ETHOS

Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

SEPTEMBER 2013

A Monthly Publication of the International Center for Academic Integrity Featuring Summaries of Integrity News + News from the Center

Quote of the Month

From the Director

A reporter doing a story on plagiarism recently asked me an interesting question - given how common it is, shouldnt we consider giving up and accepting plagiarism as the new normal? I understand the impulseit often seems like were fighting an unwinnable battle, but here is why the fight is worth it. In academia, our goal is to build capacity in our students. Rules against plagiarism and other forms of integrity violations exist because 1) educative goals are undermined when the student doesnt have the experience of doing his or her own work and 2) we are unable to accurately assess the proficiency of the student if the work we evaluate is not his or her own. There is no doubt that teaching integrity is a challenge, but because it is a foundation on which the quality of education rests, it is a challenge worth facing.

Students Accused of Cheating Return Awkwardly to a Changed Harvard

By: Richard Perez-Pena The New York Times September 16, 2013

Dozens of Harvard students who were forced to take a year off in the
universitys worst cheating scandal in memory are returning this month to some painful moments on a campus that has been changed by their actions. Students in the leafy, brick-walled quads describe stilted encounters with those returning and the need to suppress questions like Where have you been? At the administrations prodding, professors have become much more explicit about laying down ethical standards for their classes, and presentations on cheating were added to freshman orientation, part of a broader move to give students more reminders about academic integrity. The university is also weighing the creation of an honor code, and a new panel to handle charges of academic dishonesty. In March, administrators admitted to searching the e-mail accounts of some junior faculty members, looking for the source of leaks to the news media about the cheating investigation, prompting much of the faculty to protest what it called a breach of trust. That led to a separate investigation, and an effort, still under way, to draft a new policy to protect the privacy of university employees. All of these ethical issues are getting a lot more attention, which can only be a good thing, said Alexis Dominique, a sophomore from Louisiana. Its talked about in every class, its on every syllabus what kind of collaboration is allowed, what the rules are. But there is also widespread skepticism about what effect the changes will have. I love honor codes, but honor codes are about a culture, and Im not sure how you get that going, said Trevor Brandt-Sarif, a junior from California. For the suspended students, the return is laced not only with discomfort, but also resentment at what they, their advocates and even some faculty members call the universitys refusal to address their teachers roles in the affair. Administrators declined to comment on that. A spokesman released a statement reviewing the steps Harvard has taken toward a new, more robust strategy for communicating with all students about academic integrity FULL STORY: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/17/education/students-accused-ofcheating-return-awkwardly-to-a-changed-harvard.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

~Teddi Fishman

such as apply an electrical shock, the consistent reaction in 09/10/2013 previous research has been that they feel bad about their behaviour," said the study's lead author, Nicole Ruedy, of the People who get away with cheating or being dishonest are more University of Washington. "Our study reveals people actually may likely to feel upbeat than remorseful afterwards, new research experience a 'cheater's high' after doing something unethical that suggests. As long as no one is hurt by their deception, dishonesty doesn't directly harm someone else." tends to lead to a "cheater's high", a study by the American By: The Times Live, South Africa Psychological Association has shown. The study involved more than 1,000 people, mostly in their 20s, in Even when there is no tangible reward, people who cheat feel better the US and England. In one experiment, participants who cheated on average than those who don't cheat, stated the study published in on maths and logic problems were happier overall afterwards than those who didn't cheat or had no opportunity to do so. APA's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. "When people do something wrong specifically to harm someone else, http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2013/09/10/dishonesty-leadsto-a-cheater-s-high

Dishonesty Leads to a Cheaters High

Announcements
ICAI 2014 CALL FOR AWARDS!

New Video for Washington Universitys AI Policy

By: Diane Toroian Keaggy 9/11/2013 Wash. U.

ICAI 2014 Annual Conference CALL FOR PROPOSALS!!!

The International Center for Academic Integrity is now accepting proposals for presentation sessions for its upcoming 2014 Annual Conference: Academic Integrity Confronting the Issues. The conference will be February 28 March 2, 2014, at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront in Jacksonville, Florida. Proposals are most welcome on the following subjects: Promoting scholastic and research integrity Fundamental values in education Discouraging, reducing, or dealing with instances of cheating Establishing/nurturing cultures of integrity around the world

http://www.academicintegrity.org/ic ai/events-1.php#award_nominations ___________________________________ We want your feedback! Visit our website and email comments, questions, and suggestions to: CAI-L@clemson.edu!

Swindler Bernie Madoff fascinates

Tamara King, JD, director of judicial programs at Washington University in St. Louis. When did he start cheating? High School? College? It had to start sometime, King said. How did he get away with it? And why did he think cheating was okay? King wants to be clear: cheating at Washington University is not okay. Thats why the Office of Student Conduct has released a video that outlines the universitys academic integrity policy and confronts the reasons why some students cheat. Produced with the help of Dirk Killen, PhD, associate dean and academic integrity officer in the College of Arts & Sciences, and the universitys five academic integrity deans, the video also features students and faculty members discussing why intellectual honesty matters. We want to have a conversation early about our expectations and what it means to join an academic community, King said. The video is a proactive way to teach students what it means to be an ethical and honest person in your scholarship. Sharon Stahl, PhD, vice chancellor for students, will send a letter to upperclassmen urging them to watch the video. Freshmen were required to view the video and take a quiz about the universitys academic integrity policy before arriving on campus.
http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/25815.aspx

The Call for Proposals is open now, and can be accessed through ICAIs conference website: http://www.academicintegrity.org/icai/ev ents-1.php Important Dates: November 15, 2013: Deadline for submitting proposals online November 29, 2013: Individuals whose proposals are accepted for presentation will be notified Early January 2014: Presentation schedule drafts will be available to all presenters

www.facebook.com/AcademicIntegrity

We are looking forward to another great slate of proposals and presentations! Please email Aaron Monson at amonson@clemson.edu with any questions!
------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.twitter.com/TweetCAI

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EztUwVDnZs

The International Center for Academic Integrity grants permission to duplicate and distribute this newsletter physically or electronically, so long as it is duplicated and/or distributed in its entirety and without alteration. Please note that this publication features summaries of and links to original works that are subject to copyright protection. ICAI does not claim ownership or credit for any original works found within. This publication is sponsored by:

Welcome new ICAI members September 2013!

Institutional Members
Saint Petersburg College Florida, USA

Individual Members
James Lancaster Appalachian State U.

Ethos Staff:
CAI-L@clemson.edu

Aaron Monson: Writer / Editor Teddi Fishman: Executive Editor