Harvard Cheating Scandal Forces Dozens To Withdraw From the University

In one of the largest university cheating scandals in recent history, dozens of Harvard students were forced to withdraw from the university. The students involved, which could number about 70, were suspected of cheating on a final take-home exam last May in a government class along with several dozen other students, the New York Times reported.

The class, called Introduction to Congress, had 279 students enrolled during the time of the scandal. Nearly half, about 125 students, were suspected of working in groups on a take-home final exam despite being told to work individually. In a note sent to students over the summer, Harvard said the students force the university to deal with "academic dishonesty, ranging from inappropriate collaboration to outright plagiarism."

Harvard dean, Michael D. Smith, wrote a letter to faculty members and students on Friday stating that of those cases "somewhat more than half" had resulted in the forced withdrawal of students, the NY Times reported.

According to Smith, "Of the remaining cases, roughly half the student received disciplinary probation, while the balance ended in no disciplinary action." The NY Times reported that the university's Administrative Board website stated forced withdrawals last between two to four semesters.

Reuters reported that Smith announced that all cases were resolved during the fall semester, which ended in December. "While all the fall cases are complete, our work on academic integrity is far from done," Smith said. According to the NY Times, the institution has on average 17 students forced out due to academic dishonesty.

Some of the students involved in the recent cheating scandal have reportedly told university officials that the similarities found among their answers were due to shared notes or sitting in on sessions with teaching fellows, the NY Times reported. However, some cases were found where students turned it identical answers, some even with the same typographical mistakes.