ACADEMIC
INTEGRITY SURVEY
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY - TA/TM (N = 99)
Academic
Environment
Specific
Behaviors
Demographics
ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT
1. How would you rate
SFU on the following factors?
| |
Very Low |
Low
|
Med
|
High
|
Very High |
N/A
|
|
The severity
of penalties for cheating?
|
13%
|
26%
|
32%
|
16%
|
2%
|
10%
|
|
Student understanding
of campus policies concerning cheating?
|
16%
|
31%
|
35%
|
9%
|
1%
|
7%
|
|
The faculty’s
understanding of these policies?
|
0%
|
8%
|
31%
|
29%
|
21%
|
10%
|
|
TA’s understanding
of these policies?
|
4%
|
18%
|
34%
|
27%
|
12%
|
4%
|
|
Student support
of these policies?
|
5%
|
16%
|
33%
|
22%
|
2%
|
21%
|
|
Faculty support
of these policies?
|
1%
|
13%
|
25%
|
23%
|
19%
|
20%
|
|
TA support of
these policies?
|
3%
|
10%
|
27%
|
24%
|
20%
|
15%
|
|
The effectiveness
of these policies?
|
21%
|
19%
|
30%
|
13%
|
1%
|
15%
|
2. When, if
at all, do you discuss with students the policies concerning: (Check
all that apply.)
| |
Do
Not Discuss
|
On
Individual Assignments
|
Start
of Semester
|
Other
|
Not
Relevant
|
|
Plagiarism
|
16%
|
38%
|
52%
|
13%
|
8%
|
|
Group work/collaboration
|
25%
|
34%
|
35%
|
11%
|
13%
|
|
Proper attribution
of sources
|
9%
|
60%
|
28%
|
11%
|
17%
|
|
Attribution
of Internet sources
|
16%
|
52%
|
25%
|
10%
|
18%
|
|
Falsification
of research data
|
22%
|
16%
|
22%
|
8%
|
41%
|
3.
Please note the primary sources from which you have learned about
the student academic integrity policies at SFU: (Check all that apply.)
| Primary Sources for University Policies |
|
Faculty
|
69%
|
|
University calendar
|
32%
|
|
TA orientation program
|
30%
|
|
Student handbook
|
29%
|
|
Never been informed
about these policies
|
19%
|
|
Department chair
|
14%
|
|
Publicized results
of judicial hearings
|
14%
|
|
Students
|
11%
|
|
Deans or other administrators
|
3%
|
|
Other
|
4%
|
4. In the past
year, how often, if ever, have you suspected a student of cheating
during a test or exam while you were serving as a TA or TM?
| |
Never
|
Once
|
A
Few Times
|
Several
Times
|
Many
Times
|
N/A
|
| Suspected a student of cheating during a test/exam |
28%
|
14%
|
29%
|
12%
|
2%
|
16%
|
5. In
the past year, how often, if ever, were you sure a student cheated
during a test or exam while you were serving as a TA or TM?
| |
Never
|
Once
|
A
Few Times
|
Several
Times
|
Many
Times
|
N/A
|
| Certain that a student of cheating during a test/exam |
63%
|
8%
|
12%
|
2%
|
0%
|
16%
|
6. In
the past year, how often, if ever, have you suspected a student
of cheating on a major written assignment in a course where you were serving
as a TA or TM?
| |
Never
|
Once
|
A
Few Times
|
Several
Times
|
Many
Times
|
N/A
|
| Suspected a student of cheating
on a major written assignment |
24% |
13% |
33% |
17% |
5% |
8% |
7. In the past year,
how often, if ever, were you sure a student cheated on a major
written assignment in a course where you were serving as a TA or TM?
| |
Never
|
Once
|
A
Few Times
|
Several
Times
|
Many
Times
|
N/A
|
|
Certain that
a student of cheating on a major written assignment
|
47%
|
20%
|
14%
|
8%
|
3%
|
7%
|
8. If
you were convinced, even after discussion with the student, that a student
had cheated on a major test or assignment in your course, what would be
your most likely reaction? (Check all that apply.)
