Scandal Rocks Harvard: Should Ivy League Offer Take-Home Exams?

by Fef Posted 2012/09/12 19:00:00

Related Topics: Student, College, School, cheat, Scandal, President, Congress, Harvard, Test, Education, students, rumors, 2012, Athletes, Cheating, America

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	Yes	52 votes	25%
	No	152 votes	75%

Harvard offered take-home tests to its students. Yes, the supposed pinnacle of college education allows its students to take tests home. And the Ivy League institution allowed taking home final exams nonetheless. It should not come as a surprise that many of the students cheated on the final exams and got caught. The improper testing procedures have now caused a cheating scandal for the 376-year-old institution.

Harvard began the investigation into 125 students including many on Harvard's basketball team. Harvard basketball co-captain Kyle Casey plans to withdraw amid the allegation. The school also implicated Brandyn Curry, the other co-captain of the basketball team.

Harvard President Drew Faust sounded dismayed that the students would cheat on the tests. Faust responded in August when the allegations arose, "'These allegations, if proven, represent totally unacceptable behavior that betrays the trust upon which intellectual inquiry at Harvard depends."

Nearly half of the 280 students taking the final exam for Introduction to Congress may have cheated on the test. Maybe they learned something about cheating from their studies -- that politicians cheat and America generally accepts it.

MSN.FOXSPORTS.COM reports:
Harvard basketball co-captain Kyle Casey plans to withdraw from school amid a cheating scandal that also may involve other athletes, according to several reports.

athletes reports cheating scandal rocks harvard basketball team co-captain investigated

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Resp 2012/09/13 05:08:53

No

+4
Do you honestly think that the basketball team are Harvard scholars?
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More polls by Fef

us 2012/09/15 20:13:29

No

+1
No one should take home a exams.

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cheetahlover156 2012/09/15 17:24:16

No

+1
They can easily very answers from the Internet and people

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tom C 2012/09/15 04:13:57

No

+1
stupid as heck..to even tempt students that way..

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ticlo7 2012/09/14 15:18:59

No

+1
What? Who even came up with that idea? While it's sad that they would cheat when given the chance, it was still a stupid idea to even think about.

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Milady 2012/09/14 03:58:37

No

+1
Oh for heaven's sake! What would be the point? Have these people gone mad? Words fail me at the stupidity of this idea - and that doesn't happen very often!!!

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Zach 2012/09/14 02:43:27

No

+1
What's going to stop someone from looking up the answer on the net?

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Sapphire 2012/09/14 01:05:06

No

+1
Take home exams stinks of cheating obviously, only a few actually don't cheat.

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Margaret Jacobson 2012/09/13 19:51:19

No

+2
HARVARD and those Ivy League schools...................NEVER !! IN FACT NO COLLEGE SHOULD !! ALL THAT MONEY ...................DUH !! LEARN SOMETHING..............ANYTHING USEFUL

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Rustie 2012/09/13 16:52:13
MrsB 2012/09/13 16:50:52

No

+1
No school should. You're just asking for problems. Some people can't say no to the temptation.

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Emily Barrington 2012/09/13 15:04:03

No

+1
Can't they just look it up on the internet?

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Cn2012 2012/09/13 14:37:31

No

+1
Dude! Where the hell is all that tuition money going, like I have to ask. Universities are the biggest scam ever. They used to be a worthwhile institution but now they are just a haven for looser professors and administrators. The students and hard working parents who pay the bills need to wake up!

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LucyLucero 2012/09/13 13:35:15

No

+1
It's an Ivy League school, but students will be students, and cheat if necessary.

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shadow76 2012/09/13 13:27:46

No

+1
That is ludicrous!

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kevjon 2012/09/13 13:16:07

No

+1
Funny how this would be a major scandal and Obama wasn't. Harvard lost all respect when they backed our fraud in chief.
As far as taking exams back to their place of residence, it only proved that people, when given the chance will cheat.
Harvard turns out more liberal politicians than any other institution so I guess cheating and lying must be part of their curriculum.

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aeroshock 2012/09/13 12:19:06

No

+1
For any take home exams I've had weren't really take home, but we were essentially given the questions (essay questions that is) to do study and research on and take the exam in class. Other than that, I'm don't like the idea.

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Simms 2012/09/13 12:05:53

No

+1
Makes you think that maybe they are more about making money and being an elitist status symbol, than actually educating students.

