Combating Unethical Behavior in Tertiary Education

1. Combating Unethical Behavior in Tertiary Education JamilSalmi 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?

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. the “what”: an inventory • admission process • teaching and learning • false credentials • quality assurance • research • academic staff career • financial management

10. 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

11. dishonesty in the academic process • cheating • plagiarism • students, faculty, and outside agents

12. 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

13. informal payments for education

14. undermining of quality assurance measures • misrepresentation • providing false data • bribery • accreditation “mills” • institution administrators, government officials, and representatives of accrediting bodies

15. research misconduct • failure to follow standards • falsification of results • conflicts of interest • plagiarism / theft of ideas or work • primary protagonists are faculty

16. corruption in faculty and staff career management • bribery • undue influence • use of false credentials • discrimination • harassment • faculty, institution administrators, government officials, and outside parties

17. 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?

20. 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

21. why does corruption happen?political dimensions • lack of oversight and accountability • managerial capacity • political tolerance

22. 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?

24. what can be done? • four types of interventions: • preventative measures • measures for detecting and monitoring • punitive measures • multiple purpose measures

25. preventive measures • legislation and other government policies • institutional policies and governance arrangements • diversified, independent Board • strong leadership • honor code • standardized / automated procedures

26. corruption in Kyrgyz universities

27. detecting and monitoring • computer programs and other IT instruments • tip lines and other reporting venues • surveys • audits

28. punitive measures • protests and violence • legal action • career / status sanctions • academic / professional sanctions

29. multi-purpose measures • accreditation systems • education / awareness raising • publicity

30. conclusion

31. Upgrade your knowledge – Make your universities more ethical Fighting Corruption 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