Academic Integrity
Dr. David Bozak
Associate Dean
College of Arts & Sciences
SUNY Oswego
dab@oswego.edu
My background
• BA, Rice University; MS/PhD UNH
• Joint appointment at Oswego – computer
science and psychology
• Developed CS dept cheating policy
http://www.oswego.edu/academics/colleges
_and_departments/departments/computer_
science/cheating.html
• As Associate Dean, final step in appeal
process
• Task Force on Academic Quality
subcommittee on cheating and plagiarism
• Committee on Intellectual Integrity
August 28, 2007
2
True or False?
Students begin cheating as early
as 3rd grade.
August 28, 2007
3
Academic Integrity Survey
• Center for Academic Integrity
http://academicintegrity.org
• Dr. Donald McCabe – replicated
William J. Bower’s 1964 survey at 31
institutions (“Student Dishonesty
and its Control in College”)
• SUNY Oswego participated in 20062007
• 17,401 undergrads @ 19 schools
• 3,985 faculty @ 17 schools
August 28, 2007
4
How frequently do you think the
following occurs on campus?
• Plagiarism on written
assignments
–
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Never - 1%
Very Seldom - 21%
Seldom - 47%
Often – 25%
Very Often – 6%
5
How frequently do you think the
following occurs on campus?
• Plagiarism on written
assignments
–
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Never - 1% (<1%)
Very Seldom - 21% (7%)
Seldom - 47% (42%)
Often – 25% (39%)
Very Often – 6% (11%)
6
How frequently do you think the
following occurs on campus?
• Inappropriate sharing in group
assignments
–
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Never - 1%
Very Seldom - 10%
Seldom - 32%
Often - 38%
Very Often - 19%
7
How frequently do you think the
following occurs on campus?
• Inappropriate sharing in group
assignments
–
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Never - 1% (1%)
Very Seldom - 10% (7%)
Seldom - 32% (39%)
Often - 38% (38%)
Very Often - 19% (15%)
8
How frequently do you think the
following occurs on campus?
• Cheating during tests or
examinations
–
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Never - 3%
Very Seldom - 33%
Seldom - 37%
Often - 18%
Very Often - 9%
9
How frequently do you think the
following occurs on campus?
• Cheating during tests or
examinations
–
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Never - 3% (1%)
Very Seldom - 33% (25%)
Seldom - 37% (50%)
Often - 18% (19%)
Very Often - 9% (5%)
10
During the past year, how often
have you
• Worked with others when
asked for individual work
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Never - 53%
Once - 18%
More than once - 23%
NA – 6%
11
During the past year, how often
have you
• Copied another’s homework
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Never - 66%
Once - 17%
More than once - 15%
NA – 3%
12
During the past year, how often
have you
• Copied a few sentences from a
written source without citing it
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Never - 65%
Once - 17%
More than once - 13%
NA – 4%
13
During the past year, how often
have you
• Copied from an electronic
course without footnoting
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Never - 64%
Once - 18%
More than once - 14%
NA – 4%
14
How often, if ever, have you seen
a student cheating during a
test/exam?
Never – 41%
Once – 14%
Few times – 32%
Several times – 9%
Many times – 2%
NA – 2%
August 28, 2007
15
Have you ever ignored an
incident of cheating in one of
your courses for any reason?
Yes – 38%
No – 62%
August 28, 2007
16
Have you ever referred a case of
suspected cheating to anyone?
Yes – 44%
No – 56%
August 28, 2007
17
Cheating is a serious problem on
campus.
–
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Strongly disagree – 2%
Disagree – 14%
Not sure – 42%
Agree – 32%
Strongly agree – 10%
18
How frequently have you observed
student dishonesty when completing
assignments or exams?
