USAFA Cheating Scandal

I would assume that we do not know the complete situation and USAFA is handling this as they deem appropriate. News stories are never completely accurate.
 
I'm starting to think there's something seriously wrong at USAFA.
 
I know a lot more of the situation from my son than is reported in the article and really have to go with Scout on this one. The investigation apparently started with close to 300. Many believed (or said they did) that using the site (Wolfram Alpha) to just "check answers" DURING the test wasn't cheating. (!!). But this article seems to say that even those who KNEW it was cheating still will be remediated as long as they admit it. This is not the Honor Code I knew by any means.
 
Seems a pretty clear case, cut and dried, of cheating.

About 650 cadets took the test in late April. Most were freshmen, but some were sophomores.

Cadets were allowed to use the website involved for homework but were told ahead of time that it was off-limits during the test, Bryan said.

Cadets took the test on their own, outside the classroom and without supervision.

Yet they are going to be allowed to stay?
 
I can understand your point. But you also need to consider how the honor system works - if you admit and take responsibility, your offense is considered at the Squadron level where they can recommend lesser sanctions (retain or disenroll) to the sanctions board who will impose remediation of some sort if you are voted to be retained by the squadron panel.

If you obfuscate by trying to explain intent and such and the Squadron panel thinks you are not forthcoming or if you deny the allegations, then you can/will be referred to the Wing Honor board where there are typically two outcomes, disenrollment or innocence. So unless you have an 100% chance at getting the panel to accept your notion of a misunderstanding, you are better off taking responsibility and not try to explain the situation away. So I would not read too much into the idea that these cadets are acknowledging that they knew they were wrong. To do otherwise would invite referral to much more serious consequences.

Finally as to the idea that there is something not right about this situation. I think USAFA agrees, they said they will no longer be giving the FSE test in the manner it had been given in the past. Something did not go right here for 12% of the Calculus class to get caught up in this.
 
To me if they cheated and got caught - they should be gone. Period. But I guess that's the West Pointer of the 80's talking, not the kinder, gentler AF of the 2000's. Forget reasons and explanations - I can just imagine this at an honor board during my era:

Board: So you admit you were cheating?
Cadet: Yes, but let me explain why..
Board: NEXT!!

Seriously though I have to question what the honor code even means if a cut and dried case like this doesn't result in expulsion.
 
The Honor System is cadet run, within the guidelines they are given, it is up to the Wing to determine the sanctions. If the honor board represents the interests and sentiment of the Cadet Wing, then I would have to assume that the cadets see this is a just outcome for those cadets who were implicated in this. I just hope this is all of them and this does not become wider spread, the sooner this matter is put to rest, the better for the Air Force, the Academy, and the cadets of the wing.
 
I can understand your point. But you also need to consider how the honor system works - if you admit and take responsibility, your offense is considered at the Squadron level where they can recommend lesser sanctions (retain or disenroll) to the sanctions board who will impose remediation of some sort if you are voted to be retained by the squadron panel.

If you obfuscate by trying to explain intent and such and the Squadron panel thinks you are not forthcoming or if you deny the allegations, then you can/will be referred to the Wing Honor board where there are typically two outcomes, disenrollment or innocence. So unless you have an 100% chance at getting the panel to accept your notion of a misunderstanding, you are better off taking responsibility and not try to explain the situation away. So I would not read too much into the idea that these cadets are acknowledging that they knew they were wrong. To do otherwise would invite referral to much more serious consequences.

Finally as to the idea that there is something not right about this situation. I think USAFA agrees, they said they will no longer be giving the FSE test in the manner it had been given in the past. Something did not go right here for 12% of the Calculus class to get caught up in this.

And that's why USAFA's honor system is so weak.
 
It's obviously been a busy week for the Air Force Academy. Earlier this week on Monday, the following article was posted in the local Colorado Springs paper.

This is definitely not the way to cut class size. The new class arriving later this month needs to look at these cases as an example of what not to do.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/academy-139678-cadets-spice.html

Academy kicking out 8 cadets in 'spice' probe
June 04, 2012 1:30 PM

More cadets have been punished as part of a five-month Air Force Academy investigation into use of "Spice," a synthetic drug that mimics marijuana.

In January, the academy kicked off a probe into spice use by as many as 31 cadets. So far, investigations of 25 of those cadets have been finished, and 13 of the suspected spice users have been cleared.

