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“…or tolerate those who do.” Mostly.
\nIt’s the biggest cheating scandal at West Point in decades. 70+ cadets made the same errors on a calculus exam, with 59 so far admitting to the offense. The exam was administered remotely because of COVID-19 concerns, which doubtless played a part.
\nJustice should be swift and without pity, an expulsion offense for the guilty, right?
\nNot quite.<\/p>\n
Vanessa Romo, Tom Bowman<\/strong><\/p>\n Seventy-three suspected cheaters, one critical mistake.<\/p>\n Dozens of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point were caught cheating on a calculus final exam in May after they all made the same errors on the test, according to officials.<\/p>\n Instructors at the Army’s premier training ground for officers revealed the academic scandal on Monday, saying it’s the worst they’ve seen since the 1970s.<\/p>\n So far, 59 cadets out of a suspected 73 have admitted to taking part in the scam in which the students “shared answers and made the same mistakes,” Lt. Col. Chris Ophardt, a West Point spokesman told NPR.<\/p>\n The test was administered remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n Four cadets have resigned and another eight, who say they’re innocent of any wrongdoing, will face a full hearing led by seniors at the academy. The cases against two others initially implicated in the scheme have been dismissed for lack of evidence.<\/p>\n Cadets who commit to the rigorous military academy agree to abide by a strict honor code that holds them up to a high standard in exchange for free tuition and a $10,000 annual stipend to every student, in addition to the opportunity to become some of the nation’s top military leaders.<\/p>\n The code is just a dozen words long: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”<\/p>\n Ophardt acknowledged the cadets \u2014 all but one of whom are first-years \u2014 fell short of living up to those words during this period of remote learning and other challenges brought on by the pandemic. Still, he maintains the “West Point honor code and character development program remains strong.”<\/p>\n He added: “The Honors process is working as expected and there have been no exceptions to policy for any of these cases. Cadets are being held accountable for breaking the code.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Then why are the majority of them still on campus attending classes? Worse even than the loss of trust among so many, is the way West Point is handling the issue.<\/p>\n Expelled for cause? Perish the thought. They just need some more counseling, and a brand new rehabilitation program for cheaters is just the ticket.<\/p>\n Hat tip to our own Ex for bird-dogging the story. I take no joy in posting this, and would just as quickly have Annapolis or Colorado Springs up had the cheating scandal occurred there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nRead the entire article here: NPR.org<\/a><\/p>\n