Although there have been increased reports of cheating at colleges nationwide, the trend has not prompted Penn State officials to change the academic integrity policy.

In a recent study, Don McCabe, founding president of the Center for Academic Integrity at Rutgers University, surveyed more than 18,000 students on 23 college campuses, not including Penn State. He found that nearly 40 percent of students plagiarize from the Internet.

Penn State revised its academic integrity policy in 2001 so that each major has its own policy.

"It is working exceptionally," said Joe Puzycki, director of Judicial Affairs.

He said it clarifies the expectations on students and puts the power back in the hands of the faculty.

Since Penn State changed its academic integrity policy, the number of cheaters reported in a year has increased to more than 400 in the 2002 academic year, said Barbara Copland, associate director of Judicial Affairs.

The increase is not a result of more students cheating, but a better system to report cheaters, she said.

Jeremy Hart (sophomore-finance) said he thinks a majority of students have cheated at Penn State, but said he knows the academic code of integrity and does not cheat himself.

Puzycki said if a student is caught cheating, punishment might include failing the course or assignment.

In an extreme case of cheating, the student may receive an 'XF' grade on his or her transcript.

Some students aware of the punishments are afraid to cheat.

"I'd be too scared -- the teachers can easily look at you," Stacey Greci (sophomore-political science) said.

The psychological effects of cheating can also be detrimental.

"We see people who admit they have cheated. Occasionally, these students who are worried about their career become suicidal," said Mary Anne Knapp, a psychologist at University Health Services.

McCabe said schools with honor codes have fewer reports of cheating. At schools with an honor system, students often take exams unsupervised and are expected not to cheat.

If 100 percent of students at a school without an honor code were cheating, then about 50 or 60 percent of students at a school with an honor code would be cheating, McCabe said.

McCabe noted that the surveyed colleges did not have traditional honor codes.

University of Virginia's 18,000 students follow a 161-year-old honor code.

Nicole Eramo, faculty advisor of the honor committee at the University of Virginia, said the school is lucky the honor code has been in practice for
so long because it takes time to get the word out to such a large student body.

Penn State officials said the size of the university would be a problem to overcome if an honor code was put in action.

To get the process out to the whole Penn State community would take time, Puzycki said. Plus, it is self-enforcing.

"Our code of conduct has power over integrity issues like infringements of lying, cheating and stealing," Eramo said.

She said the University of Virginia's culture is infused with academic integrity -- it's not just a policy.

University of Virginia students must agree to enforce the honor code on the application to the school. Plus they have a ceremony committing them to following it.

"I guess [the honor code] would be a good idea [at Penn State] because people would probably trust each other more," Shawn Puleo (junior-health policy and administration) said.

John Rioja (freshman-chemical engineering) said he does not cheat because he would not want to get kicked out of school for a minor offense.

The consequences for cheating at the University of Virginia are much more severe than Penn State's: Any cheating violation results in expulsion.

These punishments may be so strict because students are trusted to a large degree.

Despite the harshness of honor code consequences, the amount of trust can be a blessing.

"[University of Virginia students] will tell you it is a wonderful thing to have that kind of trust," said Linda Trevino, professor of organizational behavior at Penn State.

Subhash Chander, professor of mineral processing and geo-environmental engineering, said he would trust his smaller classes of 20 to 40 students to take an exam without him present.

"I think the point I would make is, who are they really cheating. They are cheating themselves," he added.

However, some Penn State students think this trust would be too much to handle.

"You have to be a lot more mature and trust everyone else is doing the same," Hart said.

Some say trusting others to follow the rules may be easier at a smaller university.

"Smaller schools have ethic codes that make a difference. Larger schools always present more opportunities because students are more anonymous," Trevino said.

However, several Penn State students believe a sheer determination to cheat will always win out, regardless of class or university size.

"If they are going to cheat, they are going to do it," Kimberly Smith (freshman-kinesiology) said.

Despite the idea of an honor code, many students agreed they would not tell on another student who was cheating.

"If [other students] are cheating, that is their loss. It will catch up with them eventually, like when they go for a job," Hart said.

This aspect of the honor code may be the hardest for a student to uphold.

"Honor codes require that students report cheating that they observe. We find that it is the most challenging part of the code for students. They have to uphold standards," Trevino said.