Why is Academic Integrity an Issue?
Several factors now contribute to problems with academic integrity: • Students live extremely stressful lives, with many distractions, lots of pressure, and a greater proclivity to bend the rules. • Technology has made certain kinds of cheating easier and more tempting. • Students come from a consumerist culture, always seeking the best product for the least money. They sometimes bring that to their learning, seeking to get the highest grade for the least work. Cheating is the extreme example of that. • Many high schools seem to have given up on enforcing any standards of academic integrity. Preventing Cheating and Plagiarism: • Discuss your expectations in class, don’t assume that students understand how to document sources; international students (even graduate students) sometimes have had no experience with documentation. • Clearly indicate your documentation expectations on all paper assignments, including drafts, journals, and short reaction papers. • Chose appropriate topics. A l
