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Creating a Campus Climate That Promotes Academic Integrity. Dane M. Partridge, Ph.D. http://business.usi.edu/dpartrid Associate Professor of Management Student Academic Honesty Task Force, 1999-2000. Overview. Communicating Importance of Academic Integrity
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Creating a Campus Climate That Promotes Academic Integrity Dane M. Partridge, Ph.D. http://business.usi.edu/dpartrid Associate Professor of Management Student Academic Honesty Task Force, 1999-2000
Overview • Communicating Importance of Academic Integrity • College freshmen as mature cheaters • Definitions • Deterrence and Detection • Policy and Procedures • Learning Environment • Legal Issues • Implementation
Communicating Importance of Academic Integrity • Reliance on code of conduct and faculty handbook insufficient • Evidence suggests students enter college well-versed in academic misconduct • “Cheatin’, Writin’ & ‘Rithmetic,” Washington Post Magazine, 9/15/2002
Cheatin’, Writin’ & ‘Rithmetic • MD AP lit teacher: “By our standards it’s cheating. By theirs, it’s efficiency.” • SparkNotes.com (online version of Cliffs Notes) • Word AutoSummarize • MD student in elite magnet program: “It’s like an arms race. And teachers are always playing catch-up.”
Cheatin’, Writin’ & ‘Rithmetic • Rutgers’ Donald McCabe finds cheating is starting younger – in elementary school. • Technology has made cheating much easier. • 2001 survey of H.S. students • 74% said they had cheated at least once on big test • 72% reported serious cheating on written work • 15% had turned in paper bought or copied from Internet sources • 97% reported at least one questionable activity • More than one-third admitted to repetitive, serious cheating • “You do what it takes to succeed in life.”
Cheatin’, Writin’ & ‘Rithmetic • Students report they copy and cheat • When they feel sure they won’t get caught • When they think the teacher doesn’t care or doesn’t work very hard • When they think the assignment is busy work • When they’re struggling in a class that was supposed to be their sure “A”
Cheatin’, Writin’ & ‘Rithmetic • Turnitin.com’s software can catch anything copied from the Internet down to an eight-word string, but it can’t detect students who crib ideas • H.S. student working on paper on Hamlet for AP lit went to www.field-of-themes.com: “I took a good idea that wasn’t given much effort in the online paper and put it into my paper with correct grammar and clear sentence structure. Added a little quote. Touched up the final thought. Is that wrong?” • Do we have to change the way we teach?
Center for Academic Integrity Study • 27% of college students questioned during 2001-02 academic year said falsifying lab data happened “often” or “very often” on their campus • Plagiarism on written assignments: 41% • Cheating during tests and exams: 30% • Collaborating on work assigned as individual: 60% • 55% said it was not serious cheating to get questions and answers from student who had previously taken test; 45% said falsifying lab data wasn’t serious • Source: New York Times, 11/2/02
Student Academic Honesty Task Force • Revised Section 3.01, Definitions of Academic Misconduct, in particular 3.01.A. Cheating • Revised Section 3.02, Penalties and Procedures • Clarified process and right to appeal • Developed flow chart of process • Developed Report Form to be used when penalty imposed • Revised Section 3.03, Appeals
Definitions (Section 3.01) • “requires each student to do his or her academic work without recourse to unauthorized means of any kind” • “Both students and faculty are expected to report violations of academic dishonesty” • Mngt 361 whistle-blowing exercise: Sherron Watkins case (Enron financial VP who warned CEO) • “Faculty should explain the special hazards regarding academic honesty in their discipline” • “Faculty should also plan and supervise academic work carefully so honest effort will be encouraged”
Definitions (Section 3.01) • Cheating • Includes submitting same work in more than one class without approval • Fabrication • Plagiarism • Interference • Facilitation
Deterrence and Detection • New technology • “Era of ‘cut and paste’” • Plagiarism detection services • Front for “paper mills”?
Legal Issues • Risk of faculty handling cases on their own • Failure to follow official procedures could be deemed to be acting outside scope of one’s employment
Learning Environment • Close student-faculty relationships single strongest deterrent to cheating • Special case: Academic integrity in the professions
Student Academic Honesty Task Force • Implementation recommendations • Better educate students as to what constitutes academic misconduct • Coverage on syllabi, course introduction • Freshman orientation • Promote dialogue among faculty to increase awareness and consistency • Communicate seriousness to students (supported by SGA) • Publishing outcomes