Eight cadets have been hit with administrative punishments under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. One cadet is awaiting administrative punishment and another could face a special court martial, the academy said in a news release. Two cadets are awaiting their fate as commanders decide what to do and six investigations are ongoing.

Administrative punishments, which the Air Force will not disclose, can include extra duty, loss of pay and could get them booted from the service. The academy did say that two of those eight have been kicked out and the other six are awaiting disenrollment.

Spice burst onto the academy scene in 2009 and was banned by academy boss Lt. Gen. Mike Gould in 2010. A general order prohibits cadets from using all non-prescribed drugs except alcohol and tobacco.



Read more: http://www.gazette.com/articles/academy-139678-cadets-spice.html#ixzz1x7bPIQjo
 
Hopefully, this stuff will be dealt with quickly and the academy can move on. None of this is easy for the leadership and I am sure they are trying to act in the best interests of the Air Force and the Academy.
 
Hopefully, this stuff will be dealt with quickly and the academy can move on. None of this is easy for the leadership and I am sure they are trying to act in the best interests of the Air Force and the Academy.

Being a leader is not easy and I am going to be bold and say that there could be some leadership failure at AFA.

If the Superintendent issues a general order in 2010, why is the "Spice" still being used by some cadets?

The AFA has an honor code. That doesn't mean you create opportunties for cadets to committ honor violation. What's wrong a traditional written test administered in a classroom? what's wrong with a open book take home test with no collarboration where the actual answer choices are not available on the internet?

Why administer a test
 
So admitting mistakes, poor judgement, etc. Isn't honorable and shouldn't be taken into account? Why then even have an "honor" code? Why not just set strict and clear cut rules and laws and have mandatory sentencing known ahead of time and be done with it? Even in a court of law there isnt mandatory sentencing. If an individual admits their guilt, there generally is a level of leniency given. But to each their own.
 
But I guess that's the West Pointer of the 80's talking, not the kinder, gentler AF of the 2000's.

not all cadets who were found by honor boards at USMA in the 1980s were separated
 
So admitting mistakes, poor judgement, etc. Isn't honorable and shouldn't be taken into account? Why then even have an "honor" code? Why not just set strict and clear cut rules and laws and have mandatory sentencing known ahead of time and be done with it? Even in a court of law there isnt mandatory sentencing. If an individual admits their guilt, there generally is a level of leniency given. But to each their own.

I am with you on this one Christcorp. Essentially that is why the honor system at the academies were revamped in the mid 1990's, because there ought to be discretion and there did not use to be and that caused a whole other set of problems where the honor boards were reluctant to make reasonable findings. That said, those cadets who are given leniency for this episode will need to embrace their second chance or it all goes for naught. My hope is that something positive comes of this.
 
So admitting mistakes, poor judgement, etc. Isn't honorable and shouldn't be taken into account? Why then even have an "honor" code? Why not just set strict and clear cut rules and laws and have mandatory sentencing known ahead of time and be done with it? Even in a court of law there isnt mandatory sentencing. If an individual admits their guilt, there generally is a level of leniency given. But to each their own.

No, it's not honorable. It's knowing you're caught and fessing up because it brings leniency.

Honor is not cheating in the first place. Honor is cheating, NOT getting caught, and turning yourself in anyway because your mistake was so disgusting to your sense of honor that you couldn't let your transgression go unknown. Honor is not cheating, getting caught, and then admitting it. That's just avoiding committing ANOTHER violation by not lying or equivocating about committing your first.
 
No, it's not honorable. It's knowing you're caught and fessing up because it brings leniency.

Honor is not cheating in the first place. Honor is cheating, NOT getting caught, and turning yourself in anyway because your mistake was so disgusting to your sense of honor that you couldn't let your transgression go unknown. Honor is not cheating, getting caught, and then admitting it. That's just avoiding committing ANOTHER violation by not lying or equivocating about committing your first.

+1
 
It's funny, but, I get the sense certain posters on here love to pile on when one of the other academies get hit with some sort of infraction. I notice they tend to post negative articles, etc. All the academies have had their share of mistakes. One of my friends was kicked out of Annapolis in his senior year for bringing booze and women into Bancroft.
The point is these are young people, in this case, most were first year students. They made a mistake, from what I understand, they will be taking the course over. What are they going to do disenroll over 300 students?
I tend to wonder if the posters that pile on some of the academies are not a little jealous of those academies?
 
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