Abstract
College and university faculty and administrators are responsible for constructing academic honesty policies and communicating them to students. This is often attempted through institutional honesty policies and university-wide honor codes. While these approaches have been widely researched, less attention has been given to the role of individual faculty members. That role is examined in this study by addressing student reactions to professors based on their academic honesty policies. In addition to demographic information, data were gathered about student attitudes and beliefs concerning academic dishonesty and their decision to enroll in or avoid a course being taught by a professor with zero tolerance for academic dishonesty. The findings regarding different instructors’ approaches toward academic dishonesty indicate that an intolerant policy will keep dishonest students away, but at a price—it will also detract many honest students.
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Acknowledgments
The research was supported by a Department of Accountancy Summer Research Grant. The authors thank the student survey respondents and Maria Skaletsky, who assisted with data analysis. The authors also thank David Schwarzkopf for his insights in designing the survey instrument.
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Appendices
Appendix A: Survey Instrument Questions Regarding Professor’s Policy
Other Professor
Assume a professor is known for making the following statement the first day of class: I take the College’s policy on academic honesty seriously in this class. That policy is available in the Student Handbook and on the College’s website. I urge you to read it and to come to me if you have any questions about it. If you have any doubts about whether what you are doing in class or on an assignment may be seen as a violation of this policy, please see me before you take any action that may get you in trouble. I think you should be aware that in the past I have filed reports of academic dishonesty for students in my classes, with penalties ranging from getting a zero on an assignment to getting an F in the course.
Zero Tolerance Professor
Assume a professor is known for making the following statement the first day of class: In order to protect honest students, I will not tolerate any academic dishonesty in this class. Anybody caught cheating will receive an F in the course. Cheating includes the following: using illicit aids during an exam; copying from another student’s exam, term paper, course project, or homework; allowing another student to copy from your exam, term paper, course project, or homework; submitting someone else’s term paper or course project as your own; allowing someone to use your term paper or course project; copying something from the internet and not indicating the source; receiving or giving help on a graded assignment or project (other than group work) that goes beyond what the instructor allows; stealing examination material.
Responses: Go out of your way to register for this professor’s class; Try to register for this professor’s class; Be indifferent in selecting this professor’s class; Try to avoid this professor’s class; Avoid this professor’s class at all costs.
Appendix B
Respondents were classified from most honest (category 1) to most dishonest (category 5) as follows:
Dishonesty Category | Average Score on the 8 Most Serious Acts (Range: 1–5) | Percentage of Respondents (%) |
|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 57 |
2 | 1.125 | 15 |
3 | 1.14–1.25 | 8 |
4 | 1.28–1.57 | 10 |
5 | 1.625 and above | 9 |
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Levy, E., Rakovski, C. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: A Zero Tolerance Professor and Student Registration Choices. Res High Educ 47, 735–754 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-006-9013-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-006-9013-8