MONIQUE! Culture guides character development!

“Character traits, such as integrity, are not cultural.”

However, character traits and the specific realizations of those traits ARE substantively guided by culture. They are presented and reinforced by language, stories, sayings, and especially by common practice. You are correct to distinguish character from culture, but you are wrong to assert that culture does not substantially influence character.

This essay proves rather interesting:

http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/20...mes-two-topics-i-dont-cover-anymore/

... as does this discussion:

http://roboticsindia.com/modules....ile=viewtopic&t=2473&p=12096

Scrawed, at 8:55 pm EDT on September 5, 2007

Cultural cheating

At a community college where I taught, students from another culture were accused of copying answers from each other during a test. The administration defended them saying it was “their culture” to share. If so, then why did they copy furtively when they thought no one was looking, and keep their eyes on their own papers when they thought someone was? If they did not think they were doing anything wrong, then why try to hide it?

Retired, at 7:40 am EDT on May 24, 2007

Personally, I think schools should stop calling them “honor” codes. Only some schools actually enforce them completely on the “honor” system. Instead, most make some half-hearted attempt to single out some students.

As much at it pains me to say it, I agree with Craig (even though I am not a licensed pundit) and Retired: foreigners (mostly from Asia) cheat. This isn’t about culture. This is about deliberately not following directions.

Any American that accepts this “culture” excuse is not helping anyone. First of all, the Asians learn that they can get away with anything. Secondly, Americans are prejudiced, and might get worse grades because of it. Finally, by not sending a clear message to Asians studying in the US that this behavior won’t be tolerated, employers may simply assume that all Asians are cheating and get an unfair break.

Larry, at 8:40 am EDT on May 24, 2007

I have education in India as well as in the USA. I must say that its a basic difference in the system and not necessarily the “culture". The act of “cheating” or “copying” in the exam is known to be a “wrong doing” in India as well, however its easier to get away with it. Corruption also contributes to this to an extent. Communicating clearly that such an act will be punishable in a different education system (like when they come to the USA) is a good way to emphasize this issue.

Jayesh, at 9:05 am EDT on May 24, 2007

dittos to Retired

At my college (and everywhere I ever taught), much is made of academic integrity and honour, and all are for truth and against cheating—until a cheater is caught. Then the tenor shifts to explain or defend the poor, now-regretful cheater, who got such fine SATs (surely reported to US News&World Reports statistics to boast about the quality of enrollees) yet this dishonest achiever insists: “No one taught me this was wrong.” This is terrible morality—I did wrong, therefore someone (else) is to blame. And yet—and yet—just as Retired said—the cheaters I have known do it in secret.

another teacher, at 9:05 am EDT on May 24, 2007

How About Expelling 3,000 Students?

Personally, I would not touch the Fuqua School cheating scandal with a ten-foot pole ... I don’t know that much about it. But I have taught Statistics and Management Science (from Basic Statistics to a highly technical Supply Chain Management course) for more than 20 years ... and in the process I have given more than a hundred out-of-class examinations and have assigned dozens of major data analysis projects. I have see my fair share of cheating ... for example, see the post by RWH at ...

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/05/10/cheating

In my experience ...

1. there is a disproportionate number of Asian students amongst students receiving the highest grades.

2. there is a disproportionate number of Asian students amongst the best in the class; i.e., the ones who (i) appear to be the most energetic learners, (ii) clearly believe there is real value in what they are learning, and (ii) are likely to go beyond course requirements because they think there will be a payoff for learning when they are in the workplace.

3. there is a disproportionate number of Asians amongst those who admitted to cheating in my classes ... and generally they tended to be humiliated by either having done it or perhaps by having been found out.

4. amongst the relatively small number of mediocre Asian students I have had in my classes, I frequently got the impression that a very large percentage hid behind the excuse of language differences to “explain” their failure to succeed.

