Student Cheating in Academics

Student cheating in academics is a severe problem that is facing higher education institutions today. The use of internet resources has improved not only learning and teaching but also academic cheating, plagiarism and other irregularities in varying professional courses. According to a study at West Coast University, there are varying levels of fraud and plagiarism and which the students justify in various ways (Granitz and Loewy, 2006). The study established ethical theories that sought cheating in academics, justifications and preventive dimensions that are necessary. Students admit “copy-pasting” from online resources which accounts for the prevalent plagiarism. From the articles provided, business students have also been questioned over their ethical behaviors in academics. Students beliefs have also been used to justify the low moral standards in the learning environment (Lawson, 2004). Students seem to take the wrong choices as opposed to businesspeople and other related professionals.

Primetime on ABC television in 6-month research found out that cheating and plagiarism had not only become more prevalent, but also more sophisticated. The students revealed in the study’s interviews that they were under pressure to perform better and achieve higher grades, and the majority seemingly mitigated academic cheating as an effective strategy for the accomplishment. The students further stated the conventional methods that they applied to cheat in studies. A business professor agreed that business scholars were notorious cheaters as compared to other fields (Klein et al., 2007). The study acknowledges serious implications that could befall the future employers of the students who engaged in widespread cheating. Cheating in schools and academics is directly related to workplace cheating and irregularities in ethical adherence.

Research published in 2006 indicated that MBA students in USA and Canada engaged in cheating more than any other students in graduate studies (McCabe, 2009). The most significant reason is established as having the task done, to flourish at any expenses and damn-the-torpedoes mentality in the academic arena. The MBA students want to achieve the highest possible grades at all costs, as the best GPA students always get better jobs in finance, pharmaceuticals and high-tech professions, which pay well. Cheating for MBA students seems to be justified by the high demand for successful graduates in the corporate world (McCabe, 2009). Therefore, the analysis of various research studies on academic cheating seems to justify the vice as a means to the end by the students.

The policy of academic integrity is demonstrated through morality to the education environment in all settings, contexts, modality, and location. Dishonesty in academics affects the ACU community and the learning environment at large adversely. It entails cheating, collusion, plagiarism, enhancing dishonesty in academics, sabotage, and let-down contributing to group projects among other forms. Dishonesty in academics creates a suspicious environment in the ACU community.

The ACU community aims at eradicating academic dishonesty and cheating among students through the application of various processes. It carries out investigations on cases of academic integrity violations by reporting to the faculty that follows up on the matter. Both the staff and students are investigated in the event of academic irregularity and cheating.

The consequences that may occur irregularity suspects after investigations are numerous. The grade may be lowered on the assignment at hand including a fail based on the assignment policy. The suspected student may have to retake the exam or an alternative assignment if the verdict allows the student to continue with classwork, resubmit it or partake an alternative task. The grading may be subject to change from the regular schedule or even averaged with the original work grade which is already penalized. The student has to comply with the process, failure to which it is considered a second irregularity. The second violation results in an F grade in the classwork and the student is referred to the Dean of Faculty with immediate effect.

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