Degree Revoked by University Due to Research Misconduct

A University of Colorado researcher lost his Ph.D. and his ability to receive federal funding for a three-year period due to misconduct in the lab ("Disgraced CU Scientist Debarred after Falsifying Data," Daily Camera, December 26, 2018). Lab personnel noted in interviews that the research "felt immense pressure from his mentor to produce quality results that could generate future funding for the lab." Based on governmental review of the case, Rajendra Kadam was found to have "engaged in research misconduct by knowingly and intentionally falsifying and/or fabricating data by manipulating peak area data to reduce variability and/or alter statistical significance for twenty-six figures and five tables in his Ph.D. thesis and in nine published papers."

Discussion Questions:

1. Would you risk having your college degree rescinded to alter research data in an experiment if your supervisor encouraged you to "produce quality results?" Why or why not?
2. Can this researcher salvage his reputation after losing his degree due to scientific misconduct? Why or why not?
3. If you were asked to engage in unethical behavior on the job, what would you do?

Student Loses College Degree 15 Years after Graduation Due to Plagiarism

After a master's thesis was corrected for plagiarism and a degree awarded, it was examined by a plagiarism checker years later and more plagiarism was identified leading to a professor losing his degree ("Judge Upholds University's Right to Rescind Master's Degree over Plagiarism," Calgary Herald, September 19, 2018). John Measor tried unsuccessfully to get the University of Calgary to let him keep the degree based on the fact that it had already been given to him, so he took his case to court. However, the judge sided with the university because the "power to award degrees necessarily implies the power of rescission." Justice Richard Neufeld in his decision also noted that "institutional integrity" requires a school to uphold the value of its degrees by taking back one that incorporated academic dishonesty.

Discussion Questions:

1. Does this case change your opinion about the importance of academic integrity when you create coursework for your classes? Why or why not?
2. Do you think the university was justified in taking back the degree years after it was given due to plagiarism by the former student? Why or why not?
3. The news story mentions that John Measor also changed his story about the plagiarized thesis during the various hearings. Would you rule in his favor and let him keep the degree if he wasn't clear about what really happened? Why or why not?

UT Student Punished for Seeking Copies of Old Math Exams on Facebook

A University of Texas student who went online to request copies of old math tests by a professor received a penalty ("UT Student on Academic Probation after Posting in Facebook Group." The Daily Texan, January 29, 2018). While the university administrators said that they do not monitor online student activity, they will act if they are alerted about a suspected student conduct infraction.

Discussion Questions:

1. While we do not know if the student actually received any of the requested exams and the answers to the questions, do you think it's fair that the student is put on academic probation for the act of asking for the exams? Why or why not?
2. What should happen if a student supplied old exams by a professor upon request? Should that supplier get the same punishment as the requester?
3. Do you think studying the old exams gives a student an unfair advantage in future testing? Why or why not?

Is an Academic Dishonesty Hotline a Good Idea?

Students at Purdue University can now anonymously call in academic misconduct starting this semester ("Purdue Initiates Academic Dishonesty Hotline," Purdue Exponent, August 30, 2016). According to the Associate Dean of Students, this new method for reporting is important to preserve the honor of the university and its degrees. The hotline idea emanated from the University Senate, in part, to "prevent cases rather than punish individuals" as the chairperson of that group mentioned.

Discussion Questions:

1. If you witnessed academic dishonesty, would you be more likely to report it if there was a hotline that allows anonymity? Why or why not?
2. Do you think your degree from a college or university would be viewed unfavorably if an academic dishonesty scandal occurred while you were a student, even if you weren't involved? Why or why not?
3. Do you think it's the responsibility of all students and faculty to report academic dishonesty? Why or why not?
4. Do you think an anonymous hotline can cause more problems than advantages? Why or why not?
5. Do you think the hotline will "prevent cases rather than punish individuals" as the University Senate chairperson said? Why or why not?

Should Each Professor Decide Academic Dishonesty Consequences?

A faculty committee calls for standards in academic integrity penalties ("UNR Faculty Push for Consistent Cheating Penalties," Reno Gazette-Journal, April 27, 2016). The article mentioned that a recommendation from a campus group was to have faculty report cheating issues to "an online portal" and educate professors and students on academic integrity policies. The chair of the campus group mentioned that she believes some professors do not report cheating because it is seen as a problematic process and instead impose their own punishments that can be lenient while others are harsh.

