Promoting academic integrity in your first classroom

Many new engineering educators are not fully aware of the prevalence of cheating among undergraduates. As many as 60-75% of graduating engineering students self-report cheating during undergraduate school. New faculty members need to be aware of academic dishonesty statistics and take steps in their first classroom to prevent cheating and promote a culture of academic integrity. This preliminary research study consists of a qualitative survey of assistant professors within the first five years of their career and graduate students preparing for an academic position. Respondents were asked to provide their best estimates of cheating statistics, as well as descriptions of situations they have personally encountered and how they were handled. This paper presents the survey results and summarizes advice for new engineering educators who wish to promote academic integrity in their first classroom setting.