I once made what I thought was a terrible decision to allow a young Chinese woman whose command of English was abysmal to enroll in an MBA course, Statistics and Data Analysis for Business. I did so because she needed the course, but, more important, she needed the credit hours to remain in the program ... and, therefore, to stay in the U.S. You know how it turned out ... by the end of only one semester I could communicate with her easily and she had the highest grade in the class.

I know, I know, it’s just one example. I also know that the so-called literature is replete with how culture differences affect the likelihood of cheating and I know there is considerable concern about plagiarism amongst foreign students ... not to mention amongst faculty and scholars at foreign universities. Every university with which I am familiar has an extensive “orientation” program for foreign students. Frankly, without blinking an eye, I could design a one-day program on cheating, and especially plagiarism, that, even if it did not reduce the incidence of cheating, would at least remove the question of cultural differences. And if I could do it, I’m certain every professional school in the land has someone who could do it as well.

Here’s a little tid-bit for you (from The Chronicle ... 11/21/02) ...

“Violent clashes erupted across Bangladesh on Saturday, when college professors and administrators tried to prevent students from cheating on a compulsory English examination. More than 3,000 students were expelled, and local press reports said that nearly 100 people were injured.

Students became angry when they were prevented from ‘using unfair means to pass,’ said Durgadas Bhattacherjee, the vice chancellor of National University, which administers the test for 1,155 colleges nationwide. The police had to be called in to quell attacks on teachers and testing centers in dozens of locations, he said.”

RWH, at 9:15 am EDT on May 24, 2007

cheating is not criminal

Dr. Wertheimer, Generally speaking, cheating on a university test is not criminal. There are no specific statutes on point, and the one or two attempts made by prosecutors to shoehorn cheating into “fraud” statutes, have gone nowhere. (There are, on the other hand, statutes, dealing with forged credentials.)

On the other hand, I think this is a good thing. If criminal standards were applied to cheating, universities would have to rely on prosecutors to police themselves.

Larry, at 10:50 am EDT on May 24, 2007

Student Culture and Professor Culture

Asian students may think of learning as a group-dependent process based on studying and writing a paper or take-home exam together. They think of learning as building social networks from which one can obtain information and help. We think of testing as an individual demonstrating what he/she has memorized or can personally formulate as an answer.

Students have varied concepts of cheating. Most do not read the formal descriptions of cheating as printed in the college catalogue. Even that most extreme form of cheating by purchasing an online term paper is euphemized by the term paper company as “research assistance.”

Most students do not share a professor’s conceptions of learning and of cheating. They don’t know why they have to take certain courses. They realize that much of the knowledge will never be used because they never needed to know it before in their off-campus lives. Cheating is just a practical method for obtaining the credential to get a job. Our main academic problem is for those occupations (medicine, engineering, accounting, etc.) for which course knowledge is essential, making the student an incompetent contributor to an indivualistic society. Asian students who return to their home cultures may have learned enough through memorization and reliance upon collaboration networks to function effectively where those collective practices are the norm.

Wary Watcher, at 10:50 am EDT on May 24, 2007

Cheating or Too-Close Paraphrasing?

It isn’t clear from this comment thread whether it is cheating or too-close paraphrasing that is the real issue.

If it is the latter, then the problem is common among speakers of English as a first language also.

I find that almost none of the students who enter my freshman composition class have been explicitly trained in paraphrasing techniques. As a result, many copy their sources word-for-word. Some report being told in high school that it was acceptable to do so in academic writing, as long as the source was cited.

For that reason, I have made it part of my job as a freshman composition instructor to teach students how to paraphrase, and I do this intensively.

Despite the language barriers, it should also be possible to give ESOL students training in techniques of acceptable paraphrase.

Charlotte Pressler, at 12:30 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

Six Feet Under

The person who posted the question about “Six Feet Under’s” portrayal of an Asian cheater missed the point of the plot. The primary cheater is a spoiled, white party girl who pays an Indian student to take her SAT. We learn that the Indian student has gotten several wealthy low-achievers into high-powered colleges. Eventually, she confesses, demoting Ms. All-American from Yale to the local community college.

