A Cheating Scandal Erupts At The Kellogg School Of Management

Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management

THE ONLY SANCTIONS THAT MAY BE MADE PUBLIC ARE SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION

Students say they were told by a school official that they would never know the results of the honor code investigation into the cheating. The honor code specifies that the only sanctions that may be made public are suspension and expulsion. The students also say the official promised the cheaters would be brought to justice, but say they lack faith in that outcome. “They said they’re going to take care of it but nothing has been done against those cheaters so far,” says one student who says he had seen his cheating peers “having a discussion session” during the stats final. “They were solving problems with each other.”

Two students named by their peers as cheaters told Poets&Quants that they did not cheat. Two others who were named and were contacted by phone begged off hastily while promising to call back, but never did. One hung up immediately when informed that Poets&Quants was seeking a response to cheating allegations. Another could not be reached on his cell phone.

Of the two accused cheaters who spoke to Poets&Quants, one says he was aware of gossip about cheating, but “it’s all supposed to be confidential. There haven’t been any formal accusations towards me,” he adds. “I haven’t cheated in any exam, since high school, maybe.”

MANY QUESTIONS, FEW ANSWERS

The other student who spoke, and was named as a cheater by several of his peers, says he had no idea he was being accused of cheating, and had in fact been brought in as a witness into the honor code investigation to be asked if he saw anyone cheating. He speculates that if he’s being named as a cheater, it’s likely because he’s friends with the others accused of cheating and had been sitting near someone who was accused. He says he told the honor code rep that he didn’t see anyone cheating but that the room was noisy during the test.

Poets&Quants contacted the professors whose finals were allegedly compromised by cheating. One declined to talk about the matter because he would need “instructions” from school administration. The other did not return email and phone messages. MSMS program director Melanie Wright did not return phone and email messages.

On Wednesday (Nov. 4) Poets&Quants sent a list of detailed questions – concerning the cheating allegations and the school’s response to them, and asking whether there was a cheating investigation underway – to Wright, to Kellogg’s senior associate dean for curriculum and teaching Therese McGuire, to professor and MSMS faculty academic director Nicholas Pearce, and to Kellogg Dean Sally Blount. In response, Poets&Quants received an emailed statement from the school.

‘HONOR CODE INVESTIGATIONS AND HEARINGS ARE CONFIDENTIAL’

“Both Kellogg and Northwestern have policies and procedures in place for dealing with allegations such as this and we take all matters related to and governed by these policies and procedures with the utmost seriousness,” the statement says. “The Kellogg Honor Code is designed to achieve fair, thoughtful, unbiased outcomes that reinforce our commitment to both academic integrity and professional behavior. All Honor Code issues that are reported are investigated thoroughly and, if necessary and appropriate, include hearings and sanctions.”

No further information was forthcoming, about whether the school was investigating possible cheating (interviews with students strongly suggest an investigation is in process, and students report that three proctors stood watch over a recent four-version finance mid-term), whether any students had had grades withheld in connection with cheating, and whether officials were looking into alleged conflict of interest on the student side of a cheating investigation, and reported threatening phone calls. 

“Honor Code investigations and hearings are confidential,” the statement says, in accordance with the first rule about honor code violations. “Kellogg and Northwestern University cannot comment on any specific matters pertaining to the application of the Kellogg Honor Code.”

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