Jon Stewart mocked Harvard University and its 125 students who cheated off one another in an open book, take-home "open Internet" test assigned last spring. School administrators launched an investigation that culminated in dozens of forced withdrawals.
In the segment, Stewart asked why students from the most prestigious and well-known university in the United States took "open Internet" tests at all, asking, "Is this Harvard or the University of Phoenix?" referring to the for-profit university with roughly 380,800 enrolled students, which has built its reputation on offering online classes.
The Associated Press detailed Harvard's response to the scandal last month:
The dean said a school committee is working on recommendations to strengthen a culture of academic honesty and promote ethics in scholarship.
"This is a time for communal reflection and action," he wrote. "We are responsible for creating the community in which our students study and we all thrive as scholars."
Stewart, who majored in psychology at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, responded, "F*** that.
"This is the time to think about why the most prestigious university in the United States lets you use the Internet during a take-home test. For God's sake, forget about copying off one another. How are you allowed to use the Internet? You're not even allowed to use the Internet on 'Project Runaway.'"
Stewart wondered rhetorically what kind of class could tempt the Harvard honor code so directly, before revealing the answer: Government 1310: Introduction to Congress.