Benedictine University

1

• Benedictine University
• Promoting Academic Integrity
• Don McCabe Rutgers University

2
Presentation Agenda

• Overview of research
• Identifying some issues
• Some suggestions for change

3
Research Chronology 1990 to 2007

• College
• Have surveyed 165,00 students at 160 schools
• Have surveyed 18,000 faculty at 110 schools
• Honor codes were an early focus now modified
  codes
• High School
• Over 35,000 students at 70 schools
• Have also surveyed a small number of faculty
• Hope to expand this work

4
Methodological issues

• Self-report data
• Anonymity concerns with web-based surveys
  leading to lower response rates and lower
  self-reported cheating?
• Changing definition of cheating???

5
2002-2007 Surveys

• Canada
• Students, faculty, TAs, first year students
• 16 participating schools
• United States
• Students, faculty, TAs, first year students
• 102 participating schools

6
Respondents

• U.S Canada
• Undergraduate 82,186 25,352
• Graduate 13,327 2,593
• Other 515 352
• Unknown 1,864 519
• --------------------------------------------------
  --------------
• Faculty 14,597 2,560

7
Respondents

• U.S Benedictine
• Undergraduate 82,186 471
• Graduate 13,327 12
• Other 515 0
• Unknown 1,864 15
• --------------------------------------------------
  --------------
• Faculty 14,597 94 (50 FT)

8
Institutional factors associated with greater
cheating

• Cheating is campus norm (cheating culture)
• School has no honor code
• When students feel faculty dont support
  integrity policies, there is little chance of
  getting caught and, even if you are, penalties
  are not seen as significant (Ditto Benedictine)

9
Students reporting greater cheating

• Business Communications majors
• Males report more test cheating, but females are
  closing the gap females report slightly more
  cheating on written work except most explicit
• Students with low or high grade point averages?
• Those with significant time commitments e.g.,
  caring for dependent, job, athletics
• Fraternity/sorority members to a moderate degree

10
BenU students reporting greater cheating

• Business (test_at_36) Education (written_at_55)
• Females slightly higher on both test cheating and
  cheating on written work but not significant
• Students with average GPAs?
• No strong pattern for those caring for dependent,
  with job, participating in athletics
• Fraternity/sorority members to a moderate degree

11
Self-reported cheating

• U.S.
  Canada
• UG Grad UG
  Grad
• Test Cheating 22 10 18
  10
• Written Cheating 42 27
  45 31
• (48) (32) (52)
  (35)
• N 82,186 13,327 25,352 2,593

12
U.S. Undergraduates

• 2002/7 Benedictine
• Test Cheating 22 24
• Written Cheating 42 37
• (48) (43)
• N 82,186 471

13
Plagiarism Undergraduates

• 2002/7 Benedictine
• Written cut paste 36 32
  
• Written plagiarism 6 4
  
• Internet cut paste 36 31
  
• Internet plagiarism 3 2
  
• (e.g., paper mills)

14
Other notable BenU differences

• BenU greater (p
• More BenU students (43 vs. 30) report learning
  from another student what was on a test s/he will
  take later
• More BenU students (51 vs. 42) report working
  with others on an assignment when specifically
  asked for individual work

15
Student motivations for cheating

• Pressure to succeed/excel.
• Fairness (Others do it.)
• Material is trivial/irrelevant.
• Courses too hard/faculty unreasonable.
• Sense of entitlement seems important.
• Emulating business practice.

16
Motivations for not cheating

• The peer environment on campus because
  students are most affected by the social
  environment around them.
• Self respect. Upbringing (values morals).
• The consequences for cheating or dishonesty.
• Desire to truly learn.

17
Some suggested solutions - BenU

• Eliminate College Physics Web CT quizzes. It is
  just too easy to cheat on those.
• Faculty should take better notice during exams.
• Actually enforce the policies rather than just
  expecting the students to abide them.
• Cheating during tests should be reported, but the
  students will probably never do that. So that
  leaves it up to the instructor.

18
Some suggested solutions - BenU

• Help us learn how to properly site
  sources!!!!!!!!!!!
• I believe that the faculty should enforce the
  academic honesty policy more strictly
• I don't think any changes would make a
  difference. Students will always find a way to
  cheat.
• I believe BU has, overall, an excellent standard
  of academic honesty

19
Faculty

20
How faculty students learn of policy

• Undergrads Faculty
• U.S. Benedictine U.S.
  Benedictine
• Faculty 63 69 41
  40
• Handbook 25 27
  51 36
• Orientation 18 15
  25 20
• Note Students - noting they learned
  a lot from the source.
• Faculty - who used source,
  no rating of how much learned.

