StuCo addresses exam reserve site

At their meeting this week, the Student Council (StuCo) discussed the creation of a StuCo-linked Web site that provides students with a systematic program of exam reserves.

StuCo has been discussing for some time the creation of a new exam reserve Web site. They feel the Milton S. Eisenhower Library reserve page has various problems; it needs the professor's permission to post exam information and requires a professor's effort to give old tests to the Library, which some are too busy to worry about.

If StuCo had its own site, StuCo members would be able to obtain tests from both professors and students and post them for student viewing more expediently.

To address the problems and solutions of a potential Web site, they discussed the possibilities with Benjy Silverman, last year's Ethics Board president and a current Ethics Board advisor, and two ethics board members Jon Lissauer and Feroze Sidhwa.

Both StuCo and Ethics Board members agreed that the current system is flawed. They said some students are able to obtain previous tests not published on the reserve page, leading to them being unjustly prepared for the test.

Silverman said, "People have an unfair advantage right now. I do believe that a system needs to be put in place to circulate exams to even the playing field."

Lissauer agreed, "I am a really big believer in the reserve system."

However, both groups faced a major moral issue as to whether it would be unethical for exams to be replicated without the professor's permission.

Ethics board members explained that some professors have argued that there are only so many ways test questions can be worded, and they therefore need to recycle old tests.

As a result, they do not want these tests circulated. Some have also argued that they have intellectual rights to their questions.

Sidhwa pointed out a great flaw of limiting the number of questions that can be asked.

"If a few people have access, then they can look it up and know specific answers," he said. "If you circulate them to everyone, then there is no point in giving the test ? both present a problem."

Currently, the Blue Book that defines the ethics guidelines states that if a professor claims his students cannot look at a test, then the students cannot do so without cheating. With this information, StuCo will now decide whether or not each exam will be put on reserve with professor consent.

As of now, the only published test is for macroeconomics, but they hope that by the end of the semester they will have a systematic structure in place.

Other issues were discussed at the meeting as well. The junior class invited participation in its Comedy Night scheduled for Nov. 22. Participation is open to all students; students can do improv or prepare a routine as long as it is appropriate.

There was a treasurer's report that recorded the Student Activities Commission (SAC) as having $48,376.04; this money is distributed between the different student groups on campus.

The Student Council Contingency has $5,566, which pays for other student activities at StuCo discretion, and their operating budget has $1,151.09 to pay for their basic necessities, such as printing costs.

Lastly, StuCo elected Freshman Class Representative Rob Freundlich to be the fourth representative on the Committee on Leadership Appointments. This committee is in charge of selecting students for groups such as Milton. S. Eisenhower Symposium, Spring Fair and the Ethics Board.

"I have a lot of free time, and I feel that this time would be better spent working with Student Council towards the goal of a better undergraduate experience at Johns Hopkins," he said.