Honor Council
A Wave of Cheating Cases in CS50
Over 60 enrollees in Harvard's flagship computer science course appeared before the Honor Council to face allegations of academic dishonesty. Here's a look at what's happened and why.
In ‘Unusual’ Timeline, Honor Council Review of CS50 Cases Lasted Through February
The email from CS50 head instructor David J. Malan ’99 arrived when one student was sitting in the airport on Jan. 9, waiting to board a flight home for winter break.
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.
Honor Council Members Weigh New Role Enforcing Social Group Penalties
Members of the Honor Council are weighing how to take on their newly proposed role enforcing the College’s social group penalties, with some calling the added responsibility unwelcome.
Meg G. Panetta
Meg G. Panetta ’17 is a gentle soul. Her voice is very quiet. “I was a strange little kid,” she says. “I feel like most people are.”
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.
Quieting Previous Publicity Campaign, Honor Council Selects 11
Eleven new students have been selected to serve on the College’s Honor Council next year, at a time when the adjudicating body has deliberately decreased its public presence.
Students Sign Honor Affirmation on Final Assignments
During final exams, and on final papers and assignments, undergraduates have starting affirming their awareness of Harvard College’s first honor code, which went into effect this semester.
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.
Some, but Not Many, Opening Lectures Talk Honor Code
It's days into the College's rollout of its first honor code, but many professors did not mention the policy in their course syllabi or during opening lectures on Wednesday.
