With a student body as competitive and pre-professional as Northwestern’s, it’s no surprise that some students succumb to the stressful crunch of the quarter system and cheat. What is a surprise is how prevalent the practice has become; there were 106 cases of reported plagiarism in Weinberg alone last year. (“Generation cheat” 01/14/11)

Whether it’s stealing a blue book, peeking at a neighbor’s exam or plagiarizing a paper, students can go to extreme lengths for that 4.0. Cheating has become embedded in the college culture, and it’s so pervasive among leading institutions that students often have trouble identifying what’s cheating and what’s not.

We cannot allow this culture to continue to flourish. The prevalence of cheating at NU is embarrassing for any institution of higher education, let alone a school of NU’s reputation and prestige. The Daily believes NU needs to tighten its policies to strengthen academic integrity. Last year Weinberg implemented a policy requiring freshmen to write about the perils of plagiarism. According to anecdotal evidence from freshmen, this essay is frequently plagiarized. If this were not so depressing, it would be comical.

Rather than necessarily enforce stricter policies when plagiarism is detected­ – Weinberg has a thorough and time-intensive process to deal with instances of cheating – NU should adopt a school-wide and simple one-sentence honor code signed by every new student.

Furthermore, we propose a system where students are required to sign (either electronically or otherwise) this code, or a shortened version, on all graded assignments and tests. Many schools, including Williams College and the University of Virginia, already have such honor codes. The codes concisely outline a basic expectation of academic integrity, forcing students to constantly interact with a charge put forth by the university.

Some may argue that this is unfair and demeaning for honest students; we propose that using technology to check student work for plagiarism underestimates students’ ability to make good judgments. If a student got into NU, they’re capable of making the decision to be academically honest. If forced to confront and sign an honor code with every assignment, our students – who are, by most measures, highly accomplished – would rise to the challenge.

A simple warning during Welcome Week freshman year has not been enough to deter the rampant cheating at NU. Though students are responsible for everything in the student handbook, it’s safe to say most never pick it up. Professors may include a brief description of academic dishonesty in the syllabus, but this is not, and shouldn’t need to be, discussed at length in class.

A simple signature pledge at the end of each exam and paper may not be enough to deter the most flagrant cheaters. Cheating and plagiarizing are often last-minute resorts for students who simply have too much on their plate and can’t devote enough time to their school work, a common weight on the shoulders of NU students. The pre-professional nature of NU’s undergraduate schools fuels this stressful vacuum. But for the majority of students who perceive a gray area in academic integrity, a signed contract at the bottom of an assignment or exam may cause a would-be cheater to think twice.

An honor code is an easily implemented way for the university to limit cheating by holding students accountable and constantly reminding them to live up to high standards of academic integrity. While it may take a few years for such a code to gain the respect and power it holds at other institutions, any effort that can stave off plagiarism and cheating, especially one so simple, would be a positive step for NU.

A note on a syllabus is not enough. It is the administration’s responsibility to make a culture of academic honor a priority because ultimately, cheating cheapens everyone’s degree.