Introduction
In the modern academic institutions, there are diverse cultures of people with different nationalities. This trend has enabled institution to come up with infrastructure and guidelines to suit the diversity academic institutions are exposed to. The increase of international students in institutions across the globe has come with is fair share of disadvantages. One of the most significant short coming is the increase in the cases of academic misconduct. This has been on the rise in the modern generation as students tend to cheat to success. The inclusion of international students in schools across the globe has also been a significant factor as many students cite language barrier for their motive towards academic misconduct. Generally, academic misconduct refers to the activities that involve illegal ways of taking tests and examinations. This has caused many institutions to amend their rules on academic cheating to make them more severe t curb the ever rising cases of cheating or other academic irregularities. According to the IRC the relationship between students and academic misconduct has rise over the years with students becoming less concerned about the depth of the education they acquire from schools. The author further argues that students have become more concerned about their results rather than the content they acquire. This has made learning almost insignificant as cases of academic misconduct are rising in an alarming rate. The paper will focus on academic misconduct in institutions in the U.K. The paper will focus on the significance of international students in these institutions in regards to academic misconduct. The paper will highlight the reactions of students towards academic misconduct. Additionally, the paper will review the policies implemented by institutions to curb academic misconduct and their impact in the student fraternity.
Body
In the United Kingdom there are many academic institutions with a rich history of excellence. For many years have produced great alumnus tat remain grateful to the schools. This is due to the quality of education provided in the institutions. However, this situation has now changed as the quality students produced from these institutions are questionable. Daum et.al (2001) argues that it is a question of academic misconduct. The modern generation students have become addicted to cheating. To curb this U.K. institutions have come up with stiffer policies that tend to curb the rising cases of academic misconduct. As an example I will focus on Southampton Solent University. In their publication updated in July 2011, the institution produced a publication highlighting the policies around academic misconduct. The policies covered even the slightest offences of academic misconduct. Offences include plagiarism, collusion, and replication, falsification, taking unauthorized notes in an examination room, communicating during an examination and obtaining examination material before the examination. This is evidence on how much institutions are willing to curb the rising cases of academic misconduct. In the penalties in the publication by Southampton Solent University, the crimes were categorized in regards to the weight of each. They were classified in major and minor offences. For the minor offences, the perpetrators would face a minimal penalty of being redoing the paper. If the rest of the work by the student is correct, the work will be marked. However, this will be noted as a referral note in any occurrence of another academic misconduct. In the major offence, a student may face an expulsion from a whole academic year with disregard of previous examination results. If the student had been previously awarded for an academic excellence, these rewards would be withdrawn. The ruling on major offences is further stiffened by a student not being able to apply for any other course in the institutions (Southampton Solent University, 2010).
The harsh penalties in this publication show how serious the issue of academic misconduct has become. In an argument by Park (2003) hefty penalties may not be enough to curb cases of academic misconduct. He argues that hefty penalties will only prevent detection but not prevent cheating in examinations. The same remarks are reiterated by Santiago (2009) who argues that students have become smart enough not to be detected when undertaking academic misconducts. What should be considered is the fact that academic misconduct has causes that should be detected fist before coming up with penalties. An analysis highlighted by Delvin & Gray (2007) showed a student was expelled from school due to cheating in an examination. The parents of the students did not consider the fact that their child was cheating in an examination but they had the school to blame for these misfortunes. How does expelling a child help in shaping his life towards a good future? This question has received mixed reaction from analysts other claiming that some penalties just destroy the life of a student. Institutions have remained adamant that they would impose the most severe penalties to ensure that students refrain from academic misconduct.
Interview reaction s from students
In the first interview, the student was from Africa. His origin is Kenya and he is taking a course on Business Management. The student is in his third year of university. In his life in university he had never been penalized for an academic misconduct. However, he admits that he has venture into exam cheating several times. The most common mode he used in cheating was the access of exam material before the exam. This offense has a penalty of an expulsion is detected. The reason behind him cheating is the fact that much is required from him since he is an international student on a scholarship. If he fails to record exemplary results his sponsorship in his education would be reduced. However, the student worries about the penalties implemented to curb academic misconducts. He argues that the penalties are too heavy and he would recommend for them to be revoked. The peer influence has also contributed significantly in his search for an illegal academic excellence. Language is not a problem to him since in his country English is also the official language in public institutions. The argue that the fact that he is an international student doe not contribute in his quest for cheating since local student cheat as much as he does.
The second interview was with an Asian student from Indonesia. For this student academic misconduct is feature that needs to be eradicated from learning institutions. In her argument, this creates unfairness in the performance of students. In her institution, most students do not cheat since the penalties are hefty and most students are on sponsorship and they do not want to ruin their chances of success. She admits at her first year in the institution she cheated twice in her final exams. She had obtained exam material before the exam. However, she argues that she would not do it again in her life in university. She attributed her cheating to the fact that she could not understand much of English in her first year of study. She had difficulties in word construction and understanding the language. Cheating was the only assurance that she could get good grades. Influence from other students was also significant in her quest to cheat I exams.
