Air Force Academy expels 22 cadets for cheating and hundreds more on probation for cheating and plagiarism

[1842]

Air Force Academy expels 22 cadets for 2020 cheating scandal​

The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado has expelled 22 students and put hundreds more on probation for cheating and plagiarism while learning from home in 2020, the school’s top officer said Wednesday.

The vast majority of cadets who were suspected of cheating — 231 of the 245 students — admitted to their actions, according to a presentation given by USAFA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Richard Clark at an academy board meeting. That’s about 6% of the more than 4,000 cadets who attend the academy each year.

In total, 210 cadets were put on probation, which typically lasts six months, and 22 were kicked out.

It became a wake-up call that the academy’s honor code needed a fresh look for the first time in several years.

“We needed to … step back and look at how we’re developing our cadets and how we’re helping to instill that ‘living honorably’ [piece],” Clark said.

Air Force Academy expels 22 cadets for 2020 cheating scandal

About 250 cadets were suspected of plagiarism and other academic misconduct.

www.airforcetimes.com

 

[Eom24]

What is your purpose for linking a 2 year old story? What’s your angle here ? This is old news - why post now ?

I'm saying I knew about this before I applied

 

[1842]

What is your purpose for linking a 2 year old story? What’s your angle here ? This is old news - why post now ?

Perhaps you should read before commenting. The AF News article is from yesterday.

 

[Bigrod]

New article on an old story. It’s been in the Academy/Military News page for a few days already too.

 

[Gabe_]

This impacted every SA. It is old news. I don't have first hand experience, thankfully! I do have second hand information. At USNA the infraction would not even be an issue at non- SA. Perfect example how these Mids and Cadets are held to a higher standard. The SAs expect more and the country expects more. "To whom much is given, much will be required" (Luke 12:48)

 

[Stealth_81]

The punishment for these cadets is not old news. It is recent and relevant. Discussing why this happened will only help to build a better future for USAFA. I’m glad the spotlight is on it rather than trying to hide these inciders.

Stealth_81

 

[FutureAcademyDad?]

Cheating and plagiarism is a serious offense at any institution of higher learning. But the publicity surrounding events like this is certainly more pronounced when it involves an academy.

 

[Gabe_]

The punishment for these cadets is not old news. It is recent and relevant. Discussing why this happened will only help to build a better future for USAFA. I’m glad the spotlight is on it rather than trying to hide these inciders.

Stealth_81

Fair and I agree. I am not trying to minimize. I have not followed USAFA as closely, as I have USNA and USMA, over the last several years. Both USNA and USMA addressed this explicitly several months ago, if not longer. From my perspective it feels very late, since all 5 SAs have addressed this issue.

 

[Small Team Bacsi]

Cheating and plagiarism is a serious offense at any institution of higher learning. But the publicity surrounding events like this is certainly more pronounced when it involves an academy.

When was the last time 22 students were caught as Harvard all cheating on the same test?

Does anyone think this has happened a lot at Harvard and just not made the news?

Cheating scandals at SAs are not unusual occurrences. Every few years it will be news. Often centered on sports teams. One of my earliest memories is a USMA cheating scandal with football players in the 1950s.

As a parent I have often wondered at how they do all that is required to graduate. It seems super human to me.

Some will cheat now and then. And some of them will be caught. As long as the system is what it is these stories will happen in the future.

As a parent I care a lot

Would I care if the officer leading me on a combat mission had cheated on a calc exam some years before ?

Not nearly as much as I would care about their ability to read a map or call in air support or have nerves of steel when tough decisions have to be made.

 

[Small_Goose]

Would I care if the officer leading me on a combat mission had cheated on a calc exam some years before?

Not nearly as much as I would care about their ability to read a map or call in air support or have nerves of steel when tough decisions have to be made.

In my opinion, an officer that could not even maintain their integrity when facing a piece of paper with a multiple-choice test on it would be unlikely to have nerves of steel when facing tough decisions, which may require them to put others before themselves.

