Honor Council speaks out on behalf of test banks
Letter to the Editor
Brian Schubert
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Recently an anonymous letter was distributed to some professors on campus. The letter was from a student, and news of that letter quickly came in front of the Honor Council. The letter questioned whether test banks (files of old tests), held by different organizations around campus, are a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity.
After looking at the letter, the Honor Council concluded test banks as positive study aids are not a violation of the Honor Code. There are some professors on campus who encourage the use of old tests; some even hand out old tests as a study guide.
We thank the student for this opportunity to promote the importance of the role that both professors and students play in not misusing these old tests. Once faculty have returned tests to the students, they have the ability to do whatever they so choose with them. It is the students' responsibility to hold themselves accountable. If a professor tells you that using an old test or that sharing the information on an old test is not allowed, then don't do it! For some students, test banks are one of the cheating "temptations," just like plagiarism.
Finally, I want to say that the Honor Council both welcomes and encourages letters such as the one previously addressed. We hope that faculty and students understand that they can send any questions, comments, or concerns to the Honor Council for us to review. We would love nothing more than to see our community engaged in a dialogue about both academic integrity on campus and integrity, as a whole, in our society.
Wittenberg University Honor Council member
After looking at the letter, the Honor Council concluded test banks as positive study aids are not a violation of the Honor Code. There are some professors on campus who encourage the use of old tests; some even hand out old tests as a study guide.
We thank the student for this opportunity to promote the importance of the role that both professors and students play in not misusing these old tests. Once faculty have returned tests to the students, they have the ability to do whatever they so choose with them. It is the students' responsibility to hold themselves accountable. If a professor tells you that using an old test or that sharing the information on an old test is not allowed, then don't do it! For some students, test banks are one of the cheating "temptations," just like plagiarism.
Finally, I want to say that the Honor Council both welcomes and encourages letters such as the one previously addressed. We hope that faculty and students understand that they can send any questions, comments, or concerns to the Honor Council for us to review. We would love nothing more than to see our community engaged in a dialogue about both academic integrity on campus and integrity, as a whole, in our society.
Wittenberg University Honor Council member
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