Prof offers insight on cheating

Calling for a rededication to academic integrity, a Rutgers University professor spoke last night at a forum on cheating and honor codes sponsored by the Student Committee for Undergraduate Education. Don McCabe, a professor of business, offered statistical evidence explaining both the symptoms of cheating and profiles of students who are most likely to violate codes of academic integrity. McCabe said students' decisions to cheat are often influenced by the behavior of other students. "What they see going on around them affects what they are going to do," McCabe said. The Rutgers professor also noted that the severity of penalties leveled against students who are caught cheating helps to determine individuals' behavior. "If penalties are viewed as less severe, then cheating is more likely to happen," McCabe said. According to McCabe, the rate of cheating incidences increases when "students view faculty as lenient." He said students "often blame [faculty] for their cheating." While his studies reveal that three-quarters of professors have observed cheating in their classes, McCabe noted that less than half of them report the incidents. "Cheating is not something faculty worry about," he said. "Many are also unwilling to report cheating because [campus judicial] systems are too bureaucratic." McCabe also commented that there have been "too many complaints [by students] about faculty members who make cheating easy." But not all students are equally likely to cheat, McCabe said. MBA students are most likely to violate codes of academic integrity, he said, adding that the pressure for success can make them feel compelled to do so. "Future MBA's are by far the worst cheaters," McCabe said. "Competition, work loads and the pressure to get good grades all contribute to student cheating. He also noted that only two percent of students are likely to report friends who cheat and that students are more likely to cheat in courses listed outside of their majors. McCabe called for a collective effort by the University community to address the problem of cheating and to reform the systems set in place to prevent its occurance. "The campus culture must value integrity and encourage all constituencies to accept mutual responsibility for it," he said. "Students have to have ownership in the system, or else they are not going to respect it." SCUE Chairperson Jonathan Pitt said he found the speech both educational and inspirational. "The information compels us to rethink what kind of position we want to take regarding academic integrity," the College junior said. Michael Treisman, vice chairperson of SCUE, said his group is planning to develop an honor code in hopes of promoting academic integrity. Pitt also emphasized the need to reform the University's codes of academic integrity. "We need to examine the code because currently cheating occurs at unacceptable levels," he said.