If you were to ask Peabody Professor Andrew Van Schaack if cheating is a problem on Vanderbilt's campus, his answer would be simple - yes. In the 2007-2008 academic year alone, the Vanderbilt Honor Council heard 63 cases, involving a total of 81 students, all regarding questions of academic integrity on Vanderbilt's campus.

"It's human nature, people want to get ahead," said Centennial Professor of Philosophy John Lachs over a cup of coffee at Panera.

Lachs, who specializes in human nature and teaches a class on ethics, has much to say on the topic of cheating. He sees it as a violation of the trust system that society and local communities rely so heavily on. The philosopher, who has spent much of his career stressing philosophy's relevance to everyday life, sees an important parallel to the ethical construct set up by the Honor Code and the requirements of the larger society.