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K-State Honor & Integrity System
Kansas State University
215 Fairchild Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-2595
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honor@k-state.edu
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*****Dissertation Survey*****

Helene Marcoux, Ph. D.
Associate Director of the Honor System
Department of Counseling & Educational Psychology
Assistant Professor

The following data was gleaned from a dissertation survey I conducted in the Spring 2001 semester. In a pilot study conducted in Fall 2000, I listened to two undergraduate faculty focus groups offer revisions to the questionnaire. I then conducted the survey with 860 Kansas State University teaching faculty. At questionnaire distribution time, there were no university frames identifying only faculty that had taught undergraduates--the population I wanted to survey. Therefore, each questionnaire had two qualifying questions: 1) Are you a full time faculty member at Kansas State University's main campus, and 2) Have you taught at least two sections of primarily(over 50%) undergraduate students in any of the last four academic semesters (Fall 1999, Spring 2000, Fall 2000, and Spring 2001)? Yes answers to both allowed the faculty member to continue answering questions. Those who answered "no" to either question were asked to return the questionnaire in the enclosed pre-addressed envelop unanswered.

A total of 513 faculty returned the questionnaire, with 368 faculty self-reporting that they qualified since they could answer "yes" to the two questions. The remaining 145 faculty who returned the questionnaire disqualified themselves by sending the questionnaire back unanswered, as they were directed. A 59.65 % response rate was recorded.

In the questionnaire faculty respondents were encouraged to contact the researcher to self-report the handling of personal episodes with Honor Pledge violators. Thirteen faculty responded to the request and were subsequently interviewed. Another 17 faculty were observed in their classrooms on the first day of classes during the semesters included in the study. The purpose of these nonparticipant observations was to gather data about faculty communication practices, both in written and oral forms.

I wish to thank all faculty who gave of their time to participate in this survey. I especially want to thank those faculty who donated further time in talking with me about their own experiences in dealing with students who are academically dishonest. When I finish the qualitative portion of the survey, I will add to the information found at this site.

 

Table 4.1

Survey Participant Profile by College
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(368 respondents)

College
Number of Participants
Percentage
Agriculture
54
14.7
Architecture, Planning, Design
23
6.3
Arts & Sciences
166
45.1
Business Administration
27
7.3
Education
22
6.0
Engineering
47
12.8
Human Ecology
28
7.6
Unknown
1
.3
Total
368



Table 4.2 Survey Participant Profile by Rank, Tenure, Gender, Ethnicity, Citizenship
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(Item responses ranged from 353 to 366. Percentages are based on denominators of these item responses.) 

Rank
Frequency
Percentage
Instructor
29
7.9
Assistant Professor
82
22.5
Associate Professor
109
29.9
Professor
145
38.9
Tenure
Frequency
Percentage
Tenured
253
68.8
Nontenured
100
27.2
Gender
Frequency
Percentage
Female
110
30.0
Male
256
69.6
Ethnicity
Frequency
Percentage
Caucasian
297
81.0
Asian
40
10.9
Mixed
14
3.8
Hispanic
6
1.6
Native American
3
.8
African American/Black
2
.5

Citizenship
Frequency
Percentage
US
339
92
Other
24
6.5


Table 4.3 Faculty self-reports on whether or not they are familiar with Kansas State University's Undergraduate Honor System policy on student academic misconduct.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(364 respondents)

Responses
Frequency
Percentage
Yes
346
95.1
No
18
4.9


Table 4.4 Faculty opinions on whether an instructor should take class time to discuss what constitutes academic dishonesty.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(348 respondents)

Responses
Frequency
Percentage
Strongly Agree
89
25.6
Agree
189
54.3
Disagree
62
17.8
Strongly Disagree
8
2.3


Table 4.5 Faculty opinions on whether students generally come to college knowing what constitutes cheating in the classroom.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(357 respondents)

Responses
Frequency
Percentage
Strongly Agree
41
11.5
Agree
215
60.2
Disagree
90
24.2
Strongly Disagree
11
3.1


