The U.S. Military Academy at West Point accused over 70 cadets of cheating on a math exam, making it the school’s worst academic scandal in 45 years.
From The Associated Press:
Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt, spokesman for the academy at West Point, said Monday that 73 cadets were accused of cheating on the calculus exam in May after instructors noticed irregularities in answers. All but one were freshmen, or plebes, in a class of 1,200. The other was a sophomore.“West Point honor code and character development program remains strong despite remote learning and the challenges brought by the pandemic,” Ophardt said. “Cadets are being held accountable for breaking the code.”
Here is the breakdown:
The rehabilitation program is called the Willful Admission Program. The cadets will receive “a mentor and write journals and essays on their experience.”
I saw one report say that the cadets will remain on probation for the rest of the time at West Point. Another report said just for the remainder of the year.
West Point law professor Tim Bakken described the scandal as a national security issue because a lot of these cadets climb the ladders in the military:
“There’s no excuse for cheating when the fundamental code for cadets is that they should not lie, cheat or steal,” Bakken said. “Therefore when the military tries to downplay effects of cheating at the academy, we’re really downplaying the effects on the military as a whole. We rely on the military to tell us honestly when we should fight wars, and when we can win them.”
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