|
Most
Likely Reaction
|
|
Inform the faculty
responsible for the course
|
92%
|
|
Reprimand or warn the
student
|
39%
|
|
Fail the student on
the test/assignment
|
37%
|
|
Discuss the incident
with other course TAs
|
36%
|
|
Lower the student’s
grade
|
21%
|
|
Report student to Chair/Director
|
13%
|
|
Require student to
redo assignment/retake test
|
10%
|
|
Report student to a
Dean
|
4%
|
|
Inform lab coordinator
|
4%
|
|
Do nothing about the
incident
|
1%
|
|
Other
|
4%
|
9. Have you ever
ignored a suspected incident of cheating in one of your courses for any
reason?
If
so, did any of the following factors influence your decision? (Check
all that apply.)
Note
that the percentages below are for all participants, not for the 41%
who reported ignoring a suspected incident.
| Influencing Factors
for Ignoring Suspected Incidents |
|
Lacked evidence/proof
|
33%
|
|
Faculty member told
me to ignore it
|
6%
|
|
Didn’t think faculty
would be supportive
|
5%
|
|
Lack of support from
administration
|
5%
|
|
Didn’t want to deal
with it
|
4%
|
|
Cheating was trivial/not
serious
|
4%
|
|
No time to pursue suspected
cases
|
4%
|
|
Other TAs suggested
I ignore it
|
2%
|
|
Other
|
2%
|
|
Lab coordinator told
me to ignore it
|
1%
|
10. If you have referred a
suspected case of cheating to your faculty member, Chair, the Dean of
Students, the judicial board, or someone else, how satisfied were you
with the way the cases were handled?
| |
Very
Satisfied
|
Satisfied
|
Neutral
|
Unsatisfied
|
Very
Unsatisfied
|
|
Level of satisfaction
for reported cases
|
15%
|
30%
|
18%
|
21%
|
15%
|
SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS
1. Students have different
views on what constitutes cheating and what is acceptable behavior. We
would like to ask you some questions about specific behaviors that some
students might consider cheating. Please circle one response for each
question.
| |
In the last
three years, how often have you observed any of the following
behaviors in your class?
|
|
How serious
do you consider this form of cheating?
|
|
Never
|
Once
|
More
Than Once
|
N/A
|
Not
Cheating
|
Trivial
Cheating
|
Moderate
Cheating
|
Serious
Cheating
|
|
Turning in work
done by someone else.
|
47%
|
21%
|
27%
|
5%
|
0%
|
3%
|
12%
|
85%
|
|
Working on an
assignment with others
|
46%
|
4%
|
32%
|
19%
|
6%
|
36%
|
48%
|
10%
|
|
Receiving unpermitted
help on an assignment.
|
65%
|
3%
|
9%
|
10%
|
4%
|
34%
|
45%
|
18%
|
|
Writing or providing
a paper for another student.
|
72%
|
7%
|
6%
|
16%
|
0%
|
0%
|
4%
|
96%
|
|
Providing a
graded assignment to another student to submit.
|
73%
|
6%
|
10%
|
11%
|
2%
|
0%
|
6%
|
92%
|
|
Sharing an assignment
with other to use as an example.
|
44%
|
8%
|
38%
|
10%
|
20%
|
33%
|
38%
|
9%
|
|
Getting Q/A
from someone who has taken test
|
60%
|
7%
|
22%
|
11%
|
2%
|
9%
|
31%
|
58%
|
|
Copying a friend's
computer program.
|
21%
|
2%
|
8%
|
69%
|
0%
|
4%
|
17%
|
79%
|
|
Helping someone
else cheat on a test.
|
71%
|
7%
|
9%
|
13%
|
3%
|
1%
|
9%
|
86%
|
|
Falsifying/fabricating
lab data.
|
43%
|
5%
|
9%
|
44%
|
0%
|
6%
|
22%
|
72%
|
|
Falsifying/fabricating
research data.