Table 4.6 Faculty opinions on whether a teacher should give written instructions about what constitutes academic dishonesty.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(358 respondents)

Responses
Frequency
Percentage
Strongly Agree
56
15.6
Agree
162
45.3
Disagree
120
33.5
Strongly Disagree
20
5.6


Table 4.7 Faculty perceptions on how often students ask questions about what constitutes cheating in the classroom.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(364 respondents)

Responses
Frequency
Percentage
Often
1
.3
Seldom
105
28.8
Never
258
70.9


Table 4.8 Faculty self-reports on how they disseminate information about cheating to students.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(365 respondents)

Responses
Frequency
Percentage

Made verbal announcements to the total class
263
70.1

Placed a statement in my class syllabus
307
84.1

Conversed with one to two students (face to face)
83
22.7

In a phone conversation with a student
10
2.7

Conversed with a group of more than two students
19
5.2

Sent an e-mail message to the student(s)
23
6.3

Referred student(s) to policy in Inside KSU
87
23.8

Referred student(s) to K-State’s Honor System web page (www.ksu.edu/honor)
128
35.1

Other
30
8.2

Did not do any of the above
14
3.8



Table 4.9 Faculty self-reports on the average time spent talking with students
in a typical class about what constitutes academic dishonesty.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(365 respondents)

Average Time in Minutes

6.4 minutes


Table 4.10 Faculty self-reports on when they disseminate information about cheating to students.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(364 respondents)

Responses
Frequency
Percentage

When I handed out the syllabus
301
82.7

Within the first week of classes
126
34.6

When I discussed an academic assignment
118
32.4

When a student asked specific questions about cheating
45
13.5

Before any student assessment (project, paper, quiz, test, exam)
113
31.0

Other
24
6.6

Did not disseminate information about cheating
15
4.1



Table 4.11 Faculty self-reports on where they place the Honor System Honor Pledge.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(352 respondents)

Responses
Frequency
Percentage

Course syllabi
201
57.1

Course assignments
15
4.3

Course examinations (not including final)
35
9.9

Course final
24
6.8

Other
22
6.3

Did not put the Pledge on any of the above
129
36.6



Table 4.12 Faculty self-reports on the number of cheating incident(s) occurring in their courses
during four academic semesters--Fall 1999 through Spring 2001.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(366 respondents)

Responses
Frequency
Percentage

No
188
51.4

Yes, and sanctioned violator(s)
83
22.7

Yes, and did not sanction violators(s)
24
6.6

I suspect, but don’t know for certain
71
19.4



Table 4.13 Faculty self-reports of types of cheating which occurred.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(366 respondents)

Types of Cheating
Frequency
Percentage

Plagiarism on any assignment
86
23.5

Unauthorized collaboration on any assignment
69
18.9

Copying exam answers
64
17.5

Copying another student’s assignment and turning it in
69
18.9

Using unauthorized materials during a quiz
6
1.6

Using unauthorized materials during an exam
20
5.5

Using unauthorized materials during the final
8
2.2



Table 4.14 Types of violations which occurred in classes with an enrollment of 5 to 20 students.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(Item responses ranged from 365 to 366. Percentages are based on denominators of these item responses.)

Types of Cheating in

Classes with Enrollment of 5-20 Students
Frequency
Percentage

Plagiarism on any assignment
34
9.3

Unauthorized collaboration on any assignment
22
6.1

Copying exam answers
19
5.2

Copying another student’s assignment and turning it in
21
5.7

Using unauthorized materials during a quiz
1
5.5

Using unauthorized materials during an exam
3
1.1

Using unauthorized materials during the final
3
8.2



Table 4.15 Types of violations which occurred in classes with an enrollment of 21 to 50 students.
Kansas State University Full-time
Undergraduate Teaching Faculty in 59 Departments
(Item responses ranged from 365 to 366. Percentages are based on denominators of these item responses.)

Types of Cheating in

Classes with Enrollment of 21-50 Students
Frequency
Percentage

Plagiarism on any assignment
34