration, Affirmation of Integrity
Faculty of Arts and Sciences members voted unanimously in favor of legislation requiring students at the College to make an affirmation of integrity, and for the establishment of a new Theater, Dance, and Media concentration.
Faculty To Vote on Elimination of Pre-Term Planning
The College will no longer conduct pre-term planning if members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences vote in favor of proposed changes to the student handbook at their monthly meeting Tuesday.
Honor Council Begins Training Undergraduate Members
As the College readies for a fall rollout of its first honor code, undergraduates on the student-faculty body that will hear cases of academic integrity have begun their training.
Honor Council Selects Student Membership
Twelve undergraduates will sit on the Honor Council, which will hear cases of alleged academic integrity violations, and 14 will serve as “academic integrity fellows” and will provide advising to students accused of breaching the honor code.
Faculty Hear Proposals on Theater Concentration, Honor Code Affirmation
Under the honor code legislation, students would be required to affirm their awareness of the honor code each time they register for the semester and would be unable to register should they not make that affirmation.