April 15, 2007

Student Affairs Leader - April 15, 2007 - Fulll Issue PDF
…

Working Toward Academic Integrity
By Shawn McGuirk
Cheating is a thorn in the side of deans, faculty, and advisors who work to support student success. As our author notes below, researchers tell us that 70 percent of students admit to cheating and 44 percent of faculty who are aware of cheating have never reported it. It’s a vexing, self-destructive student behavior that ranks among the most unpleasant of problems to manage. We asked Shawn McGuirk, the director of student conduct, mediation and education at Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts, to provide some guidance. – C.S.

On-Campus Report Capsules
An online survey of 578 parents of high school-aged students likely to attend college, conducted by IPOS for StudentProspector.com, does not do much to challenge the “helicopter parent” stereotype.More

Ten Tips for Talking About Cheating
By David Callahan
What messages about cheating are most likely to change student attitudes and behavior? To date, there has been little research to help us answer this question. Absent such work, those concerned about academic integrity should share their insights about what messages seem to work with students and why. In that spirit, I offer the following reflections:

On-line Tools for Parents
By Marjorie Savage
An informal observation of students walking across campus indicates that at least half are talking on their cell phones. Judging by snippets of conversations, many of them are talking to a family member. “I know, Dad. I washed the car last night.” “Tell Mom and Dad I called, and I’m coming home this weekend.” “Hi, Mom. Yeah, I just finished the test. It was fine. Talk to you later. Bye.”

How Should Student Affairs Help Students Learn About Diversity?
By Arthur Sandeen and Margaret J. Barr
Diversity has probably received more attention than any other issue in American higher education in the past 40 years. As student affairs leaders, we understand that our role extends far beyond removing barriers and improving access. Among our most important responsibilities as educators is to help students learn to be effective citizens and leaders in a complex society, where differences in race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical ability, and gender can be understood and celebrated.