Discussion Questions:

1. The article mentions the importance of "catching students" when they first begin college classes to cut down on cheating. Do you think the article suggests that the college is mainly interested in punishing students to stop them from committing further academic dishonesty? Why or why not?
2. Do you think professors should have the right to decide penalties for cheating in their classes? Or should professors be able to choose academic dishonesty penalties only from a range of options approved by a college or university? Why or why not?
3. Do you believe that students need to be more informed on what actions are academically dishonest so they know how to avoid cheating and plagiarism? Why or why not?

Harvard Softens Penalty on Cheaters If They Confess

If you feel remorse after committing an unethical act in a Harvard computer science course and report it within 72 hours, your professor may give you a lighter penalty ("CS50 Introduces New Integrity Policy, Bypassing Ad Board," The Harvard Crimson, September 26, 2014). This new punishment plan in David J. Malan's class has been dubbed the "regret clause." It is listed in his syllabus under the Academic Integrity heading at http://goo.gl/L63ayP. This option, based on a student's remorse, is outside the usual academic integrity offense case procedure that requires consultation with the university's Administrative Board and the department chair before allowing your professor to give you an "unsatisfactory or failing grade" on the assignment.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think it's a good idea to give students the option to confess that they committed an academically dishonest act in return for a lesser punishment? Why or why not?
2. Do you think that students should be given the option to correct a plagiarized paper in return for a lower grade instead of getting a failing grade? Why or why not?
3. Do you think students who use this "regret clause" will learn from their mistake and not commit academically dishonest acts again? Why or why not?

Academic Scandal with Years of Grade Changes & No-Show Classes

Hit with an indictment for academic fraud, a former University of North Carolina (UNC) professor is under fire for leading a department with a history of forged faculty signatures, unwarranted grade changes, and overly lenient class structure ("A’s for Athletes, but Charges of Fraud at North Carolina," The New York Times, December 31, 2013).

Although Dr. Julius Nyang’oro left his position in 2012, he is accused of accepting $12,000 for a course he never taught. That course, AFAM 280 in the department of African and Afro-American studies, was filled with North Carolina football team members. A former governor of North Carolina led an investigation into the department, discovering "problems with dozens of courses" going back as far as 1997 including what appears to be over 500 "unauthorized grade changes."

Discussion Questions:

1. Although these irregularities only involved one department at UNC, how do you think the reputation of the entire school will be affected?
2. Would you accept a grade for a class that never actually met? Why or why not?
3. Why would a once-respected educator at a noted university allow his department to become so corrupted?
4. Why did this apparent lack of academic integrity persist for so many years?

Study of European Universities Shows Wide Range of Academic Integrity Policies

The state of academic integrity policies at European universities is quite varied, with the UK providing the most comprehensive programs, according to a new study. ("UK Leads Europe in the Fight against Plagiarism," Times Higher Education, 10 October 2013). The Impact of Policies for Plagiarism in Higher Education across Europe research project based at Coventry University (UK) received 5,000 completed surveys from students, faculty, and administrators to measure "use of plagiarism software, consistency of sanctions, transparency, training, efficacy of prevention policies and efforts."

Surprisingly, Germany and Finland, with highly-regarded educational systems, scored low in their ability to handle academic integrity issues. Some individuals surveyed in France thought that academic integrity was not an important topic for undergraduates. Students in Spain noted that plagiarism detection software was seldom used and policies for academic integrity infractions were not prevalent. Complete results from the study will be published in November.

Discussion Questions:

1. As a result of this study, do you think if you had a degree from a German university, it would not be considered valuable, because there would be some skepticism that you didn't follow academic integrity principles?
2. This study acknowledged some lack of completed studies from low-performing countries, so should these results be published if they project doesn't have enough data to draw valid conclusions?

Scientist Faked Data in Multiple Experiments

At least six instances of research misconduct were found in studies by a former Harvard psychology professor according to an internal university audit of his work and an investigation by the federal Office of Research Integrity (Boston Globe, September 5, 2012, "Former Harvard Professor Marc Hauser Fabricated, Manipulated Data, US Says"). Marc Hauser resigned his Harvard position last summer after a leave of absence and a faculty vote that would have prevented him from teaching. The main problems with his research stem from inaccurate data collection and reporting. He is now subject to greater limitations and scrutiny on any federal research he conducts for the next three years.

Discussion Questions:

1. When a researcher's work is found to be faulty in a number of cases, is it fair to suspect that all the studies he/she conducted may not be valid? Why or why not?
2. What happens to the reputation of all the students and researchers that worked with Hauser? Is their role in the problematic studies called into question as well? Or does Hauser's statement of responsibility for the errors absolve all the other researchers of suspected misconduct?