21
Sources of information - BenU faculty

• Full-time Adjuncts
• Faculty 60 18
• Campus website 52 30
• Handbook 48 26
• Chair 36 61
• Orientation 20 21

22
Faculty safeguards Lost opportunity?

• Change exams regularly 69
  
• Monitor students closely on tests 70
• Info in syllabus about cheating 66
• Discuss views on integrity 65
• Internet to confirm plagiarism 24
• Range 8 to 63 in US. 7 of 96 US schools at
  40 or above.

23
Faculty safeguards Lost opportunity?

• Change exams regularly 69 (71)
• Monitor students closely on tests 70 (81)
• Info in syllabus about cheating 66 (71)
• Discuss views on integrity 65 (73)
• Internet to confirm plagiarism 24 (29)

24
Faculty safeguards Benedictine FT(PT)

• Change exams regularly 78 (64)
• Monitor students closely on tests 88 (73)
• Info in syllabus about cheating 82 (59)
• Discuss views on integrity 80 (66)
• Internet to confirm plagiarism 32 (25)

25
Faculty role My view

• We must remain vigilant at least out of a sense
  of fairness for honest students.
• Students seem to want some change we need to
  encourage them.
• More faculty need to come forward. (40 in US
  ignore some cases)
• Key issue Whats the right balance among
  promotion, deterrence and punishment?

26
Faculty role Your view

• Change exams and course assignments more often.
• Faculty owe it to honest students to do all in
  their power to prevent cheating...
• Faculty should make their expectations clear to
  students.
• Talk to students talk about the effect of
  dishonesty in their future careers

27
Faculty role Your view

• Faculty members should make a big deal about
  academic honesty in all their classes
• As instructors we need to be clear in our
  expectations.
• Many faculty and department chairs do not want to
  be hassled with the appeal process and avoid
  reporting cases. Faculty need to be more
  pro-active about the academic honesty problem on
  campus.

28

• Ten (Updated) Principles of Academic Integrity
• McCabe Pavela
• May/June 2004
• Principles of academic integrity for faculty.

29
Selected principles

• Encourage student responsibility for academic
  integrity.
• Clarify expectations for students.
• Develop fair and creative forms of assessment.
• Respond to academic dishonesty when it occurs.

30
Other faculty strategies

• Multiple versions of exams/assignments.
• Talk about internet, including detection
  strategies.
• Outlaw electronic devices in tests.
• Listen to students understand their needs and
  concerns.

31
Suggested institutional strategies

• Programs based on notions of ethical community
  building which form basis of culture of
  integrity and responsibility.
• Faculty staff should engage students in ongoing
  dialogue (throughout program) which helps build
  community of trust.
• Culture should emphasize clear communication of
  rules, moral socialization, etc. the hidden
  curriculum.

32
Suggested institutional strategies

• Student involvement is key. Give them a primary
  role orientation, hearing boards, etc. Give
  them ownership let them build a new tradition.
• Honor codes are increasingly a part of ethical
  community building strategies. Modified codes
  hold promise in this regard.
• Key is for both institution and its faculty to
  act failure to act sends powerful message.

33
Questions/Comments?
34
(No Transcript)
35

• Benedictine University
• Promoting Academic Integrity
• Part II
• Don McCabe Rutgers University

36
Presentation Agenda

• Brief overview of research
• Identifying issues specific to Benedictine
• Discussion about possible change

37
2002-2007 Surveys

• Canada
• Students, faculty, TAs, first year students
• 16 participating schools
• United States
• Students, faculty, TAs, first year students
• 102 participating schools

38
Methodological issues

• Self-report data
• Anonymity concerns with web-based surveys
  leading to lower response rates and lower
  self-reported cheating?
• Changing definition of cheating???

