Higher Education or Education for Hire?:
Issues and concerns relating to academic
integrity
Wendy Sutherland-Smith, Monash University
Barb Piesse, Deakin University
Chris Kelly, Deakin University
Risk and Quality Assurance: 2 major
themes
International student issues
Language issues
Recruitment issues
Assessment issues
University support issues
Inappropriate uses of technologies
Research – plagiarism and contract cheating
Academic integrity policies and processes
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Risks
Risks & potential risks involved
Damage to institutional reputation
Negative media coverage – “Insight” SBS
program; newspapers, Birrell article
Loss of public confidence (and confidence of
partner institutions / funding bodies)
Staff morale & losses (perceive the university as
not positive for career path); lack of succession
planning; casualisation of academic workforce;
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Recruitment issues and risks
IELTS and TOEFL levels decreasing
Quality assurance of pathways into study
Issues of agents recruiting students
Perception of conflict of interest Commission/performance bonuses
4
University support issues
Student support
Staff support
Decreasing language specialist help
Students working hours in outside employment
Promised assistance in vision statements/agents’
promises….rhetoric or reality?
A solution? - Unit in Grad Dip of Higher Ed on how to effectively
deal with international student approaches to study?
PD & mentoring for staff on dealing with international students
Dealing with being offered bribes, threatened etc?
Risks
promises made at institutional level and not realised at micro
level of teaching and learning
students go off the rails; complain to media or educational
authorities and university has negative media coverage
5
Inappropriate uses of technology
Plagiarism
Contract cheating
Hard to detect
Hard to prove
Student response to increasingly corporate
nature of universities (a ‘business solution’)
Quality of student – driven to use technology
inappropriately
A huge challenge to traditional notions of ethical
study
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Cheating websites
http://echeat.com/
http://www.assignmentcentre.com.au/
http://www.originalessays.co.uk/
http://melbourne.gumtree.com.au/f-assignments-ClassifiedsW0QQKeywordZassignmentsQQisSearchFormZtrue#
http://www.essaycapital.com/assignments.php
http://www.customwriti7ngs.com/write-my-essay.html
http://www.essayrater.com/
http://fastessays.co.uk/
http://www.rushessay.com/
Google China:
http://www.assignmenthelp.net/
http://www.nonplagiarizedessays.co.uk/
http://www.realassignmentwriting.com/custom_assignment.php
http://aplusa.org.uk/buy-assignment
Quality assurance measures
What currently exists – not necessarily centred on
learning and teaching. Therefore:
Staff at teaching interface do not necessarily
support measures / ignore / consider out of touch
ICAC 2005 Recommendation – academic expertise
needed to manage risk and quality
Do current quality assurance processes align with
graduate attributes outcomes and vision statements
of universities?
Are current measures for quality assurance and
response to risk (eg academic integrity) effective?
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From Harvey L & Newton, J. (2004). 'Transforming quality evaluation', Quality in Higher
Education,10 (2):149 -165 @ p.162.
Harvey and Newton model
Harvey and Newton model
Learning and teaching interface at centre
Improvement in learning and teaching - self regulation
focus
External audit functions as ‘critical friend’ – seen as
positive rather than external interference
Builds on research capacity from within institution (eg
Deakin initiative on text-matching to feed into situated
academic integrity policy and processes)
Eg: model would locate plagiarism as a learning and
teaching issue and approach it through increased focus
on how to approach study in Australian tertiary sector.
Contract cheating would be determined an issue of ethics
(lack of ethics) therefore punished.
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Conclusion
Management and mitigation of risk – universities
taking responsibility and fighting complacency
about quality of educational product
Holistic management policies and processes
Continuous quality assurance cycle implemented
eg: Auditor-General’s recommendations:
5.1.... Universities should require faculties and schools to
incorporate risk management into their annual business
planning process
5.2... Universities should regularly review their contractual
relationships with private providers to identify and mitigate
the risks.
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References
Auditor-General Department. (2009). International Students: Risks and Responsibilities of
universities. June, 2009. Available at:
http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/reports__publications/reports_by_year/2009/20090624
Birrell, R. (2009) Immigration policy change and international student industry. People and Place,
17 (2):1-17.
Editorial opinion (2009). Close the back door. The Australian, July 17, p.13.
Harvey, L. & Newton. J. (2004). Transforming Quality Evaluation. Quality in Higher Education 10
(2): 149-165.
Hodge, A. (2009) Industry a study in shams and scams, The Australian, July 14, p.1
Independent Commission Against Corruption (2005). Report on investigation into the University of
Newcastle’s handling of plagiarism allegations. ICAC: Sydney
Lancaster, T & Clarke, R. (2009). Contract Cheating in the UK. Paper at the ASKe Institutional
Policies and procedures for managing plagiarism conference, July 4, 2009, Oxford-Brookes
University, UK
Lancaster, T & Clarke, R. (2008). The phenomena of contract cheating. In Roberts T. (Ed). Student
plagiarism in an online world (pp.144-158). ISP: Hershey.
Special Broadcasting Service (2009) “At Risk - What’s behind the attacks on Indian Students?”
Insight, 21 July 2009, 7.30pm.
Trounson, A. (2009) Agents prey on foreign students. The Australian, July 14, p.4.
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