“Students Accused of Cheating Return Awkwardly to a Changed Harvard” By Richard Perez Pena

Students involved in last year’s cheating scandal returned last month to Harvard. Nearly half the 279 students enrolled in Matthew B. Platt’s Government 1310, Introduction to Congress were caught cheating on a take-home final exam. Dr. Platt had forbidden discussion with other students but the students, pressured to do well, discussed anyway. The exam was unusually difficult and confusing compared to previous years as Dr. Platt had a reputation of being easy. In fact he himself had mentioned in 2012 that attendance was not mandatory. Consequently, I feel that Dr. Platt is equally to blame for this cheating scandal. His motive may have been to tarnish his reputation and/or to humiliate Harvard in retaliation for denying his promotion. Regardless, Dr. Platt should have known that take-home exams practically open the door to cheating. As for the students, I really expected a sense of integrity and honesty.