The Cheating Game
'Everyone's doing it,' from grade school to graduate school
Still, a growing number of institutions are trying to turn discipline into a teachable moment. At the University of Maryland-College Park, for example, students caught cheating must attend a seven-week ethics seminar. "We're not trying to mar someone's life, but we are saying, 'You're going to have to think about this behavior and what danger it poses to you and the larger society,' " says Gary Pavela, director of judicial programs and--a recent addendum--student ethical development.
Do the cheaters actually mend their ways? Leah Solowsky isn't glad she was caught plagiarizing last year, but she acknowledges that the experience did teach her a thing or two. "I learned that teachers aren't as stupid as some people think they are," she says with just a hint of humor. Pausing to think for a moment, she adds: "I mean, cheating should affect your conscience, because you are doing something wrong." Solowsky vows she's sworn off cheating for good--no matter how much loathsome Spanish homework piles up every night. Buena suerte.
For more information, see U.S. News Online (http://www.usnews.com).
According to an exclusive U.S. News poll, 84 [pct.] of college students believe they need to cheat to get ahead in the world today.
90 [pct.] of college students say cheaters never pay the price; 90 [pct.] say when people see someone cheating, they don't turn him in.
63 [pct.] of college students say it's fair for parents to help with their kids' homework; 20 [pct.] of adults think it's fair to do it.
Students say parental pressure (40 [pct.]), peer pressure (40 [pct.]), and the availability of new technology (31 [pct.]) make them cheat.
Over 90 [pct.] of college students say politicians cheat often. Who else do 90 [pct.] think are cheaters? The media--and high schoolers.
* U.S. News poll of 1,000 adults (including an oversample of 200 college students) conducted by Celinda Lake of Lake Snell Perry & Associates and Ed Goeas of the Tarrance Group, Oct. 18-23, 1999. Margin of error: plus or minus 3.5 percent.
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