Princeton University scraps its more than 100-year-old 'Honor Code' for exams; Dean says in letter: A significant number of undergraduate students ...

Princeton University has now ended its more than a century-old tradition of unproctored exams, citing growing fears of cheating fuelled by artificial intelligence. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the faculty at Princeton University voted this week to require proctoring in all in-person exams starting this summer. This new change will reverse a policy that had been in place since 1893. For almost 133 years Princeton relied on its Honor Code, which enabled the students to take exams without the presence of any professor or invigilator. The students at the university also pledged not to cheat and the violations were reported to a student-run honor committee. The code was considered to be a cornerstone of Princeton’s culture and a point of pride.As per the WSJ report, in a letter to the students, Dean of the College Michael Gordin said “a significant number of undergraduate students and faculty” requested the change, given perceptions that cheating has become widespread. He further noted that the presence of AI tools has made it easier for the students to cheat and it has also made it harder for the faculty to detect. Also, the students are increasingly reluctant to report peers for fear of social media backlash.As part of new policy, the instructors will be present during the exams and are also required to document and report any infractions to the honor committee. Despite the nee policy, the students will still have to sign the pledge which reads, “I pledge my honor that I have not violated the Honor Code during this examination”. But proctoring will now act as an added safeguard.Nadia Makuc, a senior who chaired the honor committee also said that most of the strands at the university support the new change as it reduces the pressure to report the classmates. The WSJ report adds that the committee handled around 60 cases last year, but she believes many violations went unreported. “If the exam is on a laptop, someone can just flip to another window. Or if it’s in a blue book, people use their phone under the desk,” she explained.