Embracing Academic Integrity A Campus Initiative

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Embracing Academic IntegrityA Campus Initiative

• Sara Kuhn and Carolyn Miller
• Chattanooga State Technical
• Community College

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Center for Academic Integritys Definition of
Integrity

• Fairness
• Honesty
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Trust

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Don McCabes 2002-2005 Surveys

• Participating Schools
• 16 campuses in Canada and 67 in the U.S.
• Self-report data
• 90 web-based surveys
• Over 85,000 students 12,000 faculty

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McCabes Results
2002/3 2003/4 2004/5
Test Cheating 21 22 21
Written Cheating 47 44
42 (52) (49)
(48) N 13,991 13,968
20,428 85 via Internet 20
15 via paper 32 90 via Internet 20
10 via paper 26
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Why Do Students Cheat?

• Because why do the work when you dont have to?
  especially if everyone else is cheating.
• Courses werent interesting enough
• Time, or lack thereof.
• Pressure to get good grades. Cheating on tests
  and assignments wasnt really a big deal
• Desire not to disappoint my teachers/parents.

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Campus Factors

• 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

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Students reporting greater cheating

• Business majors (Communications)
• Males (esp. test cheating)
• Students with low or high GPAs
• Fraternity/sorority members athletes

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From the 2004 Report on Youth, Josephson
Institute, a national survey of 24,763 high
school students

• 62 cheated on exams within the last twelve
  months
• 27 stole from a store within the past twelve
  months
• 66 of young men believe that in the real world,
  
• successful people do what they have to do to
  win
• 52 of young women agreed
• 51 of young men agreed that A person has to lie
  
• or cheat sometimes in order to succeed
• 32 of female students agreed

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From the 2004 Report on Youth, Josephson
Institute, a national survey of 24,763 high
school students

• 62 lied at least once to a teacher about
  something significant
• 35 two or more times
• 35 downloaded an assignment from the internet at
  least once
• 18 two or more times
• 62 cheated on a test at least once
• 38 two or more times

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From the 2004 Report on Youth, Josephson
Institute, a national survey of 24,763 high
school students

• Yet
• 98 said it is important to be a person of good
  character
• 92 said they were satisfied with their ethics
  and character
• 83 felt that over half the people they knew
  would name them as one of the most ethical people
  they knew

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Campus Attitudes

• Faculty and Staff either dont see it or dont
  want to get involved
• Not my job, Im not a policeman attitude
• Procedures and policies arent well known
• Administrators dont want to deal with the
  problem prefer case by case management system
• Tend to think of the problem as one of catching
  and punishing rather than education

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Chattanooga State Initiative for Academic
Integrity

• The good, the bad, and the ugly!

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2001

• Dr. Catanzaro appointed Dr. Hewlett Interim
  VPAA, focusing on academic quality and
  integrity.
• Dr. Hewlett appointed Sara Kuhn to head Institute
  of Teaching and Learning. ITLs focused on
  critical thinking and academic integrity. Sara
  asked for volunteers for both subcommittees
  Carolyn volunteered.
• Chattanooga State joined the Center for Academic
  Integrity, the first community college in
  Tennessee to do so.

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Spring 2002

• AI initiative was introduced to the College at
  Convocation.
• AI Committee met in January and throughout the
  year. Representatives asked for input from their
  divisions and work areas.
• Administrative Focus Group met with the
  Committee.

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Other Spring 2002 Occurrences

• Dr. Mary Mitler and Dr. Mary Olson of Oakton
  Community College met with all areas of the
  campus community and made recommendations.
• They met with SGA leaders, club leaders,
• Dr. Catanzaro, administrators, faculty
  representatives, adjunct faculty representatives,
  Student Affairs staff, Judicial Affairs staff,
  and the AIC.

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Summary of Results of CSTCC Survey

• 329 students, 112 faculty participating
• 29 of students thought cheating on tests
  occurred frequently
• 37 of students thought plagiarism occurred
  frequently
• 48 thought inappropriate sharing in group
  assignments occurred often
• 24 thought sharing lab data was common

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Fall 2002

• Committee teams made presentations all over
  campus.
• AI Committee teams gathered input.
• The AI Committee teams stressed prevention,
  punishment, education, and the need for
  Chattanooga States effort to embody all of
  these.

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Resulting Focus Areas

• Prevention
• Punishment
• Education

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Adopted Approach

• Academic integrity embraces all aspects of the
  culture of a college and is not confined simply
  to catching students who are cheating.

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Education

• Administrators, Faculty Members, including
  Adjuncts, and Staff Members
• Coffee meetings for discussion of local and
  national problem
• AI committee meetings
• Convocation workshops every semester
• Attendance at conferences
• Presentations at departmental/division meeting

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Education

• Enlisted librarians in effort one on the
  committee
• Met with individuals facing problems with
  students
• Revised guidelines and AI violation report form
  extensively
• Page on ITL website providing links and other
  resources

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Education of Students

• Orientation discussion
• Part of RI 100 curriculum
• Classroom activities and discussion in
  developmental language arts classes, English
  classes, biology and other classes
• Signs with Academic Integrity Matters posted
  around campus
• Student Government presentations
• Tried campus newspaper, but denied

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Prevention

• Discussion with individual classes
• Different forms of tests
• Prohibition of cell phones and other electronic
  devices
• Room set up
• Instructor active presence during testing
• Discussion of expectations prior to assignment
• Clear directions concerning group work
• Statement on syllabi

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Prevention

• Encourage students to act if they witness an
  infraction- not necessarily rat though
• Have assignments in various classes about
  integrity, responsibility, fairness, honesty, and
  trust
• Website for use by faculty with resources
  available
• Community leaders discussing integrity
• Yearly reminders to all of AI standards
• Student-signed statements regarding knowledge of
  infractions and punishment on specific assignments

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Punishment

• Clear guidelines and procedures available
  everywhere
• Punishment suitable to the infraction and the
  educational level of the student
• Adherence to the agreed-upon procedures and
  sections by faculty and administration
• Faculty determined sanctions for first offense,
  with reporting required

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Punishment

• Remediation materials available for use, if
  desired
• Office to collect violations in order to check
  for repeat offenders
• Support of faculty members when infractions occur
  and punishment is necessary

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What now?

• New committee formed
• Less emphasis on campus
• Original committee still contacted by individuals
  asking for suggestions, help
• Still have academic integrity discussions in some
  classes, RI 100, orientation
• A student leader recently expressed interest in
  leading campaign for students

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Recommendations to others

• Get administration support beyond lip service
• Join the Center for Academic Integrity for
  additional support
• Involve students in all aspects as much as
  possible
• If possible, have an honor code

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Resources

• Center for Academic Integrity
• Saras bibliography- UTC site
• Don McCabe
• Conference for Academic Integrity
• in October
• Other members of CAI through listserv
• Sara.kuhn_at_chattanoogastate.edu
• Carolyn.Miller_at_chattanoogastate.edu