The scarlet letter: at some schools, cheaters face an X-rated future. (Update).

Faced with a number of student cheating cases last fall, faculty at Barton County Community College (KS) decided to send a clear message that academic dishonesty would not be tolerated.

Now Barton has become one of a handful of schools, including Kansas State University and the University of Maryland, to use a modified failing grade--XF--to denote academic dishonesty. Karen Clos, dean of learning and Instruction at the school, says the "X" notation at Barton is actually designed to address what some see as a loophole in the school's policy: Previously, when encountering evidence of student cheating, many faculty simply gave a failing grade. But Barton's academic clemency policy has allowed students to appeal the grade, and have it taken off their transcript.

"We simply wanted to send a message about the importance of academic integrity," says Clos. "After all, we probably shouldn't have to teach students honesty; but if we have to, we are willing to enforce it."