Combating Unethical Behavior in Tertiary Education
Jamil Salmi
International Conference on Fighting Corruption and Promoting Good Governance
Astana, 16-18 September 2009
4
outline of the presentation
• what types of unethical behaviors?
• why and how do they impact tertiary education?
• how to combat fraud and corruption?
definitions• fraud: “intentional perversion of truth in order to induce
another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right”
– academic fraud: improper behavior to gain an unfair advantage (admission, grades, exams, degree)
• corruption: “abuse of public or private office to gain personal advantage”, “impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle”
– financial realm
• “unethical behavior” used to refer broadly to all forms of improper and/or illegal actions in tertiary education
the “what”: an inventory
• categories based on educational and institutional processes
• “protagonists” identified
• examples provided from around the world
• summary matrix on p. 33 of the report
sources of information
– news reports• popular press• tertiary education publications, e.g. The Chronicle of Higher
Education
– Boston College Higher Education Corruption Monitor
– direct communications
exclusions
• criminal behavior by students and staff outside the context of institutions and their roles
• negligence and failure to adequately perform one’s duties
• violations of academic freedom
the “what”: an inventory
• admission process
• teaching and learning
• false credentials
• quality assurance
• research
• academic staff career
• financial management
corruption in the admission process
• examination fraud• bribery• favoritism• undue influence• discrimination
• protagonists are students and their families, faculty, administrators, government officials, and outside agents
dishonesty in the academic process
• cheating
• plagiarism
• students, faculty, and outside agents
awarding of false credentials
• bribery and undue influence in grading and degree conferral
• fake / unearned degrees• from legitimate institutions• from “degree mills”
• students, faculty, administrators, and outside agents
informal payments for education
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ayPeru
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102030405060708090
100
2 6 7 7 7 8 916 16 20 24 25
34 3540
60 61
92
% of households that make informal payments
undermining of quality assurance measures
• misrepresentation• providing false data• bribery• accreditation “mills”
• institution administrators, government officials, and representatives of accrediting bodies
research misconduct
• failure to follow standards
• falsification of results
• conflicts of interest
• plagiarism / theft of ideas or work
• primary protagonists are faculty
corruption in faculty and staff career management
• bribery• undue influence• use of false credentials• discrimination• harassment
• faculty, institution administrators, government officials, and outside parties
financial fraud and mismanagement
• profiteering
• theft
• embezzlement
• financial mismanagement
• student loan fraud
• institutional administrators, government officials, and outside parties
18
outline of the presentation
• what types of unethical behaviors?
• why and how do they impact tertiary education?
why does corruption happen?economic dimensions
• high levels of corruption in tertiary education often mirror high levels of corruption in countries overall
• low teacher and administrator salaries
• supply out of sync with demand
why does corruption happen?political dimensions
• lack of oversight and accountability• managerial capacity
• political tolerance
negative impact
• contrary to basic purpose of education– ethical values– academic merit – loss of trust in system and outputs
• teachers (role models)• students (code of conduct)• institutions (reputation)
• misuse of limited resources
23
outline of the presentation
• what types of unethical behaviors?
• why and how do they impact tertiary education?
• how to combat fraud and corruption?
what can be done?
• four types of interventions:– preventative measures– measures for detecting and monitoring– punitive measures– multiple purpose measures
preventive measures
– legislation and other government policies
– institutional policies and governance arrangements• diversified, independent Board• strong leadership• honor code
– standardized / automated procedures
corruption in Kyrgyz universities
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20
40
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80 68 67.5 64.9 62 59.6 5951 49.5
34.3
5.1
Percentage
detecting and monitoring
– computer programs and other IT instruments
– tip lines and other reporting venues
– surveys
– audits
punitive measures
– protests and violence
– legal action
– career / status sanctions
– academic / professional sanctions
multi-purpose measures
– accreditation systems
– education / awareness raising
– publicity
30
31
Fighting Corruption
Upgrade your knowledge –
Make your universities more ethical
Ian Whitman
32
the integrity imperative
• social justice (moral dimension)• trust in the meritocratic process• proper use of public resources• potential loss of talent
33
the way forward
• more documentation and closer monitoring (surveys, reporting mechanisms)
• more systematic assessment of which policies and instruments work
34
Everybody is equal.
But some are more equal than others.
George Orwell