Academic Dishonesty at Farmingdale State College

By Khefren Ramon

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - In Farmingdale State College’s academic integrity policy the following is stated, “Each member of the Farmingdale State College campus community is expected to maintain academic integrity. Farmingdale State College has developed regulations concerning academic dishonesty and integrity to protect all students and to maintain an ethical academic environment.” It goes on to outline the following criteria as grounds for academic dishonesty: “Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials (including all electronic devices), information or study aids in any academic exercise, and knowingly helping someone commit an act of academic dishonesty.” The policy wraps up with the following, “Academic dishonesty is morally wrong.” With this understanding, 100 Farmingdale State College students were asked if they had committed an act of academic dishonesty while at the institute, and if so, how and why?

Of the 100 students, 88% admitted to having committed an act of academic dishonesty while at Farmingdale State College. When asked how they did so, the following were the leading methods: artificial Intelligence (73 students), looking up answers online (47 students), and looking at other’s work (6 students). Other lesser mentioned methods included: writing notes on body, working with others, using iPhone during examination, and utilizing meta glasses to send pictures of examination to a friend who would send back answers.

When asked why they acted dishonestly in their academics, students reported the following reasons: insufficient time (26 students), lack of material understanding (23 students), guarantee of a good grade (15 students), unmotivated (9 students), to save time (8 students) and it’s an easier route (6 students). When asked if they had any regret for their actions, 74% of students who committed acts of academic dishonesty answered no.

The following are various quotes from students regarding their rationale in performing academically dishonest acts: “Why should I feel bad about a good grade?”, “Over time I stopped caring, I pay for classes”, “The school doesn’t feel bad about taking my money”, “A majority of this stuff is not applicable to the real world”, “I'd have to quit my jobs to do homework”, “I’m not paying to fail”, “I feel like professors don’t care, especially online”, “Even professors are doing it, I would have a professor create the curriculum with ChatGPT”, “I do it because some professors don’t give a f**k, “I just want the right answers”, “I can’t study because I have a job and I have to take care of my dad”, “I feel bad but I have a life to live”, “GPA is all that matters”, and “At the end of they day I got my degree”

When it comes to the academic dishonesty at Farmingdale State College, current Professional Communications Department Chairperson, Dr. Noel Holton Brathwaite, had a lot to say on the matter. When asked about her awareness of the issue, she said “It’s not shocking to me and it’s not shocking to chairpersons across the campus, because it’s a topic that has come up repeatedly in our chair council meetings. It’s something we’re well aware of and concerned about.” She continued with, “The issue is much larger than someone slipping into ChatGPT here and there, it’s alarming to hear that students don’t see value in their education.” and “Your cheating yourself is such a cliché, but it’s true. It’s your education, it’s the time in your life as a young person that you have access to so much knowledge in one place. You have so many people, a library, people coming to speak with you, it’s really a unique experience. So to hear that students see it as “I’m a customer in store, you just give me what I want and let me get out of here”, is very discouraging for educators.” On the responsibility between students and educators, she had this to say, “It’s a complicated issue honestly. I don’t see students as being any more culpable for where we are than educators. I think we both can definitely do better. Us more so, because we’re educators, we need to be creating situations where you’re engaged. If you’re engaged you're much less likely to cheat.”