Cheating scandal: Harvard Univ students suspended en masse

Boston, Feb 2: At least 60

have been suspended following the biggest cheating scandal in Harvard University near Boston in

.

The university officials on Friday, Feb 1 informed about mass suspension. Michael Smith, who is the dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences, was quoted as saying, "somewhat more than half of the cases under investigation ended with students being required to withdraw from the college for a period of time."

Sending a campus-wide mail, Smith also added, "Of the remaining cases, roughly half the students received disciplinary probation, while the balance ended in no disciplinary action."

The cheating scandal during examination was exposed for the first time in Aug 2012. Almost 125 students were under suspicion. The University officials later issued a statement saying, "a large number of undergraduates may have inappropriately collaborated on answers, or plagiarized classmates' responses, on the final exam for the course."

Calling the incident inside the university "unprecedented", Smith on Friday also informed that reforms were being drawn up to "promote academic integrity and a deeper understanding of it within our community."

Harvard, which is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of the most exclusive universities in the world. According to sources, students pay about $63,000 a year to attend after winning a place in a highly competitive admissions process.

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