The show doesn’t tell us whether to treat the test-taker as a cold-blooded entrepreneur or as a low-income teenager in a financial bind. It certainly traffics in stereotypes about Asians as test-taking machines. But it also reminds us not to identify “cultures of cheating” too closely with immigrants and foreigners. Fraternity collections of old exams, anyone?

obiediaspora, Ivy, at 12:30 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

Make It Stop!!!

The abject absurdity that we should even be having this conversation!

Political correctness is WAY out of control!!!

This cheating story is congruent with illegal Hispanics asserting that drinking & driving is a cultural right (in THEIR “beloved” country...that they couldn’t wait to escape legally, BTW), or Muslims who defend wife-beating before American judges, claiming that their god thinks domestic abuse (and suicide bombing) is just ducky...even “African-Americans” who posit that their participation in violent crime against convenient, helpless targets is necessary to “get a rep"...or others will “diss” them. Bunk!

I have no problem with our culture being tolerant of other cultures...as long as these cultures are tolerant of our’s!

And a “language barrier” as a defense? Ha! Beats me why any serious, responsible institute of higher learning in America would allow *any* student, foreign or otherwise, illiterate in English, to ENROLL in the first place. If I went to college in France, I would be EXPECTED to speak the language.

What next? Will it be OK for “illegos” (without a bothersome, valid driver’s license, much less insurance) to kill US citizens in traffic accidents, claiming that they can’t read traffic signs?

We ought to be teaching these folks at least *one* word in English: deportation!

BUT NO!! Unbeivably, there has been much discussion recently pondering whether “illegos” should be allowed to pay in-state tuition at the college of their choice. Not only are they not not legal state residents...they are illegal US residents.

Can’t we PLEASE vote these PC-obsessed folks in government out out office, along with “King George” and his ilk, in 2008?

Jon, at 12:35 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

Five Comments ...

1. In his last post, both Larry’s factual observation and his conclusion are “right on!”

2. With all due respect to Edward Acquah, PhD, one would have to be reading even less than George W. Bush or else be in serious denial to fail to recognize the statement, “Before you acuse foreign students of cheating because of their cultural influences, please look at your own backyard” is pure, unadulterated baloney. See, for the example, the URL in the post by RWH.

3. It is difficult for me to know if Wary Watcher’s remarks constitute a loose analysis of why individuals in some groups cheat or if he’s merely rationalizing why we should just look the other way. Whatever ... in either case, I detest soft responses to dishonesty and ethical poverty. Could s/he possibly be the Wishy-Washy Wary Watcher?

4. Dr, Wertheimer, I’m not sure how your retesting would work, but it is irrelevant to the Fuqua School case where it appears that few students actually denied that they cheated. Rereading the article, the “excuses” seemed to be (i) “students failed to fully understand the honor code and the judicial proceedings,” (ii) “many of whom come to American colleges with different conceptions of cheating,” (iii) “but very good, very committed students are caught up in plagiarism for cultural reasons,” (iv) “some of whom say they were never taught what was legitimate [about plagiarism] and what wasn’t,” and (v) “what’s common knowledge in Indiana can, after all, be substantially different than what’s common knowledge in India.” It makes me wonder how many different ways one can spell bullshit (where are Penn & Teller when we need them?

By the way, Dr. W, I am reminded that Jaime Escalante’s first group of Advanced Placement calculus students were required by the College Board to retake their test ... not because there was any hint of cheating, but because their scores were much too high for students with “unusual” surnames. Blaaaaaagh!

5. When I read statements like ...

“As the number of international students has increased in recent years — and the number of academic misconduct incidents involving international students has risen accordingly — educators have increasingly embraced the need to address academic integrity concerns proactively, recognizing in their actions the various cultural influences that can help cause one to cheat.”