|
48%
|
4%
|
7%
|
41%
|
0%
|
4%
|
13%
|
83%
|
|
Fabricating
or falsifying a bibliography.
|
50%
|
9%
|
16%
|
26%
|
3%
|
10%
|
39%
|
48%
|
|
Copying on test
from other without their knowledge.
|
67%
|
17%
|
11%
|
6%
|
1%
|
1%
|
8%
|
90%
|
|
Copying on test
from another with their knowledge.
|
78%
|
6%
|
10%
|
7%
|
1%
|
0%
|
5%
|
94%
|
|
Taking a test
for someone else.
|
89%
|
2%
|
1%
|
8%
|
1%
|
0%
|
0%
|
99%
|
|
Using unpermitted
electronic aids.
|
76%
|
7%
|
2%
|
16%
|
1%
|
2%
|
35%
|
61%
|
|
Copying few
sentences from written source w/o citing.
|
18%
|
12%
|
50%
|
20%
|
2%
|
24%
|
48%
|
26%
|
|
Turning in a
paper obtained in large part from a term paper "mill" or website
that did not charge for this information
|
67%
|
7%
|
4%
|
22%
|
0%
|
2%
|
7%
|
91%
|
|
Turning in a
paper obtained in large part from a term paper "mill" or website
that did charge for this information.
|
72%
|
4%
|
1%
|
22%
|
2%
|
1%
|
6%
|
91%
|
|
Copying a few
sentences of material from an Internet source without footnoting
them in a paper.
|
36%
|
11%
|
33%
|
20%
|
2%
|
15%
|
52%
|
31%
|
|
Using unpermitted
crib notes (cheat sheets) during a test.
|
77%
|
6%
|
4%
|
13%
|
1%
|
0%
|
9%
|
89%
|
|
Copying material
almost word for word from any written source and turning it in
as your own work.
|
48%
|
17%
|
18%
|
17%
|
2%
|
1%
|
10%
|
87%
|
|
Altering graded
test and submitting it for additional credit.
|
72%
|
8%
|
6%
|
14%
|
2%
|
1%
|
15%
|
81%
|
|
Turned in a
paper copied from another student
|
51%
|
14%
|
14%
|
16%
|
1%
|
1%
|
18%
|
80%
|
|
Using a false
excuse to obtain extension on due date.
|
57%
|
8%
|
26%
|
10%
|
2%
|
16%
|
50%
|
31%
|
|
Hiding library
or course materials.
|
69%
|
2%
|
12%
|
17%
|
11%
|
10%
|
34%
|
45%
|
|
Damaging library
or course materials.
|
77%
|
1%
|
6%
|
16%
|
15%
|
12%
|
31%
|
43%
|
|
Providing a
false/forged excuse for dropping course.
|
72%
|
7%
|
6%
|
16%
|
21%
|
22%
|
36%
|
21%
|
|
Failing to take
precautions to protect your work.
|
76%
|
3%
|
8%
|
13%
|
48%
|
28%
|
13%
|
12%
|
|
Cheating on
a test in any other way.
|
47%
|
4%
|
0%
|
49%
|
15%
|
4%
|
23%
|
58%
|
|
Cheating on
a written assignment in any other way.
|
44%
|
6%
|
2%
|
48%
|
12%
|
8%
|
28%
|
52%
|
2. How strongly do you agree
with the following statements?
| |
Disagree
Strongly
|
Disagree
|
Neutral
|
Agree
|
Agree
Strongly
|
|
TAs/TMs on this
campus try hard to detect cheaters.
|
5%
|
18%
|
31%
|
39%
|
7%
|
|
Cheating is
a serious problem here.
|
3%
|
12%
|
35%
|
32%
|
18%
|
|
Our student
judicial process is fair and impartial.
|
3%
|
13%
|
65%
|
18%
|
2%
|
|
Students should
be held responsible for monitoring the academic integrity of other
students.
