The “Honor System” in Education
Moral Expectations at School
The more people rationalize cheating, the more it becomes a culture of dishonesty. And that can become a vicious, downward cycle.
-Stephen Covey
Right or wrong, good or bad. Everyone has the innate sense to recognize both sides. Society can progress when everyone follows the rules, but how much trust can be placed into building this utopia?
The “honor system” is becoming increasingly prevalent in recent times; at almost every level of society, some level of trust or honesty is required from people. An honor system, by definition, is a philosophical way of running a variety of endeavors based on trust, honor, and honesty [1]. As impractical as it appears, it contributes significantly to today’s economy, businesses, and institutions. City-goers are entrusted to have purchased tickets before climbing onto the bus or subway. Food-businesses, such as Whole Foods and HEB [7], using “self-serve”, often unable to keep track themselves, rely on customers to pay the right amount for their meals or groceries. Even the leading factor of an individual’s employment or college acceptance, their resume, is expected to be up-to-date and accurate. While for the most part, this honor system is working, the drawbacks are inordinate. The larger the context for the honor system, the bigger the stakes, and the easier it is for people to ‘cheat’ the system, often at the expense of others. Today’s academia has seen the biggest utilization of the honor system, and the problem of abusing it, unfortunately, isn’t as recognized as it should be.
Consider, for instance, the typical hardworking high school student. She has to balance her academics, her extracurricular activities, and her hobbies. With all these demands on her time, she will be drawn to academically dishonest means of achieving high grades, namely, cheating. In almost every high school’s handbook across the nation, strict guidelines regarding academic integrity and cheating are outlined, and made acknowledged by the students. Yet, numerous studies show that over 90% of students have partaken in some form of cheating during their high school years, and over 40% do so on a regular basis [2]. Most acts of cheating go unnoticed, since students view the rewards worth the risk. This is precisely the biggest chink in the honor system’s armor; the trade-off for significantly better grades is well worth the possibility of getting caught. A college student, looking back at high school, explains why he cheated: “…in front of my eyes, I would receive tests back with scores higher than I ever would’ve imagined…What did it cost me? A few bucks and a bad feeling in my stomach after…” [4]. The student, if not caught, continues high school with improved grades, feeling less pressured, and able to devote more time to her other interests, making herself a better candidate for colleges. Looking at the bigger picture, however, the repercussions for cheating in high school are relatively negligible. Higher education is where the real problems lie.
The first honor system in America was penned by Thomas Jefferson at the College of William and Mary, Jefferson’s Alma mater, who claimed the “shame and dismissal” of getting caught was incentive enough to adhere [1]. The honor system is manifested quite differently in colleges and universities; assessments are administered without any supervision, and graded assignments are “take-home” (use your own resources, but no plagiarism or collaboration with others) [3]. A college student’s GPA is a leading factor when applying to professional school, careers, or internships. The ‘grades’ student receive in college come from the final exam, and a few lab/test assignments of each class. Due to the trivial number of grades that contribute to the GPA, students who abuse the honor system can easily find themselves with stellar GPAs. That being said, some institutions, like Rice University, persist in claiming the honor system is the best system to “employ in the college system, for better preparation for students in the real world” [5]. David W. Leebron, the president of Rice, further points out, that “it has functioned so well for so long [it’s] a reflection of the trust and respect that Rice students show to one another and to the University… It is one of Rice’s most highly valued traditions” [5]. Rice University is one of the country’s most prestigious universities, ranked at #15, and has a very selective acceptance rate of 16% [6]. As far as others are concerned, the barrier between the student and a potential, successful career is a signature at the top of every paper. Surveys have shown that students of other universities who use the honor system do adhere to it, but the argument of them having the ability to easily ace exams is sound with everyone else.
The issue is not necessarily the cheating, but the causes and effects of it. Some schools choose to suspend their students, others may expel for academic dishonesty. Most colleges have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to academic dishonesty or cheating of any kind. Unfortunately, there is a trend among those students who have cheated in high school and those who continue to cheat in college. This type of aberrant behavior may continue in the form of cheating in other circumstances, such as the workplace, in their daily dealings, or in relationships. Thus, if the honor system encourages students to “not cheat” then the academic system should students achieve the same results had they not cheated. Theoretically, it should be easier for students to study and do well, then to figure out methods of cheating without getting caught. This will not necessarily eliminate cheating as a whole, but significantly reduce it. Methods for abusing the honor system have developed from the typical “looking at [my] neighbor’s paper” [3]. With the advent of technology, the means for cheating allows for its continuity into the workplace. It’s become recurrent enough in the academic environment.
The truth of the matter is that dishonesty will always be an option, even outside of the classroom. Some paths will be easier to take, others not so much. Everyone has different motives, and the means to which they progress is ultimately up to them.
All this considered, how much trust should be placed with students, who are eager to surpass others competitively for grades? Does the honor system in schools really do its job in “providing flexibility” and “equal opportunities” for all [5]? Is there a way to change students’ incentives for academic achievement? There are no definitive answers to these questions. But one thing has been proven over and over again; cheating does occur despite these systems being in place, and consequences being laid out. “If even one student is able to take advantage of [it], it is unquestionably a failure”, says Don Beecher of Entrepreneur [4]. Cheating, in itself, is not as significant an issue as its consequences in the future. The problem is clear: the honor systems in high schools and colleges are ultimately ineffective, as the means to abuse it has become increasingly easier.
Sources:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_system
[2] http://hub.jhu.edu/gazette/2013/january/cheating-in-school-no-easy-answers/
[3] http://time.com/3169425/college-honor-system/
[4] https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240763
[5] http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~honor/bluebook/bluebook2006-07.pdf
[6] https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rice-3604
[7] https://www.popsugar.com/food/Whole-Foods-Mochi-Bar-43056463