I’m inclined to wonder, “Who are these idiots!?” As RWH suggested above, “... without blinking an eye, I could design a one-day program on cheating, and especially plagiarism, that, even if it did not reduce the incidence of cheating, would at least remove the question of cultural differences.” If anyone can point out some academics who didn’t know that two decades ago, I’ll be pleased to forward their names to David Horowitz forthwith. Talk about dangerous!

Frizbane Manley, at 12:35 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

Hey! ... Hey! ... It Is I!!!! ... I’m The Idiot

There follows my response to another InsideHigherEd article about why I am idiotic enough to give out-of-class tests. Pay attention Martin!

If I were teaching a course like Sociology 228, then it might make sense to “examine” students with an in-class test consisting of 30 multiple-guess questions, 10 fill in the blank questions, and one “write a brief paragraph” question. But as we all know, those silly tests do little more than satisfy the teachers responsibility (laziness?, unimaginativeness?) for sorting students and turning in grades at the end of the term.

In my case, I teach courses in mathematics, statistics, management science, and research methods, and my tests invariably have two parts; (1) a very short (20 minute) simple-minded in-class test like the one described above, just for the purpose of sorting and (2) a usually data-based, very challenging, out-of-class, open book/open notes test in which students must use course content to solve problems not unlike the ones they will encounter outside an academic environment.

The risk, of course, is that some students will cheat. And some do. But any college or university that is inclined to create a learning culture in which students have an appreciation for honesty and personal integrity can come very close to doing so. My students know – because of my reputation – that (1) I give fair, but challenging tests, (2) I am fairly adept at identifying cheaters,(3) I will not handle incidents of cheating myself, (4) I will not let my department chair or dean handle my incidents of cheating, but (5) they will, along with the evidence, go straight to the Honor Court.

It is noteworthy, I think, that I do not go to great pains to identify cheaters. It is almost humorous how identical incorrect answers or Excel spread-sheets with identical layouts simply “jump off the page,” shouting “Cheater! Cheater!”

At the last school at which I taught, the dean of the School of Business could not even bring himself to use the C-word in reference to cheaters and, instead, employed all kinds of absurd euphemisms when discussing them.

Frizbane Manley, at 12:50 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

We Have Met the Enemy and They Are Us

This discussion on cheating at Duke appears to reveal more about us than the students. Cheating is an age old issue which has likely been accomplished in one way or another by the very people complaining about it as well as the outright attempts by students. We, academia, have found ways to let everyone know cheating is almost okay. We did not drum out our own such as Stephen Ambrose, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Joseph Ellis. We did not challenge or report colleagues who “borrowed” from others, grad students or their lab assistants. We spout other’s ideas in classes without attribution. We take shortcuts in experiements, fabricate results, manipulate grant reports... When these are exposed, it is like saying to students, “go ahead. You’re only a cheater if you’re caught.”

If any of you do not have attendance requirements in class, allow students to leave during class, answer cell phones, come and go, sleep, show up late, act out, talk, etc, the message you send is that you don’t care if they learn. You are saying I have nothing to really offer in class if you can pass the tests without attending my lectures. We are telling them it is okay to cheat on learning. You are telling them it is finally all about just passing the test. So why be surprised when they learn how to pass tests more than on the subject matter. It is only a surprise when they get caught.

Neal Raisman, President at AcademicMAPS, at 1:00 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

Your Kettle Is Blacker Than My Pot!

I don’t want to get too far off subject here, but I do want to say a word in support of the post by Neal Raisman.

Not that most accrediting “businesses” are to be taken seriously, but I am intimately “associated” with a very small, very mediocre business school the was Hell-bent on getting AACSB accreditation. As it is, AACSB is essentially a paper chase and having contacts in the right places is very helpful. Two of the most noticeable deficiencies of this school insofar as AACSB standards are concerned were (1) having a large percentage of faculty who were teaching “out of area” and (2) having a large percentage of faculty without research credentials.

