The age of AI has forced Princeton University to drop its 133-year-old honor code and supervise exams to ensure student integrity.
The Princeton faculty voted on Monday for a proctor to be present during all in-person exams going forward, starting this summer. The change came at the request of undergraduates and faculty, most of whom were convinced “that cheating on in-class exams has become widespread,” according to a letter written by Princeton dean Michael Gordin, per the Wall Street Journal.
The Princeton honor system began in 1893, and it has long been a point of pride for the university, but Gordin noted that cellphones and AI have not only facilitated the ease of cheating but also made it difficult to detect. Prior to the exam, students will still be required to state: “I pledge my honor that I have not violated the Honor Code during this examination,” according to the Journal.
Under the new guidelines, instructors will be present during exams to act “as a witness to what happens,” but are instructed not to interfere with students. If a suspected honor code infraction occurs, they will report it to a student-run honor committee for adjudication.
A survey of over 500 seniors conducted by the student newspaper last year found that 29.9 respondents reported they had cheated on an assignment or exam during their time at the school.
Nearly 45 percent said they had knowledge of an honor code violation but chose not to report. Only 0.4 percent said they reported a peer for an honor code violation.
Nadia Makuc, a senior who chaired the committee, told the WSJ that students may have supported the change to get off the hook for reporting cheaters.
“If the exam is on a laptop, someone can just flip to another window. Or if the exam is in a blue book, it’s just people using their phone under their desk or going to the bathroom and using it,” she said.
Jill Dolan, an English and theater professor who previously served as the dean from 2015 to 2024, called the new policy a “shame” but a necessary one.
“But I also do understand why it passed. I think we need some different practices in this day and age, but it does mark a moment,” Dolan said.