U of M students who break no-cheating pledge would face expulsion

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- New students who break a proposed no-cheating pledge would face expulsion from the University of Minnesota or having their deception recorded on their transcripts.

A faculty committee proposed the pledge following the academic cheating scandal involving the men's basketball team. The university Senate was expected to approve the proposal today. It will be forwarded to the Consultative Committee and President Mark Yudof, who in the past has expressed support for such a code. The new system would not be used until sometime in the 2000-2001 school year.

''What we're trying to accomplish is protecting students who do their work from students who have others do it,'' said Tom Clayton, a Regents' professor of English who headed the faculty committee.

''In a general way, we want to cultivate a culture of integrity on campus,'' Clayton said. ''This is the first major step to improving the atmosphere, both intellectual and social, on campus.''

Under the plan, an academic integrity pledge would be signed by all freshman, transfer, graduate and professional students upon entering the university. Students would reaffirm their promise by signing pledges on test booklets and statements that vouch for the integrity of out-of-class assignments and projects.

A new office would promote academic integrity.