And I would rather not figure out whether they are reliable or not when there are taxpayer dollars or worst, lives on the line.

 

[Capt MJ]

I always worry about those who gravitate to the easier path and succumb to “everyone is doing it” magical thinking, and think how they might be willing to skip steps in operational run-ups or fudge a safety inspection or lie about something they think they can get away with or similar morally elastic choices, with more at stake then a grade - such as their people’s lives.

 

[theGipper122]

Cheating and plagiarism is a serious offense at any institution of higher learning. But the publicity surrounding events like this is certainly more pronounced when it involves an academy.

I agree that, in theory, it is a serious offense at any college. However, with nearly two years of college under my belt before starting at the Academy, I can assure you that - on average - the online discussion boards in history, English, philosophy, etc. are composed of roughly 5-20% completely obviously plagiarized posts. They copy and paste from some source (reliable or not) and then start plugging into thesaurus.com to change the wording.

You would be shocked at how much and how flagrant of plagiarism is allowed on colleges campuses right now, and I've attended several different colleges too. So yes, publicity is certainly more prominent for the Academies. However, it is nowhere near the standard for honor, the rigor with which it is evaluated, or the consequences that can follow from a guilty verdict. Quite simply, it is an entirely different culture and standard at the Academy, which has little to do with the level of publicity.

 

[1842]

It's an integrity check. If you can't trust them with little things, how can you ever expect to trust their honor when it comes to leading troops, flying a plane that costs $100 million, or to be around special weapons. In the old days, all the cheaters would have been expelled.

 

[JP4]

From yesterday's article. Not sure I disagree with this approach but I also understand the one and done system.

"What we try to do now with people, when they commit a violation, is see if the culture of honesty and integrity can be better inculcated into them," Kendall said. "It used to be one mistake and you were out automatically. We don't take that approach anymore. I think that's probably a positive change."

22 Cadets Leave, Hundreds Put on Probation After 2020 Air Force Academy Cheating Scandal

In the two years since the incidents occurred, the Air Force hadn’t publicly revealed how many students were involved in the scandal.

www.military.com

 

[throckmortius]

I agree that, in theory, it is a serious offense at any college. However, with nearly two years of college under my belt before starting at the Academy, I can assure you that - on average - the online discussion boards in history, English, philosophy, etc. are composed of roughly 5-20% completely obviously plagiarized posts. They copy and paste from some source (reliable or not) and then start plugging into thesaurus.com to change the wording.

You would be shocked at how much and how flagrant of plagiarism is allowed on colleges campuses right now, and I've attended several different colleges too. So yes, publicity is certainly more prominent for the Academies. However, it is nowhere near the standard for honor, the rigor with which it is evaluated, or the consequences that can follow from a guilty verdict. Quite simply, it is an entirely different culture and standard at the Academy, which has little to do with the level of publicity.

This is pretty accurate. Civilian schools, especially state universities are FILLED with people who simply don't care and just want to get their degrees.

If you're willing to cut corners with something as easy as a history discussion post, you're probably willing to cut corners with major things. It endangers everyone in the end.

On a completely unrelated note, I see USAFA is now deficient 22 cadets. I know just the guy who could fill one of those slots. His online username starts with "T" and ends with "rockmortius"

 

[fullspeedahead]

Having gone to a civilian school before a service academy I can say that cheating is much more rampant in a normal college than it is at a service academy. During Covid, a large number of students cheated at my school, but the consequences are so small that it is almost seen as "worth it" for the people involved. Sure, you never see articles about cheating at Harvard, but that does not mean it does not exist. Unfortunately, people who seek perfection would rather compromise their honor to obtain an "A", rather than just get a grade that they earned. Our society places such a high emphasis on grades, rather than soaking and learning the information. Not to say that grades do not matter, but at the end of the day there is so much more to an individual than a letter (plus at most colleges that letter is defined by which professor you get).