SUNY
Student Opinion Survey
Spring, 2003
Very frequently – 4%
Frequently – 11%
Sometimes – 27%
Rarely – 33%
Never – 22%
August 28, 2007
19
Faculty report suspected cases of
cheating
–
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Strongly disagree – 4%
Disagree – 23%
Not sure – 42%
Agree – 27%
Strongly agree – 5%
20
Oswego’s policy
• Two tracks
– Academic
• Penalties up to failure for the course
– Judicial
• Penalties up to
suspension/explulsion
• Repeat offenders
August 28, 2007
21
True or False?
Adhering to campus policy is a
constitutional requirement.
August 28, 2007
22
Delhi’s policy
• Involves both Academic Affairs
(Coordinator of Academic Advising)
and Student Life (College Judicial
Coordinator)
• Mandatory meeting with student
provides educational opportunity
• Mandatory reporting demonstrates
the seriousness of the issue
• Progressive punishment
• Appeal process is described
August 28, 2007
23
Community Standards
•
Oswego’s approach – levels of
non-compliance
Level 0 – trivial errors
Level 1 – unintentional errors
Level 2 – poor decision making
Level 3 – intentional dishonesty
August 28, 2007
24
Promotion of policy
•
Dialog – faculty and student
–
–
–
–
•
Visibility
–
–
August 28, 2007
Review process that led to new policy
Open faculty forum to discuss issues
Open student forum to discuss issues
Promotion from President, Provost on
down, including faculty and student
leaders
Posters, bookmarks, etc. promoting
integrity
Encouraging faculty to include
reference to policy on syllabus
25
True or False?
The weakest students on campus
are the ones most likely to
cheat/plagiarize.
August 28, 2007
26
Why students cheat
"What's important is getting ahead.
Cheating is a shortcut and it's a
pretty efficient one in a lot of
cases.“
–
–
–
–
August 28, 2007
Courses not interesting enough
Time
Need to get good grades
“unfair” tests/assignments;
assignments that are makework
27
True or False?
Males are more likely than
females to cheat on an exam.
August 28, 2007
28
Combating misconduct
•
•
•
•
•
August 28, 2007
Change exams frequently (68%)
Monitor students closely on tests;
space them out during tests (72%)
Discuss views on integrity (65%)
Info on syllabus about cheating
(67%)
Use of internet to confirm
plagiarism (29%)
29
Plagiarism detection?
• “Plagiarism Detection: Is
Technology the Answer?” by
Liz Johnson
• http://connect.educause.edu/lib
rary/abstract/PlagiarismDetecti
onI/44506
• Compares 7 services
• Doc Cop – http://doccop.com/
August 28, 2007
30
Combating misconduct
•
•
•
•
August 28, 2007
Use the policy! When students feel
faculty don’t support integrity
policies, there is little chance of
getting caught or if caught
receiving significant penalty
Use a variety of assessment
methods
Require drafts of all papers
Take more time to listen to
students and understand their
needs
31
Creating a Culture of Integrity
• Promotion of integrity
– “Ten Principles of Academic
Integrity” by McCabe and Pavela
• Student involvement
– Student leadership
– Student participation on Hearing
Board
• Matriculation pledge
August 28, 2007
32
True or False?
Public and Parochial college
students are equally likely to
report having cheated or
plagiarized.
August 28, 2007
33
Looking ahead – an Honor code?
• Honor system
• Modified honor system
• Integrity Code
August 28, 2007
34
References
• http://www.academicintegrity.
org/
• http://www.academicintegrity.
org/educational_resources/pdf/
Letter_To_My_Students.pdf
• http://www.collegepubs.com/r
ef/10PrinAcaInteg.shtml
• http://www.plagiary.org/
August 28, 2007
35
References
• http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/r
eportcard/
• Ethics & Behavior, July, 2001, Vol.11,
Issue 3 (special issue on cheating in
colleges and universities
• “The Spiritual Life of College
Students,” Higher Education
Research Institute, UCLA
• http://www.spirituality.ucla.edu/res
ults
August 28, 2007
36