Faculty perceptions of and responses to academic dishonesty: An analysis from an ethical perspective

This qualitative research study examined how faculty perceive and respond to instances of academic dishonesty at one university. The study analyzed how faculty at this institution respond to issues of academic integrity, and how utilizing an ethical framework may affect responses to student dishonesty. Current nation-wide research demonstrates a cheating epidemic in education that has increased with the rate of technological advancement and information accessibility. The current context of academic integrity in higher education is often responded to by faculty with frustration, dissatisfaction, even despair, searching how best to respond to the increasing numbers of academic dishonesty.; It was the belief of the researcher that faculty involvement with students both in and out of the classroom can assist in the creation of a caring and connected educational community, where students feel a sense of belonging and shared responsibility for overall success. That positive cultural climate on campus can promote an environment where students' contentment with their educational experience produces a less likely occurrence of academically dishonest behavior.; Theories of moral development and ethical lenses for viewing the dilemma of academic integrity underpinned the research process to assess their potential contribution to the research goal of understanding faculty responses to academic dishonesty.; The research project relied on the triangulation of data collected through an electronic survey, individual faculty interviews, and observations made at the research site. The electronic survey was distributed to all faculty. From the survey results, a sample of faculty members having personal experiences with student academic dishonesty was selected for individual interviews. In order to gain an understanding of faculty perceptions of and responses to academic integrity from an ethical perspective, the researcher conducted an in-depth study of this institution related to the larger scope of academic integrity in higher education.; The results of the study provided a rich description of the data collected from the electronic survey, the faculty interviews, and the site observations. The results provided a wide spectrum of the faculty perceptions and current context of academic integrity at this institution for analysis and discussion.