In short order more jointly authored research papers (three and four authors) in fourth tier professional journals began to appear on faculty résumés than you could possibly imagine. Several that were quite humorous (to some of us) were co-authored by a full professor almost ready for retirement who, in his entire career, had only one (unrefereed) paper about how to teach an undergraduate course in his specialty. Several others were co-authored by the Dean himself, who had previously published exactly one refereed paper in his career (in 1972).

Needless to say, the AACSB stamp-of-approval was a foregone conclusion and has already been announced. But Mr. Raisman is correct ... it is more than a little disingenuous to have a pot that is pretty damned black criticizing a cast-iron kettle for being of the same color.

RWH, at 2:05 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

And whites don’t cheat?

I know that the topic under discussion is the cheating practices of Asian/international students. But it seems to me that the person on a college campus most likely to cheat is your good old red-blooded American frat boy. At the flagship school in the South where I taught, many people rushed frats to gain access not just to the booze and the hot girls but generations worth of old tests and study prep materials. A lot of heat is being generated on this topic, but a lot of it seems to be of the pot-calling-the-kettle variety. Can we admit that everybody feels the temptation to cheat—and succumbing to the temptation doesn’t tell you anything about an ethnicity’s/culture’s “essence” as a people. It tells you about that individual’s character and that individual’s education. That’s all.

Ken, at 2:50 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

Who’s in charge?

Having tutored Asian students, I am stunned how much they struggle with spoken English. Like Teddy Kennedy or GWB behind the wheel of a car.

The unanswered questions: why is that? Why weren’t they better-prepared? What is the responsibility of the college?

Then add a complex topic such as student ethics codes in the American South in an intense, time-compressed exam period — and problems easily result.

Yes, students can abuse rules, including “playing stupid.” And my guess is, that is the last take-home exam at Fuqua/Duke for a very long time.

To be clear: ethics are taken seriously in most of the top-rank MBA programs, obviously. Students who are caught cheating face serious consequences.

http://www.businessweek.com/bscho...2006/bs20060713_4922.htm?chan=search

Why? Well, consider the evening MBA student reprimanded on the job (not in class) for abusing banking client privilege. That student: Andrew Fastow, convicted ex-CFO of ENRON.

Homer, at 3:45 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

Asian students

This opinion piece http://news.newamericamedia.org/n..._id=26d44e25cc1fb2e48054a176cc503a2c

was posted on www.newamericamedia.org and immediately came to mind when I read this article about cheating. A Korean friend of mine was accused of plagiarism for not properly paraphrasing and attributing. This was after I sat with him, editing his short paper and said, “Are these your words or someone else’s?” He simply did not understand. His command of English was not enough to get him through without help. Our professor assigned native English speakers in the class in a “mentor” capacity to get the Koreans, Chinese and Taiwanese through the semester. As a result, now, all Asian students applying to our program have to pass an oral interview.

There is a great deal of pressure placed on these students—the “model minority,” and what is the cost?

Peaches, Journalism Graduate Student, at 5:00 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

Wither TOEFL?

” .. His command of English was not enough .. without help. Our professor assigned native English speakers .. in a “mentor” capacity .. now, all Asian students applying .. have to pass an oral interview ..”

How effective TOEFL is, for Asian students, has been debated before. More review is in order, IMHO.

Also, oral interview — by phone or face-to-face? If by phone — taped or not?

BTW: my tutoring was voluntary, ad-hoc. No Asian students were (1) left behind or (2) accused of cheating.

Plus, they out-worked the U.S. students at least 3-to-1. IMHO, they did better in the U.S. than U.S. students could ever do in Asia.

Homer, at 5:25 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

I have seen the same issues as RGB within my business school (which is also mediocre and trying to get AACSB accreditation). Everyone is trying to “co-author” papers in very low quality peer reviewed journals.

Our business school practices unethical behavior some of which is very open. Here is one example: Chairman writes a resignation letter for a non-tenure track faculty and forges the signature. He is caught but ‘pardoned’ after apologizing. The chairman is a while male and gets away with a very serious offense and the faculty whose signature is forged is an ethnic minority female (a foreigner if you want to call her so) trying to keep her job and is voiceless.

