For while most students understand that turning in someone else's research or thesis paper or blatantly copying another's prose constitutes a breach of both ethics and university policy, this is where the clarity ends.

According to Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57, the lack of clarity results from two factors: first that cheating is a scarcely explained in most classes and second that students don't know that limits of collaboration.

The line between legitimate and illegitimate collaboration is especially fine in economics, science and mathematics classes, both students and professors say.

"People here blatantly copy problem sets," says a junior concentrator in economics. "Answer keys pass down from years before For example, we did all of our Ec 1010a problem sets from answer keys from the year before. Only one girl got caught, and nothing happened to her."

Common practice by some students, one sophomore pre-med student explains, is to copy the posted answer and turn in the assignment late.

"In these big science classes, it is relatively easy to get a one-day extension on a home-work assignment," says this student. "Since the professors of TFs are so good about posting answers the day after the problem set is due, it makes it easy for these late assignments to be copied. It's loophole."

From the professors' point of view, similar answers on problem sets alone are not enough to determine whether students are cheating.

Lecturer on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry James E. Davis, who teaches "Chemistry 5: Introduction to the Principles of Chemistry," noted that he often has to deal with cases where "we have remarkable similarities between late papers and posted answers." While this is regarded as 'cheating' in some sense, in these cases of smaller assignments common to all students, it is difficult to prove, he says.

"People at Harvard are of considerable achievement and integrity," says Davis, "I like to teach my classes in the best way I can to discourage cheating, but I have not made that the primary focus of my efforts."

Taking Shortcuts

Taking shortcuts--rather then completing all the coursework--is a common way to survive in many classes, several students say.

Two students explained their shortcut-taking techniques in one of Trumbull Professors of American History Donald H. Fleming's classes.

Fleming, they say, has a list of forty study questions that he gives his gives his class each year, and five of these questions appear on the examination. Although the wording or order of the questions may change, say the students, the thrust of the answers remain constant.

To get ready for these exams, students say they utilize packets of prepared answers to the questions, some of the contents of which are more than fifteen years old.

"I went to class once and got a B+," says one senior who used the packets. "I went to go hand in the midterm and the next time I was in class was on the final. I don't know if you consider that cheating."