"The proposed honor code survey ... is a response to the rising numbers of convicted cases of cheating and plagiarism on campus," said AAS Senator and Council member Ethan Davis '05.
"Sometimes the number of reported incidents give us a real picture of the extent of the problem," said said Professor of French Paul Rockwell, who is a member of the Council. "But, given that such incidents can go unreported, sometimes such numbers do not. The first goal of the College Council, as I see it, is to get a clearer picture of how extensive the problem is."
The survey also seeks student opinion about violations of academic integrity at the College and is intended to determine why so many may have occurred. "The question is, how do you explain [the increase]?" said Associate Professor of Philosophy Joe Moore.
"I find the recent increase in the reported number of cases of cheating and plagiarism on campus disturbing. I can't help but see plagiarism and cheating as a sign that the educational process is not functioning in a healthy way," said Assistant Professor of Asian Languages and Civilization Patrick Caddeau, another member of the Council.
Once the surveys have been completed, the Council will release the results to the public. They hope to come up with specific remedies and discuss possible solutions.
According to Moore, one solution would be to have students sign the existing Statement of Intellectual Responsibility, which states that students will take responsibility for the integrity of their work. At Princeton University students are required to sign their names on each piece of work they submit for class, verifying that they have submitted their own work, according to Moore.
Moore also said that students and faculty will need to make changes if the surveys show that plagiarism exists to a large extent.
The Council also hopes to promote greater awareness about academic responsibility through the survey and encourage open discussions during the remainder of the semester.
According to Moore, the College will also be contacting other colleges around the country to discuss how they are handling plagiarism.
The College Council emphasizes that the survey is anonymous, and it will not be used to identify previous offenders who have not been caught. "We are looking for frank answers to the questions posed in the survey," said Caddeau.
The Council will leave envelopes in the Keefe Campus Center for completed surveys. Members hope to be finished with the surveys before fall break.