The Future of Education

Recent studies suggest that academic fraud by higher education students has increased. This phenomenon has a relevant impact on social equity, social welfare and on the fairness of social institutions. Thus, the role of higher education institutions in promoting a culture of integrity has accentuated following the changes that have taken place in higher education systems and present-day societies.

What are these institutional policies regarding academic fraud? Are these policies effective? How codes of conduct and disciplinary regulations can be sufficient mechanisms in order to combat academic fraud among students of higher education institutions?

In order to answer these questions, I will present here the limitations and the most significant and pertinent institutional policies and noteworthy examples of good practices within the Portuguese higher education system concerning academic fraud.

It is our awareness in order to be more effective that the combat against academic fraud implies an articulation of students’ actions along with teachers’ practices and institutional policies of higher education institutes. Thus, in order to contribute to create a culture of academic integrity, codes of practice / codes of conduct should be considered as part of a broader and integrated anti-fraud institutional policy.

This presentation aims to share some of the most relevant conclusions of the project entitled “The Ethics of Students and the Tolerance of Teachers and Institutions in relation to Academic Fraud in Higher Education” regarding the development of an integrated model for an effective and innovative institutional response to fraud in higher education, involving students, teachers and the institutions themselves. Overall, this study provides insights into creating a wider culture of academic integrity in which a holistic response is required, focusing on the shared responsibilities among students, teachers and institutions.