|
16%
|
36%
|
11%
|
36%
|
2%
|
|
Faculty support
TAs who raise academic integrity concerns
|
3%
|
16%
|
23%
|
37%
|
21%
|
|
Lab Coordinators
support TAs who raise academic integrity concerns
|
1%
|
2%
|
60%
|
27%
|
10%
|
|
Assessments
in courses where I TA/TM are effective at evaluating student understanding
of course concepts.
|
1%
|
9%
|
11%
|
60%
|
19%
|
|
Assessments
in my courses help students learn concepts
|
0%
|
8%
|
9%
|
63%
|
21%
|
3. Which of the
measures in Column 1, or combination of measures, do you think is most
likely to be taken at SFU if a student is found responsible for a first
offense of cheating on a major test or written assignment? In column 2,
please tell us what you think the penalty should be. (Check all that
apply.)
| |
Likely
Action
|
Preferred
Action
|
|
The student
will be given a reprimand or warning
|
75%
|
30%
|
|
The student
will receive a grade reduction
|
52%
|
35%
|
|
The student
will be required to make up the exam/assignment
|
28%
|
18%
|
|
The student
will receive a failing grade for the exam/assignment
|
54%
|
54%
|
|
The student
will be given a failing grade for the course
|
22%
|
44%
|
|
The student
will be placed on probation
|
19%
|
31%
|
|
The student
will be suspended from school
|
7%
|
15%
|
|
The student
will be expelled from school
|
5%
|
10%
|
|
Other
|
3%
|
3%
|
|
Don’t know
|
1%
|
0%
|
4. What safeguards
do you employ to reduce cheating in your courses? (Check all that apply.)
|
Safeguards Employed to Reduce Cheating
|
|
None, I do not use
any special safeguards in my courses
|
2%
|
|
Make copies of exams
before returning them to students
|
6%
|
|
Use the Internet to
confirm plagiarism
|
21%
|
|
Refer students to information
about cheating/plagiarism on course outline or assignment
|
54%
|
|
Discuss your views
on the importance of honesty and academic integrity with your
students
|
52%
|
|
Remind students about
their obligations under your school’s academic integrity policy
|
35%
|
|
Tell students about
methods you will use to detect and deter cheating in your course
|
22%
|
|
Have students sit apart
from each other during tests and examinations
|
75%
|
|
Closely monitor students
taking a test/exam
|
82%
|
|
Discuss strategies
to reduce cheating with faculty member and/or lab coordinator
|
38%
|
|
Other
|
10%
|
DEMOGRAPHICS
1. Are you:
2, Which best describes
your citizenship status?
|
Citizenship Status
|
|
Canadian Citizen
|
91%
|
|
Landed Immigrant
|
4%
|
|
Student Visa
|
5%
|
3. Is English the first
language you learned?
|
English
as a First Language
|
|
Yes
|
83%
|
|
No
|
17%
|
If English
was not the first language you learned, how many years have you studied
in English?
|
Years
of Study for Non-Native English Speakers
|
|
1 -2 years
|
4%
|
|
3 - 4 years
|
8%
|
|
5 - 6 years
|
0%
|
|
7 or more years
|
88%
|
4. In which of the
following areas is your primary TA responsibility?
|
Area
of TA Responsibility
|
|
Faculty of Arts
|
47%
|
|
Faculty of Applied
Science
|
22%
|
|
Faculty of Business
|
6%
|
|
Faculty of Science
|
23%
|
|
Faculty of Education
|
1%
|
5. How would you classify
yourself?
|
TA/TM
Classification
|
|
Teaching Assistant
|
73%
|
|
Tutor Marker
|
4%
|
|
Both
|
22%
|
What is your class standing?
|
Class
Standing
|
|
Undergraduate
|
13%
|
|
Master’s Program
|
51%
|
|
Ph.D.
|
37%
|
6. Approximately how
many semesters have you worked as a TA at SFU?
|
Number of Semesters as a TA/TM
|
|
1 semester
|
19%
|
|
2 semesters
|
23%
|
|
3 semesters
|
11%
|
|
4 semesters
|
7%
|
|
5 semesters
|
12%
|
|
More than 5
semesters
|
28%
|
|