Foreign Students Who Cheat

International students composed just 10% of the student population at USC but represented 46.7% of those accused of “academic dishonesty”--cheating--according to a report by the school’s Office for Student Conduct. The report details the 152 complaints against students for violations including plagiarism, copying assignments and using surrogates for taking tests--which carried punishments ranging from warnings to expulsion. Overall, cheating was up from previous years--a trend that extends beyond USC. MAURA E. MONTELLANO spoke with a school administrator about the problem.

DIXON C. JOHNSON

Executive director, USC Office of International Services

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Primarily, we are dealing with students whose first language is not English. They come to this country and this university with high parental expectations as well as their own high expectations for their performance.

When they first arrive, we attempt in our orientation programs to teach them the standards of academics in the United States. We start with the understanding that international students are coming to the U.S. because they want an American education and in doing so they must abide by the standards here. But when you’re dealing with students whose first language is not English, there can be problems understanding exactly what we mean by this. Eventually students talk to other students about what is acceptable behavior. There are great variations between instructors and disciplines in terms of what is permitted. “Friends advice” does not result in accurate information.

We are very concerned with the problem of academic dishonesty, and we’re working with the Office for Student Conduct to better educate students about the proper standards of academic integrity. It behooves us to try to convey the standards in a multitude of ways.

During orientation, international students often are overwhelmed with many new things the first few days. Information about academic integrity standards is not relevant at that time, but that is the first time to convey it. The Office for Student Conduct is writing articles for our e-mail newsletter talking about these issues and how to avoid student conduct difficulties. Academic integrity is a very complex topic involving the culture and background of the student and the pressure to succeed academically with ultimate success being measured by good grades and a degree.

Most students today are very careerist in their orientation. They are interested in getting their degree and getting a job quickly. The expense of higher education means that they don’t want to spend any more time in school than necessary. This is especially true of student who have to work to meet their educational costs or are under significant parent pressure to graduate and get a job. This pressure can lead both domestic and international students to try and find ways to receive, not earn, the best grade possible in the shortest time. The report summarizes all students that cheat, domestic and foreign. Yes, foreign students have disproportionately more violations than domestic students but then you have to break those numbers down and find out which students are doing it most.

Of course, most international students do not cheat. The only thing international students have in common is that they are away from home.

It has been said that the reason international students have a higher percentage of reported cheating incidents is because they are detected more easily. Because of the language barrier, they are not as sophisticated in how to avoid detection.

Many, not being as confident in the language, may be more likely to lift work completely. Also, standards of plagiarism are culturally bound. Some students come from educational systems that value memorization and repetition. What we consider plagiarism, some cultures consider to be the sincerest form of flattery. To repeat another person’s words as your own is perfectly acceptable.

In some cultures, students come out of educational systems repeating the exact words of a professor. Some of my teaching colleagues have said they are amazed how some international students can repeat long passages verbatim. In contrast, our education system honors independence of thought and being able to convey concepts taught in a class in one’s own words.

The American education system traditionally has emphasized the individual. Other cultures have a more collective or group orientation. Now in many of our classes, group work is encouraged. Collective decision-making seems to be the wave of the future. Group projects and sharing information are now more highly valued. This means of evaluation can contribute to peer pressure to better the performance of the whole team. There is then pressure to participate for the benefit of all because your grade is a result of the entire group.

We emphasize the individual in so many grading scenarios. Where does one’s primary loyalty lie? To the abstract concept of academic integrity and individual performance or to one’s friend and fellow student? This can get into much deeper issues. We talk of codes of conduct, of not sharing information, yet in our culture the concept of being a stool pigeon--of squealing on someone--is frowned upon. It’s a very complex topic involving language competence, group orientation and loyalty to one’s peers.

Unfortunately as a society, we seem to be so caught up in obtaining the best educational credential that we frequently lose sight of the purpose of education: obtaining skills, wisdom and understanding necessary for responsible citizenship in an increasingly interdependent world.