Student Perceptions of the Ethics of Professors

Abstract

Ethical violations are becoming common in the business world. Teaching proper ethical behavior can begin in college. In this study, we surveyed 350 students to determine what affects students’ perceptions of the ethics of professors and to determine whether or not taking a course in ethics changes this perception. The most important factor in determining whether or not a professor is ethical is “fairness in grading.” Surprisingly, there was no statistically significant difference between students who took a course in ethics and those who did not in their perception of what makes a professor ethical or unethical. There were some differences, however, between males and females in these perceptions. By learning ethical principles at the college-level, there may be an impact on ethical behavior when in the business world.