Why Cheat? the Problem of Cheating in American Colleges

Why Cheat? The problem of cheating in American Colleges

INTRODUCTION

The problem of cheating, or academic dishonesty as some colleges refer to it, is not a new problem in America. Ever since there have been exams to cheat on, papers to plagiarize, and homework to be copied, it has been done. More and more, faculty is trying to understand why students cheat, and how to combat cheating. The students are often unclear as to what constitutes cheating, and how not to cheat. This paper will attempt to explain the reasons students cheat, how they are cheating, and the steps that colleges and universities can take to curb cheating.

WHAT CONSTITUTES CHEATI NG?

When one says the word �plagiarize,’ images of a student copying entire paragraphs out of a book to put in a report comes to mind. However, this type of blatant cheating is not the only thing that constitutes plagiarism. Sam Fulwood defines plagiarism as “borrowing someone else’s words and passing them off as one’s own, whether in print, speech, or performance” (Plagiarism: Playing by the Rules, 2003).

According to Petress, several things constitute cheating, some of them blatant, some of them not so blatant, and even some that border on the verge of criminal activity. Those forms of cheating including:

“copying test responses from a classmate; taking exams for others; doing another’s assignments; … purchasing research papers;…fabrication of quotes…; breaking into teacher offices/files to gain…access to tests or answer keys; sabotaging peer’s ongoing work or experiments; and gaining illegal access to school computer data bases in order to alter official grade records” (Academic Dishonesty: A Plague on our Profession, 2003).

Pertress is not alone on this definition of academic dishonesty. Park adds that “falsification of data…inappropriate use of resources,