European Leader Accused of Plagiarism

While two Romanian academic panels agree that Prime Minister Victor Porta clearly plagiarized parts of his doctoral paper, the government-appointed National Ethics Council (NEC) says he simply didn't include footnotes and relied solely on a bibliography to cite sources ("Conflicting Verdicts on Romanian Prime Minister's Plagiarism," Nature, July 20, 2012). Porta is charging that the investigation is politically motivated, while his critics note that the entire committee of the NEC was replaced with new members in June by a Porta cabinet official after another government leader was accused of plagiarism.

Discussion Questions:

1. Should Prime Minister Porta resign if he is found to have plagiarized his doctoral paper by two of three investigative bodies? 
2. If he was found to have inadvertently omitted footnotes, should he be allowed to correct the paper and resubmit it while being able to keep his job?
3. Should a Prime Minister be held to a higher standard for academic integrity than any other doctoral candidate? Specially, if he was found to have been careless in citing sources, should he lose his PhD and his job?

Bachelor's Degree to Get Higher Pay Deemed Fraudulent

In hopes of getting a promotion and raise, a sheriff's officer in Volusia County, Florida directed other staff members to help him complete projects ("Volusia Sheriff's Lieutenant Demoted over College Course Cheating," The Daytona-Beach News-Journal, February 24, 2012). Brodie Hughes faced nine other work-related job-performance infractions in the past, but his most recent lapse in ethical judgment caused a demotion to deputy and a pay cut. Three sheriff's office employees submitted homework and papers in his name while on duty. Those staff members will avoid punishment since they were following orders of their supervisor.

Discussion Questions:

1. The demoted employee is still on the job according to the news article. How do you think you might feel about him continuing to work for the sheriff's office if you were one of the staff members that did his work? What if you were a deputy working with him? Would you be able to trust him to do his job, given his most recent job-related infraction?
2. This situation came to light when someone sent an anonymous letter to the sheriff's office outlining the unethical behavior of the former officer. Would you have the courage to speak up about this problem if you worked for the sheriff's office and knew what was happening? Would you worry that you might lose your job or face backlash from the officer if someone discovered you wrote the  anonymous note? Why or why not?
3. Take a look at the Volusia County Sheriff's Office Mission Statement at http://volusia.org/sheriff/mission.htm. There is a sentence that states, "The foundation of this organization is defined by its employee's honesty, moral standards, compassion, sincerity, and caring attitude." Is this organization going against it's stated mission by allowing this deputy to continue working for the office? Why or why not?

Caught Cheating? Take an Academic Integrity Class

Students at the University of Arizona can now take an academic integrity eight-hour workshop if they are at risk of failing a class due to cheating or plagiarism (UA Plagiarism Workshop Gives Offenders Second Chance, Arizona Daily Star, October 10, 2010). One hundred students will attend sessions this semester to provide practice on paraphrasing and summarizing and discuss the importance of academic integrity. Since 1999, reported cases of plagiarism at the university have risen 700 percent.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think you could benefit from a class that explains how to prevent plagiarism and cheating? Why or why not?
2. Do you think most students who cheat or plagiarize will return to doing so after taking this class? Why or why not?
3. Do you think most students don't know how to summarize or paraphrase information correctly because no one taught them?
4. Do your college professors provide instruction on how to cite sources correctly? Or do professors think that students should know how to prevent plagiarism by the time they enter college?
   

University Repays $600K Grant Due to Plagiarism

Central Michigan University must return National Science Foundation (NSF) grant funds after research showed that "two math faculty allegedly copied and pasted uncited information" in an NSF-sponsored report ("University Officials Expect to Find Source of Money to Return NSF Grant within Two Weeks" - Central Michigan Life, November 4, 2009). University officials voted to repay $619,489 to the NSF, but at least one faculty member questioned the effects of the university losing this amount of money. Two of the seven math professors who worked on the grant secured employment at other universities. Central Michigan officials would not divulge if any punitive action was taken against math grant faculty that remain on staff.

Discussion Questions:

1. Should faculty be punished for plagiarism, especially when external funding must be repaid as a result of academic dishonesty? Why or why not?
   
2. Should the math grant faculty be required to contribute toward repayment of the grant? Why or why not?
3. Do you think universities put too much pressure on faculty to secure grants instead of teaching students? (See Redefining Research from Michigan State University State News for a snapshot of the urgency to qualify for research funding.) Does this push for external funding cause faculty members to commit plagiarism because they are pressed for time to complete grant reports?
   

