Academic integrity status, strategies and challenges among selected ASEAN University network members: Bases for an action plan for a state university

Abstract

This mixed-method study explored the status of, strategies implemented, and challenges encountered by selected ASEAN University Network (AUN) Members in promoting Academic Integrity by means of a researcher-developed questionnaire and interviews. There were 52 respondents, purposively sampled, ranging from administrators, faculty members, librarians, guidance counselors, student council officers, and others from AUN members in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Philippines. Data were gathered from March 2018 to March 2019. The data were converged in the interpretation phase to give depth and breadth to the analysis. Results and findings revealed that selected AUN members have been promoting academic integrity for decades already, with regulations involving and evolving towards the "language-ing of academic integrity". Moderate involvement was found from members of the university in the promotion of Academic Integrity, through non-coordinated efforts. Interview data also suggested that the University Psychologists, Registrar's Office, the University IT System (or MIS), and Human Resource Offices have unobtrusive involvement in these initiatives. Academic Integrity promoting strategies. advanced in the questionnaire were claimed to be fully implemented among selected AUN members and these include Academic Integrity Policy (or other forms of written statement); Education, Awareness, Information Dissemination; Research Office Initiatives; Faculty Members' Involvement; and Academic Integrity Committee strategies. Those described to be not implemented were justified by the qualitative findings. Selected AUN members consider a myriad of challenges in promoting academic integrity. Among the list given in the questionnaire, "Lack of Trainings and Programs", ranked first. Followed by "Lack of awareness and understanding of academic integrity policy", "Lack of sustainability of programs", and "Limited time during orientations", equally on the 2nd rank; with "Lack of extensive campaign and information drive about academic integrity" on the third rank, among the fourteen items specified as challenges, in the questionnaire. Furthermore, challenges in promoting Academic integrity not originally included in the questionnaire emerged out of the interview data. These include: obsession with rankings, point system, or metrics system of universities; not enough experience from junior faculty members teaching research; shared- authorship issues; handbooks are often filled with vague clauses; difficulty in implementing sanctions with faculty members who committed plagiarism, among others. Keywords. academic integrity, ASEAN University Network, contract cheating, diploma mills, plagiarism