39
Respondents

• U.S Benedictine
• Undergraduate 82,186 471
• Graduate 13,327 12
• Other 515 0
• Unknown 1,864 15
• --------------------------------------------------
  --------------
• Faculty 14,597 94 (50 FT)

40
Institutional factors associated with greater
cheating

• Cheating is campus norm (cheating culture)
• School has no honor code
• When students feel faculty dont support
  integrity policies, there is little chance of
  getting caught and, even if you are, penalties
  are not seen as significant (Ditto Benedictine)

41
Students reporting greater cheating

• Business Communications majors - Business
  (test_at_36) Education (written_at_55)
• Males report more test cheating, but females are
  closing the gap females report slightly more
  cheating on written work except most explicit
  Females higher on both, but NS
• Students with low or high grade point averages?
  Reverse?
• Those with significant time commitments e.g.,
  caring for dependent, job, athletics No
  significant pattern
• Fraternity/sorority members to a moderate degree
  - Same

42
U.S. Undergraduates

• 2002/7 Benedictine
• Test Cheating 22 24
• Written Cheating 42 37
• (48) (43)
• N 82,186 471

43
Other notable BenU differences

• More BenU students (43 vs. 30) report learning
  from another student what was on a test s/he will
  take later.
• More BenU students (51 vs. 42) report working
  with others on an assignment when specifically
  asked for individual work.
• BenU students generally report less plagiarism
  (e.g., cut paste from Internet - 31 vs.
  36).

44
Student motivations for cheating

• Pressure to succeed/excel.
• Fairness (Others do it.)
• Material is trivial/irrelevant.
• Courses too hard/faculty unreasonable.
• Sense of entitlement seems important.
• Emulating business practice.

45
Faculty

46
Sources of information - BenU faculty

• Full-time Adjuncts
• Faculty 60 18
• Campus website 52 30
• Handbook 48 26
• Chair 36 61
• Orientation 20 21

47
Faculty safeguards Benedictine FT(PT)

• Change exams regularly 78 (64)
• Monitor students closely on tests 88 (73)
• Info in syllabus about cheating 82 (59)
• Discuss views on integrity 80 (66)
• Internet to confirm plagiarism 32 (25)
• (Benedictine generally above the U.S. means.)

48
Faculty role My view

• We must remain vigilant at least out of a sense
  of fairness for honest students.
• Students seem to want some change we need to
  encourage them.
• More faculty need to come forward. (40 in US
  ignore some cases)
• Key issue Whats the right balance among
  promotion, deterrence and punishment?

49
Faculty role Your view

• Change exams and course assignments more often.
• Faculty owe it to honest students to do all in
  their power to prevent cheating...
• Faculty should make their expectations clear to
  students.
• Talk to students talk about the effect of
  dishonesty in their future careers

50
Faculty role Your view

• Faculty members should make a big deal about
  academic honesty in all their classes
• As instructors we need to be clear in our
  expectations.
• Many faculty and department chairs do not want to
  be hassled with the appeal process and avoid
  reporting cases. Faculty need to be more
  pro-active about the academic honesty problem on
  campus.

51

• Ten (Updated) Principles of Academic Integrity
• McCabe Pavela
• May/June 2004
• Principles of academic integrity for faculty.

52
Selected principles

• Encourage student responsibility for academic
  integrity.
• Clarify expectations for students.
• Develop fair and creative forms of assessment.
• Respond to academic dishonesty when it occurs.

53
Other faculty strategies

• Multiple versions of exams/assignments.
• Talk about internet, including detection
  strategies.
• Outlaw electronic devices in tests.
• Listen to students understand their needs and
  concerns.

54
Suggested institutional strategies

• Programs based on notions of ethical community
  building which form basis of culture of
  integrity and responsibility.
• Faculty staff should engage students in ongoing
  dialogue (throughout program) which helps build
  community of trust.
• Culture should emphasize clear communication of
  rules, moral socialization, etc. the hidden
  curriculum.

55
Suggested institutional strategies

• Student involvement is key. Give them a primary
  role orientation, hearing boards, etc. Give
  them ownership let them build a new tradition.
• Honor codes are increasingly a part of ethical
  community building strategies. Modified codes
  hold promise in this regard.
• Key is for both institution and its faculty to
  act failure to act sends powerful message.

56
Specific BenU Issues
57
BenU Faculty Comments - Reporting

• All cheating must be reported so that students
  who cheat habitually or in several courses
  receive more serious consequences.
• More feedback on process allow departments
  access to files of repeat offenders when
  recommendation letters are requested.
• Report sanctions in the student paper, obscuring
  names of those involved, to show that honesty is
  watched, violators caught, and egregious
  offenders punished.
• Need more faculty discussion to develop a common
  mind about the problem.

58
BenU Faculty Comments - Adjuncts

• Better training for the adjunct faculty who are
  not as familiar with the procedures of the
  policy (Adjunct)
• We need a mechanism to educate the mass of
  adjunct faculty and bring them into this
  discussion. (Professor)
• Make policies clearer to adjunct faculty and
  perhaps hold workshops. (Assoc. Professor)

59
BenU Faculty Comments - Miscellany

• Support of faculty pursuing penalties needs to be
  absolute. There should be no occurrences, and no
  live rumors, of decisions being overturned for
  money or political reasons.
• There needs to be more transparency in the
  judicial process. If I report a student for
  cheating, it is VERY important that I know about
  the outcome.
• Benedictine desperately needs to subscribe to a
  service like turnitin.com.

