GoKawiilFaculty gather for a reception celebrating those transferring to emeritus status outside Nassau Hall after passing a policy mandating proctoring on examinations during a faculty meeting, Monday, May 11, 2026. Luke Grippo / The Daily Princetonian
All in-person examinations at Princeton will be proctored starting July 1, representing the most significant change to the honor system since it was established in 1893. The faculty passed a proposal requiring instructor supervision at Monday’s faculty meeting, with one opposing vote.
The historic vote was the culmination of months of deliberation within the administration and student governing bodies about how to address increasing concerns over academic integrity violations, including the proliferation of AI usage. The proposal cleared a full faculty vote as the final of three required rounds of approval, having already been passed unanimously by the Committee on Examinations and Standing and the Faculty Advisory Committee on Policy.
According to the policy proposal, previously sent by Dean of the College Michael Gordin to the Faculty Advisory Committee and included in Monday’s meeting notes, instructors will remain present in exam rooms “as a witness to what happens,” but are instructed not to interfere with students. If a suspected Honor Code violation occurs, proctors will document their observations and submit a report to the student-run Honor Committee, where they may later testify under the same standards used for other witnesses.
The proposal notes that additional details, including proctor-to-student ratios and guidelines regarding monitoring practices, will be finalized in consultation with faculty and student representatives before the policy takes effect.
Princeton’s honor system dates back to 1893, when the faculty first instituted the Honor Code following a student petition to eliminate proctoring during examinations. Since then, the honor system has relied on individual accountability, with students pledging both to refrain from academic dishonesty and to report those they witness in violation.
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Following the Honor Code’s original implementation, proctoring was explicitly banned in the Rules and Procedures of the Faculty and the Rights, Rules, Responsibilities of the University, which remained in effect for 133 years up until Monday’s vote.
The policy proposal cites AI and personal electronic devices as major catalysts behind the policy shift. “The ease of access of these [AI] tools on a small personal device have also changed the external appearance of misconduct during an examination,” it reads, making cheating “much harder for other students to observe (and hence to report).”
The proposal also points to a growing reluctance among students to report peers directly. The proposal claims that anonymous reporting of allegations has increased in recent years, fueled by fears of “doxxing or shaming among their peer groups” online.
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