In my teaching experience, I have ‘caught’ both foreign students and American students cheating. I guess I could do a statistical test to see if cheating by the former group is significantly higher than in the latter group, and get it published for getting AQ for AACSB accreditation purposes.

Disillusioned in academia

ggggvvvv, at 8:35 pm EDT on May 24, 2007

Few comments

First of all, I am immigrant from Asian, and I studied in US and taught at US. Here’s what I would say.

When I just got here, I do admire the general honor code of American — not everyone but the majority. As everyone understand, not all Asian are cheaters and not all White are honesty.

There are definitely culture differences but I do believe there is no excuses if the expectation have been communicated effectively. I was not been taught about paraphrasing or to quote the source until just before I came to US and went through a culture camp which not everyone from my country is required to attend. As to the language barrier, I do have students that real have trouble understand English and I will say communicate with them is definitely necessary if you even allow them to your class. But as to normal foreign students, as long as they understand the requirements they should be held responsible. By the way, after spending half my lifetime here, I still not certain if I can serve effective jury duty which I, so far, is not willing to take part.

In my native country, expectation are high and students are under pressure to not to fail. I don’t mean this to be an excuse, but I do think this environment may have certain effects on the behaviors — As higher ed become an important economic factor in the US, these behaviors can happen. As you can see, there will be kids that do not need to cheat to success (they either work hard or are gifted (which I never valued much), and will hate those who cheat. On the other hand, when pressure are high, you will see people resort to other means to pass. The environment adopt to this by more carefully monitoring the evaluation process. So the testing environment is well monitored and in class test is the dominate way of evaluating students.

After saying these, the linking of high performance of Asian to cheating is miss leading especially if we are talking about monitored tests. You are not likely to cheat on that unless there is a security breach of the exam administrator or if you count the study of historical exam material as cheating too. To me, there is no crime to study these material if they aren’t anything illegal. To be realistic, you can’t given the same questions over and over again unless you think memorizing those facts are of evaluation value. Just think about what will happen if driver license test never change the order of the question — it just asking for trouble. And you sure kids of any race is not tempting?

Asian, at 10:05 am EDT on May 25, 2007

A Reply

I am concerned by the focus of this discussion—namely that on Asians cheating. First, I would like the discuss the problems inherent in the homogeneity of Asians which many people have assumed in their discussions. Then, I will discuss the fact that the discussions pertaining to the polemical issue overlook the vast majority of cheating which occurs within the American school system. And being a student at the University of Virginia known unfortunately for its Honor system, I will offer my perspectives on cheating and foreign student involvement within the framework of my school.

Many people in their discussions mentioned how “Asians cheat” more often than others. What bothers me here is that when non-marked people (e.g.; white persons) cheat, it is never ascribed to a monolithic entity in that no one says “Whites cheat.” One might retort that the occurrence of foreign Asian students cheating is higher than with any other groups. But if we are all to adopt this sort of view, we tend to consciously direct our attention to Asian peoples—that is, we profile them—so that cheating incidents are detected more often. In doing so, we neglect other types of cheating which occurs frequently.

One of the greatest motivations for cheating is to get high grades. Undoubtedly all students want to get good grades, and, within every group—not just Asian groups—there are those students who wish to choose the easy path of cheating. And while this next point might be obvious, it is clear that foreign Asian students comprise a very small portion of student bodies thereby making impossible the fact that they perpetrate the majority of cheating.

