LASTING CONSEQUENCES

Biology professor Richard M. Losick, who has served as a personal adviser for students before the Ad Board, said that the most punitive element of a forced withdrawal is the permanent note that goes on a student’s record following that punishment.

While probation is only temporarily noted on a student’s transcript during the period of punishment, a forced withdrawal leaves a permanent mark, though the reason for the withdrawal is not indicated.

“If you’re kicked out for a year and that’s on your record, that’s not educational. That’s a severe punishment,” Losick said. “A lot is at stake.”

Schneider said that he has spoken with medical school and law school admissions officers who have admitted that such a mark on the transcript significantly lowers a student’s chance of admission.

Daniel, a student implicated in the Government 1310 scandal who asked that his name be changed because he did not want it known that he was accused of cheating, agreed that transcript marks have the power to affect a student’s career after college.

“Everyone knows that if you get required to withdraw, that’s almost the kiss of death in the academic realm,” Daniel said.

Neal, however, defended the permanent mark on the transcript, saying it is a necessary explanation of a student’s historical record at the College.

Neal wrote that administrators strive to ensure that this mark does not serve as an insurmountable obstacle for students in the future.

Curtis said that many of her students returned to Harvard after a forced withdrawal with a new perspective, drive, and focus on their academic careers. In such cases, Curtis said, she could write letters of recommendation that acknowledged a student’s disciplinary infraction while also emphasizing their holistic success at Harvard.

“I could often very honestly say that that was a blip on the screen, that was a moment that was difficult for the student, but they have since picked themselves up,” she said, adding these students were often successful in their efforts to find employment or go to graduate school.

EDUCATION IN THE SPOTLIGHT

But there are some marks that the College cannot help students explain away, a fact particularly evident in the Government 1310 cheating scandal.

Last month, reports circulated that the captains of the men’s basketball team, Kyle D. Casey ’13 and Brandyn T. Curry ’13, planned to voluntarily withdraw from Harvard because of possible disciplinary action stemming from their involvement in the scandal.

Transcripts aside, Casey and Curry will be linked to the cheating scandal if ever a potential employer decides to Google them.