With classes moving online for the rest of the semester, some students have started questioning whether or not the Honor System still applies. They shouldn’t worry — Stevens students still hold all the same rights guaranteed by the Honor System regardless of whether classes are in-person or online.
Inside or outside the classroom, each Stevens undergraduate student commits to upholding the Honor System. Each student has four responsibilities:
- Maintain honesty and fair play in all aspects of academic life at Stevens
- Write and sign the pledge, in full, on all submitted academic work
- Report any suspected honor system violations
- Cooperate with the Honor Board during investigations and hearings
In return, students are guaranteed rights within the classroom. This includes professors not being to excessively proctor exams or arbitrarily issue a punishment for suspected cheating themselves.
“All students have the same rights as they had when classes were taking place on campus,” said Zamin Akmal, Chair of the Honor Board. “All of the rules for the Stevens Honor System still apply.”
This includes no excessive proctoring during exams. While the policy of not requiring webcams to be on during exams originated from the Office of the Provost, the Honor Board will help ensure that the policy is followed. “We encourage students to reach out to us if they feel that that policy is being violated,” said Akmal.
After multiple students brought up concerns regarding the use of webcams, the Committee on Academic Rights of the Student Government Association has begun collecting responses from students regarding professors who require webcams to be on during exams. The information will be shared with the Office of the Provost.
However, the Honor Board still encourages professors to take other actions to prevent cheating. This includes having students use a LockDown browser, which prevents users from going to other websites, using other applications, and taking screenshots, among other features. “The Honor Board recognizes that exam room conditions are harder to set and enforce as we adjust to these new circumstances,” said Akmal. As an organization, the Honor Board supports the grading flexibility policy announced by the Provost in an email to the student body on March 22.
The new grading policy recommends that professors limit exams. Professors should consider changing large exams into smaller quizzes, a term paper, or allowing them to be open book.
Like many other organizations on campus, the Honor Board is continuing to meet while away from campus. “We are still currently conducting casework and holding our weekly meetings,” said Akmal, “but much like all of our classes, it is all being conducted online.” Additionally, the E-board of the Honor Board and its advisors are currently working on a plan for holding hearings online.
Students are still encouraged to report violations of the Honor System if they witness one. Even though its harder to witness violations since everyone is away from campus, it’s still possible to see if cheating is occurring — such as through online messaging. “Just as our current casework is continuing, these violations would be investigated in the same manner, with holding meetings online to gather all the facts from both sides,” said Akmal.
Even in these unprecedented times, the Honor Board is continuing to function, and the system holds just as strong as it did in the past. “As a school, Stevens has forged a new path to ensure a continued education for its students and the Honor Board is dedicated and proud to be a part of this journey into uncharted territory,” said Akmal.
Students can report an Honor System violation at stevens.edu/report.
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