A New Direction: Stepping Away from Traditional Approaches of Punishment in Response to Academic Misconduct

• In Event: Institutions and Restorative Justice

Abstract

Academic dishonesty, otherwise referred to as academic integrity violations or more commonly known as ‘cheating’, is a highly prevalent issue in higher education (Jurdi et al., 2011, p. 1). The phenomenon of cheating is not a contemporary issue, as its origins can be traced back to ancient China where examinee and examiners were subjected to life threatening punishments such as execution if cheating was detected (Smith et al., 2013, p. 89). Eaton et al. (2019) found that between 50 and 90% of students attending Canadian universities self-report engaging in academic dishonesty (p. 6). These estimated rates of academic dishonesty are consistent with findings in other countries (Grimes, 2004; McCabe et al., 2001) and such rates are similar across genders (Eaton et al., 2019). In summer 2020, 42 of 189 students in a large introductory course in Canadian criminal justice at Simon Fraser University, violated expectations set regarding academic integrity during a remote midterm. Traditional responses to academic dishonesty often treat such instances as a violation against institutional policies and respond with punitive discipline to deter future academic misconduct (Sopcack & Hood, 2022). However, the course instructor chose to respond with a restorative justice approach that shifted the focus from blame and punishment to problem solving and healing. In this presentation, data is collected from 41 student surveys, 37 discussion posts, and 108 final exam responses to understand how restorative approaches serve as an alternative to retributive responses to academic misconduct in higher education. Many students recognized the potential benefits of a restorative approach as opposed to a retributive approach in relation to student learning and development. In addition, students felt a restorative approach could prevent future misconduct and enhance deterrence by encouraging student involvement by allowing students to share their thoughts and learn from their mistakes.

Authors

• Jasmin Naidu, Simon Fraser University

• Sheri Fabian, Simon Fraser University