Many sites like Unigo, Student Review, and Reddit say the Honor Code is a “farce” at Davidson. This isn’t one post. If you search, you can find a lot of them use cheat sheets, cell phones, textbooks, encrypted chats, and that to keep up you have to cheat or you will do horribly. I wonder how true this is?
My least favorite thing about Davidson (and others) is the Honor Code. I just don’t think most kids, unless they have a ROCK SOLID MORAL FIBER, are not going to do whatever it takes to get ahead (see schools where cheating is the norm) and I worry how someone who is truly HONEST will do in a environment like that.
You can PM me if you don’t feel comfortable posting just wondering these other sites have me worried so much I don’t even want my daughter to apply sometimes (as much of a reach as it is).
Thanks
I do know those sites anyone can register and there is no vetting of any kind, but still worrisome Honor Codes in general imo
All colleges and universities have honor codes. Most LACs have more stringent honor codes than larger schools, and these codes confer benefits to students. And even among LACs, Davidson’s Honor Code is one of the most extensive and central to its identity.
Davidson is one of the only colleges that I’m aware of that uses ‘character’ as an admissions criterion. The learning environment is collaborative and community-focused. All of these things help support the honor code. Yes, honor codes are not rock solid; however, I am confident if cheating were rampant as you seem to allege the college would know and address. It’s not that hard to find out through anonymous student surveys, etc.
I also disagree with this premise: “I just don’t think most kids, unless they have a ROCK SOLID MORAL FIBER, are not going to do whatever it takes to get ahead (see schools where cheating is the norm).”
It is not my impression that cheating is the norm at any college nor that students are in cut-throat competition to get ahead. Heck, some students can’t even make it to class all the time!
Bottom line: this doesn’t seem like a real concern – at Davidson or elsewhere.
That is reassuring, but I am just going off of what is out there, on various forums it fuels my doubts.
Give a proctored test of course cheating isn’t a issue, but let a young adult at a competitive college take a exam, test, etc in their dorm room. Really how would someone find out? Just like any other temptations you are telling me you honestly believe young adults will break the law and engage in underage drinking and drugs at 18,19,20, but “NO, I WILL NOT CHEAT ON A TEST! When I’m the only one in the room!!” I doubt it seriously!
I don’t believe in non proctored tests I think it is a disservice to anyone who is honest and would never cheat due to a internal compass I think many kids think it is okay to “fluff a little” because everyone is doing it.
Look at the scandals throughout competitive high-schools you think it just stops once at college? I don’t!
So, these forums just add fuel to my fire unproctored is not the way to go and just encourages deceitful action.
That claim does not lend a lot of credibility to your other claims about human nature.
In my experience, some types of exams lend themselves less to cheating than do others. “Discuss three of these seven themes, using examples drawn from at least five of the works covered in class,” for example.
@allphoe – I was thinking a long the same lines. Exams that require a lot of critical thinking and deep understanding of the material are harder to ‘cheat’ on.I don’t think multiple choice and short answer are very common at small LACs anyway.
@emptynesteryet - You clearly have strong opinions on this topic and a set point of view. Davidson is not going to veer from its long tradition, so it’s not clear to me what you’re seeking to get from this thread: You’ve received input that cheating doesn’t seem to be a significant problem; you believe otherwise. Davidson won’t be changing, and therefore I think think it may not be the place where you choose to invest your family’s higher ed dollars. There’s lot of great colleges out there that I’m sure will resonate more positively with you and I hope the search goes well.
It looks like you made your mind up before even posting. Not sure why you bothered asking for other opinions since you are shooting down anyone who believes that there are students who follow the Honor Code. If the majority of students had the same attitude as you, transcripts would be full of As since everyone would be cheating. That is not the case.
Doesn’t seem like she’d be a good fit for Davidson anyway. The college is looking not only for students with moral character who follow the Honor Code, but also engaged students who take initiative to learn beyond the classroom walls.
@scholardad, I could type a book, but I would rather not. I’m just going off of reddit, unigo, and student review. Then I Googled; Cheating scandal, cheating, honor code, elite cheating, etc and lord and behold, so many scandals at the TOP SCHOOLS with the common theme HONOR CODE that all seems to coincide with what the internet forums already say CHEATING HAPPENS FREQUENTLY.
I know I couldn’t cheat easily at LSU with TA’s and Prof in class looking at us (eons ago).
I agree 100% kids aren’t cheating their way to 100’s, but I personally am not a fan of the honor code for examination/final testing. The temptation is too great and ability to prove to hard imo.
As far as your last comment about my daughter “Oh come now she isn’t all that bad!” and it is her choice where to apply not mine.
If it were mine she would apply to absolutely ZERO colleges with a HONOR CODE!
Do yourself a favor and spend 1hr reading about honor codes, polls at schools with honor codes, and see how many kids cheat. You will amazed what our top kids do, but you are right usually percentage polled is 30-45% admit to cheating…then again how many don’t?
Who hurts? The truly honest which comes from authentic moral fiber and is exceedingly rare in today’s culture of do gooders.
If you feel this way about Davidson’s honor code it’s simply not the place for you. If you cannot fathom how students could take a test without a proctor and not be tempted to cheat you should go somewhere else. My daughter is at Davidson and the honor code is one of things that attracted her the most. From her account it’s a privilege to test without a proctor and they take that very seriously. And the honor code extends to all facets of life there. Her friend lost his wallet the first week of freshman year, posted on the school FB page and someone found it and brought it to him within minutes. She leaves her laptop and wallet in the library while she goes to class - it drives me crazy but that’s how comfortable she is with the moral code of the students there. I’m sure there are a few students who take advantage, but on the whole it’s a community that really values the honor code.
My daughter graduated from Davidson College a year ago. Her experience with the Honor Code at Davidson is that it was central to everything about Davidson. One of the best qualities of Davidson College is the strong character, moral fiber and integrity of its students. She said that she, nor anyone she knew at Davidson, would ever even consider cheating, or breaking any facet of the honor code. Such attitudes may not exist at other schools, but I can assure you integrity and honor are alive and well at Davidson College.
I can assure you as a Davidson graduate that our Honor Code isn’t like the one “everyone” seems to have. You truly could, and still can, leave doors unlocked and valuables out. That was true in 1982 and it’s true today.
