Web site pushes bounds of academic integrity
By: Meredith McGrady
Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: News
"You can't have a watered down version of physics," Tunguz elaborated. "[The notes] won't be helpful unless you know what's going on."
Art history professor Anne Harris agreed with Tunguz's insight. Her first impression was that the name of the Web site was subversive, but upon further examination - including creating an account for herself - she found the site to be innocuous. Harris looked at the notes that a student posted from her seminar and found that the notes were "kind of a skeletal summary of conversation."
Harris emphasized the difference between posting notes and test answers or assignments.
"Posting tests gives someone an unfair advantage," Harris explained. "It's self-defeating to post tests."
Not only is it self-defeating, it's against DePauw's academic policy, said Dean of Academic Life Marnie McInnes.
The posting of lab reports also concerns McInnes.
"You can't copy another student's lab. That's dishonest," McInnes said.
McInnes stressed the difference between adding notes online and posting assignments.
"In my mind, borrowing notes and copying notes are not a problem," McInnes added.
President Robert G. Bottoms expressed a similar sentiment.
"What's the difference, if a student misses class and asks to share notes?" Bottoms said.
Though the Web site may be a good beginning, Harris stressed that it is not enough.
"Like Wikipedia, I'd hope that intellectual inquiry would not end there," Harris said.
Art history professor Anne Harris agreed with Tunguz's insight. Her first impression was that the name of the Web site was subversive, but upon further examination - including creating an account for herself - she found the site to be innocuous. Harris looked at the notes that a student posted from her seminar and found that the notes were "kind of a skeletal summary of conversation."
Harris emphasized the difference between posting notes and test answers or assignments.
"Posting tests gives someone an unfair advantage," Harris explained. "It's self-defeating to post tests."
Not only is it self-defeating, it's against DePauw's academic policy, said Dean of Academic Life Marnie McInnes.
The posting of lab reports also concerns McInnes.
"You can't copy another student's lab. That's dishonest," McInnes said.
McInnes stressed the difference between adding notes online and posting assignments.
"In my mind, borrowing notes and copying notes are not a problem," McInnes added.
President Robert G. Bottoms expressed a similar sentiment.
"What's the difference, if a student misses class and asks to share notes?" Bottoms said.
Though the Web site may be a good beginning, Harris stressed that it is not enough.
"Like Wikipedia, I'd hope that intellectual inquiry would not end there," Harris said.
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