However, even at my school, it seems that the possibility of other students cheating is of little or no consequence. Asians cheat, and that is a cultural reality. Our Honor system here take advantage of the convenience conferred by typification and students regularly spotlight students of foreign origin under the assumption that they are most likely to cheat. And in my experience, I have witnessed many white students cheat, often blatantly. What I am not suggesting here is that Asians do not cheat and that white students cheat instead. Rather, I am suggesting that there is no reliable measure of who cheats and who does not cheat. For this reason, I find that the argument that Asian cultures find cheating to be more tolerable seems too convenient for explaining such a phenomenon. Nevertheless, I will not pursue herein alternative explanations for such phenomenon. I can only say that the underlying motivations for cheating much be the only reducibly common factor which everyone might share—that is, the motivation to do well.

Of late, it is of conservative fashion to prey on what might be seen as blemishes on a particular group of non-white, unmarked and unstigmatized people. This is precisely what generates the impetus of anti-immigration sentiments which has become increasingly prevalent in contemporary America. And it is hard to imagine that some of the vitriolic chorus we hear does not come from non-white cheaters themselves. As we all know, it is easy to escape blame by way of scapegoat.

CL, 3rd year at University of Virginia, at 10:15 am EDT on May 26, 2007

At Least A Little Bit About Honor Codes

Please know that I am in no way associated with Duke University or The Fuqua School of Business.

One of the issues that is surely of great importance in this tragedy is the Honor Code of The Fuqua School of Business. I’m not going to waste my time checking on similarities between The Fuqua School’s Honor Code and the Honor Code of Duke University, but you may be interested to know that near the end of her tenure as President of Duke University, Nannerl O. Keohane (1993 – 2004), wrote ...

“The current code dates from 1993. It was passed by only a very narrow majority of students voting and has yet really to take root on campus. Compared with the tough traditional codes on such campuses as West Point or the University of Virginia, it is modest in its expectations. It is true that all students sign it, it is routinely posted and printed, and it does bind students to demonstrate integrity in the pursuit of their intellectual endeavors and to encourage their peers to do the same. However, for many students and faculty members, the honor code is peripheral, elective, and unclear. Along with quite a few other student, faculty, and administrative leaders, I believe this needs to change.”

http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/alumni/dm28/gargoyle.html

In this Inside Higher Ed discussion, the author, Elizabeth Redden, Larry, Homer, Asian, Frizbane Manley, and CL have mentioned honor codes, none positively.

One of the things that struck me as interesting about the Associated Press report of this situation ...

(see http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_7363.shtml)

is the fact that “a faculty investigator pressured [the Asian students] to admit wrongdoing, so the students wrote confession letters, sometimes without understanding the specific accusations.”

I thought, “How weird, a faculty member assuming such a proactive role in an investigation of cheating. [I must admit that it is my prejudice that honor codes are about students and should be completely administered by students. No faculty interference please.] So I checked ...

(see http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/admin/stuserv/student_affairs/hnrcode.html)

and, sure enough, faculty are a big part of the Fuqua School’s honor code. In addition to being greatly saddened by that, I wondered if a faculty member actually had the right, under the conditions of the Code to “intimidate” students into signing admissions of guilt. The Code is not explicit about that, and I will intrude into this situation no further. I will say, however, that any honor code that is not completely defined and administered by students – i.e., one that is completely absent of faculty and administration participation, save (1) reporting the incident. (2) providing relevant evidence, and (3) serving as a witness if called — disgusts me. Honor, indeed ... there is nothing honorable about the Fuqua Code. Their’s is a procedure for police action ... and faculty play the role of police.

I am confidant that (1) the Asian students in Duke’s Fuqua School made decisions and acted in ways that are reprehensible and (2) in light of being found out, they have been humiliated by what they did. I wish a truly first-class university – Michigan’s Ross School of Business comes to mind – would invite every one of the nine to apply for admission there for the fall term of 2007.

Check out Manley’s post where he says, “my students know – because of my reputation – that (1) I give fair, but challenging tests, (2) I am fairly adept at identifying cheaters,(3) I will not handle incidents of cheating myself, (4) I will not let my department chair or dean handle my incidents of cheating, but (5) they will, along with the evidence, go straight to the Honor Court.”