Fake Electronic Files that Cannot Be Opened by Professors

Is it acceptable to buy extra time to turn in an assignment by submitting a bogus electronic document that cannot be opened by a professor ("The New Student Excuse?," Inside Higher Ed, June 5, 2009)? Corrupted-Files.com offers such a service for $4.95 (until August 31, 2009) to students who cannot or do not care to finish coursework on time. The web site provides Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint "files" of different lengths depending on the assignment requirements. Based on an email response from an address listed at the web site, the creator of this service responded to Inside Higher Ed that Corrupted-Files.com should not be considered cheating or plagiarism because the student eventually must submit a genuine assignment.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is it better to give an honest explanation to a professor if you cannot turn in an assignment on time than use Corrupted-Files.com? Why or why not?
   
2. One of the examples of academic dishonesty in the Lone Star College System brochure on Academic Integrity & Student Success (PDF) is listed below:
   
   "Using counterfeit documents or false information to delay testing or manipulate course work to an advantage over other students."
   
   Do you think this example above would agree that sending corrupted files to a professor is academically dishonest? Why or why not?
   
3. Is using a file from Corrupted-Files.com worse, better, or about the same as buying a paper from an online site that can be opened and graded by a professor? Why or why not?
   

Professor Shuns Plagiarism Police Role

In her new book, My Word! Plagiarism and College Culture, University of Notre Dame anthropologist Susan D. Blum promotes a proactive academic integrity appeal to students that encourages recognizing originality and distinguishing between levels of plagiarism (It’s Culture, Not Morality, Inside Higher Ed, February 3, 2009). With a greater emphasis on collaboration and a "entirely different concept of ownership," today's students need more education on what is acceptable when using the work of others in assignments rather than a heavy emphasis on the penalties for plagiarism. Also, constructing assignments to minimize the opportunity for plagiarism is an important academic integrity tool for professors.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do most professors assume that students know what academic integrity means by the time they reach college?
2. How much do professors explain acceptable practices when students work on assignments?
3. Do you think most professors agree that it's a good idea for students to work together on projects?
4. Is all plagiarism equally bad? Or is forgetting to cite a source worse than copying a paragraph from a book and not putting quotes around it?
   

Uploading Class Notes for Payment?

The University of Wisconsin-Madison student paper, The Daily Cardinal reports in its September 22, 2008 issue on a free new service, Knetwit.com that accepts uploads of student and faculty class notes from around the world ("New Website to Pay Students for Note-Taking"). Uploading students and faculty receive payment in "Koins" when their notes are downloaded by others. Koins can be turned into cash or used in the online store.

Employees of Knetwit.com say that the site "supplements" a student's class attendance and doesn't encourage absenteeism. Noah Simon of Knetwit.com adds that the site helps to "create another learning environment where students can network."

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you know if someone else's notes reflect what a professor really said or demonstrated?
2. Isn't it easier to go to class and take your own notes? Or bring a digital recorder to get everything a professor says (with their permission, of course)?
3. Is it ethical and/or legal to post notes based on content developed by someone else (your professor)?
4. Are notes so personalized that someone else cannot benefit from reading another student's writing? Do most students use so many abbreviations and symbols that the notes are useless to another student?
5. Isn't it more efficient to ask the professor directly for clarification of a topic if you don't understand?

Website Encourages Donation of Old Exams

On June 10, Inside Higher Ed reported that representatives of PostYourTest.com, encouraged University of California at San Diego (UCSD) students to donate "used" exams in return for a Starbucks $5 gift card. The website creator aims to make tests available to "level the playing field" according to the article, so everyone and not the privileged few, has access to the information. Professors can add their name to a "ban list" if they prefer not to give universal rights to student donations of their tests. The issues of unauthorized access to testing material and not securing professors' permission to their intellectual property (i.e., test questions) angers faculty members at UCSD. But professors beyond UCSD may feel the same way if the web site creator follows through with his intention to add other schools to his site.

Discussion Questions:

1. Does a student have the right to give a test to a website so others can use it?
2. Is it fair to students and professors to post tests online so they can be viewed by anyone?
3. Should professors rewrite tests every semester so studying old tests online doesn't give an unfair advantage to students who know about the website?

Governor's Daughter Gifted with West Virginia University Degree

In an ongoing story, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Heather Bresch, daughter of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, received a West Virginia University (WVU) Executive M.B.A. degree even though she did not "register for, pay for, or complete" 22 hours of coursework noted on her transcript. The June 5, 2008 article continues to note that WVU President Mike Garrison formerly worked for Ms. Bresch at a drug company that is also a major donor to the university.

Discussion Questions:

1. Would you accept an academic degree that you didn't earn? Would you decide to accept it if it meant you would earn more?
2. Should the WVU president resign if his staff approved the transcript change, even if he was not personally involved?