Abstract:

In order to improve the culture of academic ethics a team of researchers of one Lithuanian university conducted a research on ethical issues in their academic community. Although the research questions were focused on academic ethics and academic integrity and responsibility as its core principles, collected data also revealed the significant impact of the principle of solidarity on the development of culture of academic integrity.

This paper presents one part of the research and is based on empirical data collected during 15 individual semi-structured interviews with university lecturers. According to respondents, academic ethics (as well as academic integrity) reveals itself in a relationship based on mutual respect, equality, trust, and empathy. They distinguish four main types of relationships in academia: student – student, student – lecturer, lecturer – lecturer, lecturer – administration. The aim of this paper is to reveal manifestations of solidarity within academic community and its impact on shaping the culture of academic integrity from the perspective of university lecturers.

As results of the research indicate, lecturers believe that academic integrity is the goal of both students and lecturers, based on the agreement of academic community members on integrity standards and encouraged by the integral mutual relationship. In order to achieve this goal the academic community must work in corpore. Interviews with lecturers have revealed different forms of solidarity in their daily relationship with students, colleagues and administrative staff. Although lecturers tend to observe negative forms of student solidarity during tasks performance, but still they tend to collaborate with students and colleagues in maintenance of academic integrity. Lecturers also expect a support of university administration in this matter.

Keywords:

Lecturers, academic integrity, solidarity, collaboration, academic misconduct.