But of course ... student honor councils are far more stringent in their responses to cheating than faculty, department chairs, and especially deans ever would be. But that’s the whole point of an HONOR code. Duke was fortunate to have Nan Keohane as its president.

RWH, at 9:10 pm EDT on May 26, 2007

Another kind of culture

Folks,

I agree that ethnic, national, and religious cultural differences play key roles in the behaviors of foreign students. I also agree that American institutions need to educate students upon arrival, or preceding their arrival to the US, on our policies of plagiarism, and hold the students accountable. Will this actually happen? I hope that the current situation at Duke University makes these students accountable and sets an overt tone that plagiarism will not be tolerated.

American higher education is now a Market Culture that advertises to attract foreign students. American colleges compete against each other to increase their numbers of students, and to aid engagement in the international market. They especially target and reward those who test well and have the money pay tuition.

American institutions of higher education must be aware that many students they recruit from other countries do not have the language (and possibly other skills) necessary to successfully complete their program of interest. Will these institutions accept accountability for admitting students who are unprepared for our system of higher ed? I am hopeful.

However, American institutions perpetuate cheating by allowing students to pass even when a professor has evidence and brings charges against those who cheat. Our institutions allow students to pass programs fearing the loss of the income from these student populations to their market competitors. It is sadly unfortunate that professors who try to make students accountable are at a loss when the institution’s argument is to keep the student on board at any cost.

In sum, higher education has become highly competitive with all the voracity of big business. It not only caters to those with $$ regardless of academic ability, it also rewards those who excel (cheaters or not), and leaves behind those who are honest and/or without the funds to get an advanced education. I am truly afraid that the current market climate in our education system is overlooking some great talents—regardless of ethnic make up—because these students are not deceptive cheaters or that they do not have the money or support to fund their education.

Student, at 12:50 pm EDT on May 27, 2007

One more teacher’s perspective

I work at an American university teaching Introductory Composition, specifically to international students.

In my classes, we discuss what plagiarism is on the first day of class. We discuss how this is different in American culture from many other cultures (not just Asian cultures). We discuss what things need to be included if a student chooses to use information from an outside source (a book, the internet, a friend, etc.).

Even after doing all of this, I have about two cases of plagiarism each semester for every twenty students I have.

I have heard the following from my students:

1) “All of my American friends do this, so I thought it was okay.”

2) “I didn’t know this was cheating because it’s not cheating in my country.”

3) Denial. “I wrote this, I didn’t use the internet.”

I respond to 1) and 2) by informing my students that they were not paying attention in class if they had these ideas, and therefore, are still responsible for their actions. I respond to 3) by bringing out my proof that those exact sentences have, in fact, already been written by someone else. This is then usually followed by excuse 1) or 2).

Having said all of this, there are a few things that I think are interesting about this discussion.

First of all, there is some truth to the claim that students do not understand what cheating is in America. Many students are able to get into American universities based on their writing/grammar ability, but they still don’t really understand spoken English. Because of this, many students don’t understand the requirements of their assignments. Sadly, many do not ask questions when they don’t understand.

Second, a large portion of my students are from Asian countries (mostly Korea, China, and Japan). However, I have NEVER caught an Asian student cheating. I think it is a little sad that some of the posts on here seem to indicate that Asians students must cheat more often then others since they tend to have higher grades than others.

Finally, even though there are cultural differences to consider, I agree that students who get caught cheating/plagiarizing should receive equal punishment, no matter what country they are from. For many international students suffering the consequences is the only way that they are able to learn this cultural difference.

one more teacher, at 7:50 pm EDT on May 29, 2007

Hmmm, Let’s See ... Could That Be (a)? ... Maybe ©

Mr. Hicks, I think Manley (Hey! ... Hey! ... It Is I!!!! ... I’m The Idiot) and McConoughey (see above) have already answered your question. Unless I’m mistaken, it’s the same honor code that’s enforced with an in-class test.

RWH, at 2:50 pm EDT on May 31, 2007