Yesterday, Faculty Senate postponed the vote on the administrative policy regarding cheating and plagiarism.

If passed, the new policy will streamline the consequences students face for cheating and will more efficiently punish repeat offenders.

We hope the Senate does not push this back any further and votes to pass the reform.

It is infuriating to know that students can receive the same degree by cheating their way through courses, when others may retake a class several times until they can fairly pass it.

It is completely unjust, especially considering we are all adults and should have enough morals to know better.

But because some don’t have such a sense of right and wrong, the university needs to choose a policy that will best catch and punish cheaters.

As the policy works now, if a student cheats in a math class, a science class and an English class, there is no documentation of the repeat offenses. Under the new reform, paperwork will be filed for each offense to allow the university to see patterns and take action.

Students shouldn’t be able to slide under the radar by pulling the same stunt in each class. It is conniving and childish. People need to stop using cheating as a crutch. There aren’t tests in the job market for you to look at over your coworker’s shoulder.

It cheapens the entire educational experience to have students who spend countless hours studying and preparing for their tests receive the same grade as someone who has done nothing to learn.

We are paying to get an education here. It is a waste if you are skirting around actually gaining any knowledge from your time here.

Please, Faculty Senate, level the playing field and make this fair for all students. Pass the reform at your next meeting.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.