The third interview was with a student from Philippines. To him academic misconduct is a vice that can never be eradicated. He is in his second year in university taking studies on community development. He admits to have involved in academic misconduct in most of his examinations. Reasons behind his actions are the fact that he is an international student and he does not understand English in much depth. He argues that by cheating it is the only assurance that he could get good grades. He has been caught cheating once where the whole exam was cancelled and given an academic warning. The student claims the maximum penalties of cheating such as expulsion are too heavy for international students since most of them are in the U.K by scholarships.
The interview by the local students had similar reactions. The two students applauded the fact that institutions are giving hefty penalties to students involved in academic misconducts. The two students also share the same sentiments that academic misconducts are rampant to international students since they have little knowledge of the English language. They argue that the fact the students depend mostly on scholarship, make them feel more debited to pass their exams. However, the students argue this should not give them an excuse to take part in academic irregularities. The students decry the fact that academic misconducts re diminishing the quality of education in the United Kingdom and institutions should not condone this act. For the first time I conducted two sets on interviews and receiving support for the penalties imposed to curb academic misconducts. It was also for the first time I conducted an interview with students who claimed they have never indulged in academic misconduct.
Analysis and Findings of Interview
The case of international students brings forth another dimension in the issue. According to Pickard (2006) international students should be provided with enough guidelines which they could easily understand to prevent them from breaking the rules unknowingly. The United Kingdom has thousands of international students who do not understand the English language well. However, this is not the case of the majority (Carrol, 2004). International students feel they cannot pass their examination without indulging in irregularities. As much as there is an argument on the language barrier to their defense, it is not a justified excuse. This fact is reiterated by an article referring to International students studying in the UK (2012) which argues that the rate at which international student indulges in academic misconducts in the United Kingdom is alarming. He further argues that institutions across the United Kingdom should come with lasting solutions to this case or the value of education in the region will be reduced. One solution that may be of significant in this scenario is the depth scrutiny of international students before admission. The quality of international students admitted in an institution is equivalent to the rate at which they will be successful in their studies (Santiago, 2009). Additionally, the institution should try as much as possible to change the mentality of the students in regards to academic misconducts (Tanya, 2012). In an argument by Southampton Solent University (2010) penalties alone cannot solve the issue of academic irregularities if the mentality of the student is not changed.
In view of Tookay (2002) reasons, I feel that students were caught to have been violating fundamentals rules and regulation. This made them become discouraged and affected their future learning. Further, it caused intuitive discouragement towards insensitive approach of the university. All these aforesaid loopholes in the system need to be plugged to create a healthy and progressive environment in the university campus for all the students, especially the foreign students.
Conclusion
It is also evident that penalties are not doing enough to ensure that students stay away from academic irregularities. In my opinion institution should opt for more personal modes of dealing with the issue. These approaches should focus o more on mentality change and behavioral change. This is because many students indulge in academic misconducts due to ignorance and hard headedness (Carroll, 2002). If these character traits are changed them it would be advantageous to both the students and the institutions. The quality of education provided in the institutions would be maintained and the students would not face the risk of being expelled from schools due to academic irregularities. Institutions should also involve the support of the parents in coming up with solution to this issue. Academic misconducts have become part and parcel of our institution and if this notion is not changed academic institutions will not hold much significance in society (Bennet, 2005).
Interview questions
Do you support the policies in your institution to curb academic misconducts?
What do you think should be done to minimize cases of academic misconducts?
What do you think are the consequences of academic misconducts in the United Kingdom academic system?
Are you an international student?
Do you think international students have promoted the increase of cases on academic misconducts?
What should be the solution in dealing with language barrier in international students?
Have you ever engaged in academic misconduct? Which one?
What is your general opinion on academic misconduct?
References
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Carroll, J. (2002) A Handbook for Deterring Plagiarism in Higher Education. Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development, Oxford Brookes University.
Carroll, J. (2004) ‘Institutional Issues in Deterring, Detecting and Dealing with Student Plagiarism: Full Report’. Joint Information Systems Committee.
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International students studying in the UK. Guidance for UK higher education providers.
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Pickard, J. (2006) ‘Staff and Student Attitudes to Plagiarism at University College Northampton’, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 31(2): 215–32.
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Tanya, P. (2012). How does using Turnitin in a formative way change student attitudes towards plagiarism?:BellerbysCollege. Retrieved from
Tookay, M. (2002) ‘BEST Briefing Document: Plagiarism’. Learning and Teaching Support Network.
