Academic seminar educates students about consequences of cheating

IU faculty has seen it. IU students have seen it. College students are surrounded by the constant pressure to succeed. GPA, job and internship pressure and competition can ultimately drive students to cheat.

In 2010-11, there were 366 cases of academic misconduct at IU. Associate Dean of Students and Director Jason Casares said the number is likely to increase this year.

Casares said he’s not sure how much higher the amount will grow, but the number of academic misconduct cases is already close to 366 halfway through this semester.

In one case that took place in November 2011, IU student Adam Justin was reportedly charged with scheming to defraud, falsifying business records and criminal impersonation for being paid to take the SAT or ACT for current high school students.

“It can be anywhere from cheating off an exam, plagiarism, you name it,” Casares said. “It can be all over the place.”

This semester at IU, Casares and the Office of Student Ethics and Anti-Harassment Programs are piloting a new initiative to educate students about values and integrity at IU. Students found guilty of academic misconduct will attend an eight-hour seminar to explore their values.

Casares said the seminar focuses on students found responsible for cheating for the first time.

“Whatever the number is, we’ve recognized that, and our response is let’s not assume students are coming in here with academic knowledge, and we need to educate,” Casares said.

As a result of the course, Casares said he hopes students can walk away with an understanding of the academic policy at IU and how to research and cite. He said he hopes students realize how their personal values align with the academic integrity statement of the University.

According to the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, disciplinary action is meant to provide fairness and equality for students, while also having concern for students involved.

“I have had serious conversations with several students over the years when I was certain they were plagiarizing,” English Professor Linda Charnes said.

Charnes said plagiarizing is the most common form of cheating in papers. She said she looks for changes in writing style compared to earlier papers and even passages within the same paper.

“This must be handled with care because we do not want to accuse someone unfairly,” Charnes said. “It’s a delicate issue.”

Consequences at the college level can include a failing grade, disciplinary probation, suspension or even expulsion, according to the IU academic misconduct procedures.

Casares said he doesn’t assume students are coming into college with the academic knowledge. He said instead of being punitive, students could walk away with learning outcomes as a result of attending the seminar.

“We hope to decrease the amount of academic integrity cases,” Casares said. “We also hope to reduce the repeat
offenders.”

Other departments also come across cheating in their classrooms. Mathematics Professor William Wheeler said every syllabus in the department includes a paragraph about cheating and its consequences.

“I believe that all mathematics instructors discuss the value we place on academic integrity and the penalties for academic misconduct in class during the first week of the semester,” Wheeler said.

Many teachers make their stances on cheating and plagiarism known during the first weeks of class, warning students of the consequences.

“I find that when I announce to my classes what the University’s policy on plagiarism is, they usually take that quite seriously,” Charnes said. “Students should realize that it’s usually obvious to professors when they are
plagiarizing.”

Charnes said when students cheat, it is usually because they’ve waited too long to get started on a paper and they panic.

Samantha Weiner, a senior and undergraduate teaching assistant in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, said she has friends who have cheated before.

“I think they cheat because there is a lot of pressure on them to do well, whether it’s from their parents, teachers or just the pressure they put on themselves,” Weiner said.
As a student, Weiner said she has never cheated, but she said people have switched exam versions or kept a cheat sheet on their laps in
lecture halls.

“They feel like the chances of getting caught are extremely small,” Weiner said.
As a teaching assistant, Weiner said she has never had to deal with a student cheating. She said it is not in her authority to deal with students cheating, but she has passed information along to the
professor.

“I think that because of Indiana University being a very competitive school, the current situation of the job market for students graduating and just the need to succeed in our generation is why people feel they need to succeed and will go to any measure to do it,” Weiner said.

The new academic seminar in values, ethics and academic integrity will begin March 3 and will be fully implemented in the fall.

“Pressure can drive people to disregard what is right and wrong, and they just focus on doing whatever they can to succeed, whether that means going against the rules and cheating,” Weiner said. “As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.”