McMaster takes a stand on academic dishonesty

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Thyret_Kidd.jpg” caption=”Andrea Thyret-Kidd, academic integrity officer at McMaster, encourages faculty to contact her for tips and resources on how to deal with academic dishonesty. File photo.”]Academic dishonesty is a growing problem at Canadian universities, and McMaster University is taking it seriously.

A University of Guelph study indicates that 53 per cent of Canadian students have engaged in serious cheating on written work, while in the U.S., some studies show the percentage of cheating students is as high as 70 per cent, according to a Feb. 12 Maclean's article.

Andrea Thyret-Kidd, academic integrity officer at McMaster, says she isn't surprised by the statistics because previous studies have produced similar results.

Technology has made it easier for students to cheat.

High-tech methods of cheating are “extensions of what already existed,” explains Thyret-Kidd. In the past, students could pay someone to write their essays; now they can buy essays on virtually any topic on the Internet. Instead of writing cheat sheets, they can take photos of their exams with their cellphones or text message answers to their classmates.

In 2002, McMaster became one of the first universities in Canada to establish an Office of Academic Integrity. Its three aims are to promote academic integrity, prevent academic dishonesty and follow through with appropriate action when academic dishonesty is suspected.

If a faculty member suspects a student has cheated, he/she should contact Thyret-Kidd.

“Academic dishonesty should be investigated and reported,” she said. “We encourage all faculty and instructors to be proactive and to send a clear message that cheating will not be tolerated.”

A student who is caught cheating for the first time will be given a mark of zero on the assignment. The incident will not be recorded on the student's transcript, but it will be noted at the Office of Academic Integrity.

A second offence will result in failing the course, which will be recorded on the student's transcript. Depending on the severity of the offence, the student may also be suspended or expelled.

Every case is judged on its own merit, and penalties may vary.

More than 100 professors at McMaster use Turnitin, a website that compares a student's written work to billions of Internet pages, journal articles, periodicals and assignments submitted by other students.

Thyret-Kidd also recommends that professors change their assignments and tests frequently to prevent students from copying work from previous terms.

Professors can also assign “staggered essays,” which require students to submit an outline and rough draft before submitting the final copy. This allows professors to monitor their students' progress throughout the course of an assignment.