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April 21, 2003 edition

xpaying for it, we use it because it is available and in many instances, it almost looks anonymous.
Patrick Alarcon, who teaches life science to seventh-graders at Stamford’s Rippowam Middle School, says that while he doesn’t see much cheating in his classroom, there are some who think nothing of cheating. In fact, he says, they might consider it a way of life, the way things should be. It’s a battle trying to reason with that line of thinking.
Alarcon, who began teaching in the late Ô70s, says back then, when students were caught cheating on a test, there was some sense of remorse. They took it personally, he says. They’d also be slapped with a zero test score, but now you can’t do that, he notes, observing that educators now show a lot more concern about student welfare.
While he says it’s up to the individual teacher to handle the situation, most are guided by a willingness to help the student and prefer to retest the child at a later date.
I don’t think I could sleep nights if I failed a child, he says. It would be the easy way out. But, there’s more to life than books. Part of my job is to help society by helping the student.
Many colleges, too, prefer following a positive approach. Paolini says Sacred Heart recently rewrote its policy on cheating to emphasize academic integrity and commitment to fundamental values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.
Given the policy’s positive face, she says, the school tries to help students take a position in the community based on the same values and principles that define their alma mater.
However, violators are penalized following a procedure carefully worked out by a faculty committee. Generally, the student receives a failing mark for the assignment or an F in the course in addition to a warning. A second case of cheating could trigger dismissal from the school.
Paolini says if a student can prove that his paper wasn’t plagiarized, the accusation of cheating can be appealed.
We are trying to mold behavior so that students will not find themselves in the position of cheating, she says.
The Center for Academic Integrity at Quinnipiac University in Hamden is run by Director Catherine Meriano, an associate professor of occupational therapy. Many students are unaware of what is acceptable, says Meriano, whose job includes educating students about academic honor and the meaning of plagiarism.
Says Meriano, We need to be very clear on our expectations that anything they take from anywhere needs to be cited.
Many universities nationwide have honor code systems, requiring student signatures affirming they will not cheat or plagiarize. Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., is among them.
Asher Rolfe, a senior at the college, co-chairs its student-run honor board, which conducts hearings for those accused of breaching the code. Rolfe says the board does not police students; each case brought for adjudication stems from an accusation by a student peer or faculty member. After the evidence is presented, if the student is found in violation, the board recommends sanctions to the college dean. There are no guidelines, says Rolfe. Cases are deliberated on the evidence presented including the student’s behavior during the hearing and any external circumstances determined to be relevant. Penalties range from a zero test score and warning to dismissal from the university.
Some students are very conscious of the honor code and others are not, says Rolfe, noting that some years have had as many as 30 students brought before the board, while in other years, just three or four.
We certainly hope every student has perfect intentions when they sign (the honor code), says Rolfe, but the fact that students are brought before us shows it doesn’t always work out.