Managing Academic Dishonesty in Australian Universities: Implications for Teaching, Learning and Scholarship

For institutions of higher education, academic dishonesty is an everpresent problem that many would suggest is exacerbated by: technological advancements that make it increasingly easier for students to access and misuse resources; relatively scarce funds to counter the problem; and a culture of acceptance within the student population. This paper examines the reporting and management of academic misconduct via an analysis of data obtained from surveys of 1206 students and 190 academic staff at four major Queensland universities. Both students and staff are found to be unlikely, for various reasons, to report suspicions of academic misconduct to their institutions. Staff seem to recognise the importance of the problem, however, with many indicating they have altered the delivery of their courses in an attempt to address the situation, although individual efforts are often hampered by a lack of resources as well as by a lack of coordinated institutional support. Given that a majority of surveyed staff believe that the incidence of academic misconduct has increased over the past five years, we suggest that a more concentrated and coordinated effort is required to support both the current efforts of academics and the development of further strategies to manage the problem.