60
BenU Faculty Comments - Code

• Implement honor code and student council.
• Institute an Honor Code like many universities
  have, and a student judicial board to
  investigate, prosecute, and punish cheaters. Make
  it easier to turn in cheaters.
• Institute an honor code that all students are
  required to learn and subscribe to, then have
  students responsible for the judicial process.

61
BenU Student Comments Be stricter

• I think if someone is caught cheating in any way,
  it should be an automatic F in the class. NO
  EXCEPTIONS!
• I think my school's policies regarding cheating
  are proper, but they are scarcely if ever
  enforced, which needs to be changed.
• I think that the school should adhere to its own
  policies.
• Assignments need to be changed every year re
  older siblings and friends.

62
BenU Student Comments Be stricter

• I would like to see professors pay more attention
  when students are taking exams
• It would be nice to see those students who cheat
  actually removed from the class rather than given
  a slap on the wrist.
• Punish students who initiate cheating.
• I believe that the faculty should enforce the
  academic honesty policy more strictly

63
BenU Students Need to change tests

• I think it's unfair that some students have old
  exams and some don't its an unfair advantage!
• Assignments need to be changed every year,
  because people who have older siblings or friends
  already have all the work, and have an unfair
  advantage over other students.
• Change the tests/quiz for every sections of the
  same class on the same day.
• If teachers are making the same exams, that is
  their fault.

64
BenU Students Cheating common

• I think cheating is a huge problem because
  teachers "turn a blind eye" because they do not
  want to "offend" anybody.
• I think cheating is out of control at BU. I had a
  class last year that had a group of students
  cheating repeatedly, and the instructor knew. He
  gave lectures almost every class about the
  importance of integrity, and tried to pursue
  consequences for the group of dishonest students.
  Apparently, he was later fired for
  "discrimination" against these students. What
  kind of message does that give to those who are
  cheating?

65
BenU Students Cheating common

• Cheating is a problem at Benedictine!
• It is amazing how much cheating goes on at
  Benedictine that passes by.
• It is rare to find people that do not cheat here
  at BU.
• It seems that cheating on exams is getting worse
  with the younger classes.
• The school is full of cheating.

66
BenU Students Science a problem

• It is obvious in the science classes. Some
  professors realize this and try to change tests,
  but it still happens in class.
• I think that in the Science department there is a
  great deal of cheating going on to the detriment
  of the honest students!
• The science department in particular is a
  department full of cheating students. As someone
  worried about the future of health care falling
  into cheating hands, it is advisable the science
  department take immediate action to prevent
  mediocre doctors entering the workforce.

67
BenU Students Not a problem

• Doing a great job. No specific changes that I
  can think of are needed.
• I do not see the need for much change in the way
  of academic integrity.
• I feel that the Instructors are doing a good job
  at maintaining academic integrity.
• IT is almost non evident at Benedictine. Teachers
  are doing a great job.

68
BenU Students Unlikely to report

• I think it is the individuals job to support his
  or her own academic integrity, no one elses.
• Students always have and always will look the
  other way no one likes a snitch. Would you
  advocate ratting out someones friends? Lay off
  the students and don't expect more of them than
  their capable of giving.
• Students should not be responsible for what other
  students do.
• Cheating is rampant but students are afraid to
  get a fellow student in trouble, whether they're
  a friend or not.

69
BenU Students Support reporting

• I think that students should be more vigilant in
  reporting people that do cheat.
• I believe students should have more of a
  responsibility to monitor the cheating because
  they are the one's that are doing the cheating
  and they know how it works.
• I think it is up to the students to look out when
  cheating takes place, and if they do not report
  it then they should talk to the student about
  what they saw being taken place.
• Students should worry about themselves and let
  the system take care of itself.

70
BenU Students Miscellaneous comments

• sometimes you just have to get help in order to
  meet the demands of career, life, school and
  society.
• If anything there should be a survey given out to
  teachers about grade inflation.
• Somebody please stop the Muslim and Indian kids
  from cheating, I bust my butt for decent grades
  and some just coast into med school because some
  of them cheat badly.
• I believe the school should play a more active
  role in informing students about what cheating is
  and what are the consequences of cheating.

71
So now what?