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deborah sletten 2012/09/13 08:27:42

Yes

+1
My college did that. They were looking for thorough answers not able to be done in an hour or two.

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Beat Magnum True Hero 2012/09/13 05:40:37

Yes

+2
Some of my classes offered Take Home exams. There was no cheating involved because the only way to really do well was to attend class and have the course notes.

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Tooshy 2012/09/13 05:40:02

No

+2
I'm not saying it's right, but "acts of academic dishonesty" on a take-home final exam in a government class" THIS happens at every university everyday. Don't fool yourself into thinking that only athletes do this or that it doesn't happen at your school. Take home and open book exams = bend the rules

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««Gingey, the Master Debate... 2012/09/13 05:20:16

Yes

+1
I had a take home final that was the most difficult exam I've ever had to do.

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Beat Ma... to ««Ginge... 2012/09/13 05:41:32

+1
Same here. Done right, they can be brutal. Anyone who missed class would have struggled greatly on this test.

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Skar 2012/09/13 05:18:27

No

+2
Honestly, they thought they would use the honor system? Of course they're going to cheat.

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Resp 2012/09/13 05:08:53

No

+4
Do you honestly think that the basketball team are Harvard scholars?

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mrdog 2012/09/13 04:19:35

Yes

+1
Cheating on site or at home... who cares.... pay your tutition...bark

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McCate 2012/09/13 03:25:48 (edited)

No

+3
Just proves yet again how f'd up our education system is!

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Beat Ma... to McCate 2012/09/13 05:42:21

+1
College is a scam? I wouldn't be employed in my current field without it.

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McCate to Beat Ma... 2012/09/13 12:43:03

+1
for some it works out, it did for you that's great, for many it does not. I believe his point is that there are other options, like internships. Did you watch it?

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wallygator64 2012/09/13 02:19:22

No

+2
Ivy League schools are difficult enough to gain admission to,you either know the material and pass your exams,or you don't.If the professor gives the exams out as a take home exam,then he can reasonably expect cheating.He'd be a knuclehead for not believing this could happen.

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apachehellfire65 2012/09/13 02:14:28

No

+3
should colleges be striving to teach cheating and entitlement?

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kevjon to apacheh... 2012/09/13 13:21:40

+2
Remember...it's a liberal university and nearly all liberal politicians went to Harvard.....so yes.

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Kat 2012/09/13 01:43:16

No

+3
Why don't you just do open book or buddy tests. Mail in , internet write off their degrees as worthless.

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Kirino 2012/09/13 01:41:44

No

+3
Let me take that test home. I promise not to use the interment to look up answers.

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Dan 2012/09/13 01:40:49

No

+2
That's just too lenient. Too much temptation for something that counts so much.

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twhiting9275 2012/09/12 23:32:35

No

+3
ABSOLUTELY NOT!

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Michelle 2012/09/12 22:19:51

No

+2
When given the perfect opening for it, many students can't help but take advantage of the loose ability to enforce the rules. Even honest ones who would never even think about it in a classroom setting. But in the middle of a stressful test in a location where you can't be caught, good judgement and an honesty policy aren't the best way to go. Some situations bring out the worst in people, and this would be one of them. Giving them a project-like assignment that allows use of textbooks, internet, ect as well as possible collaboration between students and functions like a test is fine, but if you want to give them a proper final exam, it should be under exam conditions.

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Kigan 2012/09/12 21:42:20

No

+3
Allowing it to be taken home takes cheating off the table as an issue. It becomes a given students will look answers up. Maybe not all, but most.

Exams, as in the heavily weighed and supposedly comprehensive, should be given IN class or not at all. What's the point of testing retention of knowledge if it need not be retained in the first place?

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janet 2012/09/12 21:24:31

No

+1
I think all schools and grands should have take home test.
I see it as an open book test which I did have in some of my classes like world history.

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Michelle to janet 2012/09/12 22:24:18

+1
Open book tests are a joke-- if teachers want to test for knowledge obtained, then an open book test is counterproductive. If students know they will have an open-books test, they don't bother with memorizing things. Open-book tests have some functions (checks that students have either taken good enough notes or memorized it already, in some subjects it allows students to spend time doing much needed analysis instead of putting effort into memorization when that's not what the teacher is looking for), but in most situations, allowing students to look up their answers destroys the purpose of having a test.

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MOMMA THOMAS 2012/09/12 21:08:47

No

+2
...IF STUDENTS ARE UNABLE TO BE HONEST, NO.

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