Princeton mandates proctoring for in-person exams, upending 133 year precedent

Post by peyton » Wed, May 13, 2026, 9:20 PM UTC

andyjohnson0 wrote: post #82

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #10

Combined with the increasing acceptance of shoplifting [1] and unprecedented corruption and criminality among our national leaders, it's hard not to read this as a moral page turning on American culture. [1] https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/04/hasan-piker-jia-to...

> it's hard not to read this as a moral page turning on American culture. Are unsupervised examinations common in the US? Or is this, in fact, simply one institution coming in to line with common US national and international practice?

Post by dghlsakjg » Wed, May 13, 2026, 9:21 PM UTC

chromacity wrote: post #98

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 29.9 percent of respondents reported that they had cheated on an assignment or exam during their time at Princeton. 44.6 percent of senior respondents reported knowledge of Honor Code violations that they chose not to report What is it at other universities? I went to a big public school, and remember cheating being halfway rampant. The penalty, moreover, was never expulsion.

Public schools are public schools. They're more or less compulsory and are just meant to try and get you to a point where you can contribute meaningfully to the society. Princeton is very much optional and is a school for future elites. They're supposed to produce CEOs, politicians, and Nobel prize winners. So the standards should be different. Of course, expectations are a part of the problem. Many kids go to Prince…

Post by paganel » Wed, May 13, 2026, 9:21 PM UTC

yeahwhatever10 wrote: post #72

palata wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is "Swiss metro"? Curious now.

I assume they are referring to systems like TPG in Geneva. Basically you buy a pass and when you get on an off a bus or street car there is no checking of payment it is just assumed everyone is "honoring" the agreement to pay. Every once and a while transit cops will board and check that everyone has a pass/has paid somehow and if you get caught not paying it can affect your ability to rent housing etc.

Post by JumpCrisscross » Wed, May 13, 2026, 9:21 PM UTC

9x39 wrote: post #45

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> so the rich kids that have parents who pay for parts of the school can still get a pass? It's Princeton. They're given due process, not administrative fiat. Also, on what planet does having "parents who pay for parts of the school" swing a student (versus administrator) run process?

Seems unlikely the student-run honor committee decision would be immune to being 'reviewed' or 'considered' by faculty. Why would they cede that power?

Post by traderj0e » Wed, May 13, 2026, 9:22 PM UTC

the_jeremy wrote: post #81

mmooss wrote: post #23

Comments express surprise that this honor code has been in place. Many schools have similar honor codes. Despite HN trendiness, SV and business world advocacy of 'animal instincts', and current cultural trends, humans are generally honest and honorable - obviously people in many places have thought that. It's good news, though many will resist it because, I think, it violates the anarcho-libertarian norms that are fu…

Chegg was a $15B company before AI came out. I promise that wasn't because it was the best platform to learn the material. I agree that humans are generally honorable for things with low stakes. Consider our cultural view of politicians for a non-SV example of where we fully expect high stakes to lead to selfish and dishonorable actions.