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OK, so maybe you've spotted a classmate or two taking a sneak peek at someone else's answers in chem class. No big deal, right? If it went unnoticed by the teacher, that's one thing, but in College there's a whole new set of rules. Serious rules. Rules that can lead to probation, suspension, or -- gasp -- expulsion. Here's an inside look at dishonest academics and just how grave it can get, from plagiarizing a paper or "borrowing" a friend's bio lab write-up, to blatantly cheating on an exam.

Cheaters Never Prosper
Think we're kidding? Those who cheat suffer harsh consequences. If you need proof, check out this story in which 10 students failed a class for cheating.

Grace Ann Rosile, assistant professor of management at New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM), caught on that her students were sharing answers via high-tech tactics. Multiple-choice questions and posting a version of the exam with correct answers on a wall outside the classroom led to co-conspirators text-messaging a virtual cheat sheet to students inside the classroom.

Why would she post the answers outside her classroom, you wonder? So students could check their answers immediately after turning in the exam. "This way, students got instant feedback on their scores," she explains. When she caught on to the widespread scholastic scam, she realized she could either look the other way or face the situation head on. This recent recipient of the Champion of Integrity award from the Center of Academic Integrity decided to pursue the matter.

After the original seven suspected students were questioned, six more were charged with cheating. Of those 13, three students were not even in her class. The results? The guilty students failed the exam and the class, and Rosile changed her test format to include short answers and essay questions. "The students who actually commit the act of cheating are not the only problem," Rosile warns. "The students who witness or condone cheating are responsible as well."

Got Integrity?
Students at Loyola University (New Orleans, LA) wanted to find out the real deal on student ethics, so they spread the word about academic integrity and won the 2005 Bateman Case Study Competition. The national student competition was established to allow members of the Public Relations Student Society of America to prove their analytical skills and public relations expertise at the college level.

The savvy five-member Loyola team began their marketing campaign to determine the level of awareness regarding academic honesty among fellow undergraduates and faculty at the university, as well as at area high schools. Turns out that 39.8 percent of students at Loyola and 88.2 percent of the high school students admitted to cheating.

The team's true mission became clear: to educate students about the significance of academic honesty as well as the realities of unethical behavior. The team quickly discovered one of the problems was Loyola's broad honor code, which simply stated all academic work should be done by the individual student. Not to mention that the code was difficult to locate online -- students didn't even know where to look for it.

They started a "Check Out My Ethics" crusade, implying that like a pair of jeans, integrity is timeless and for everyone. The team wanted students to invest in academic integrity on a personal level, encouraging them to "make it your own."

They created brand awareness with a logo and slogan, "Academic Integrity is a Personal Choice;" put tent cards in the library; partnered with key resources on campus; and hosted events like a "Careers with Character" panel featuring three professionals in diverse careers discussing integrity in the workplace. The students added some fun to the equation with a "Mr. and Miss Integrity Pageant" and a "Family Feud"-like game. During the monthlong campaign petitioning for a new honor code, they emerged victorious both on-campus and with the award.

Risky Business
Whether your school has a clear-cut honor code or not, academic dishonesty is risky business. According to Gunnar Fox, author of "Kick A--- in College: A Guerrilla Guide to College Success" (KickA--- Media, 2005), cheating is not only morally wrong, it is also highly risky. "Colleges and Universities have become increasingly sophisticated in their safeguards against cheaters, and they will seize an opportunity to make an example of someone," he says.

Whether it's buying a paper online or Googling to plagiarize sources, faculty like Dr. Andrea Frantz, assistant professor of communication studies at Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, PA), have found ways to combat academic fraud.

By requiring primary and secondary source citations, students must speak to local experts and provide contact information for lengthy writing assignments. "I warn my students that I do random source checks; I will call a source to verify how and when the student conducted the interview and assess the accuracy of the quotes," she explains. In the end, if students are busy setting up and conducting interviews, facing source checks, and meeting deadlines, taking the time to hire a ghost writer would simply slow them down.

In addition to creating tougher assignments, Frantz notes institutions are taking a tough stance on plagiarism. For instance, Wilkes University's communication studies department developed a policy that can have a negative impact on dishonest students' futures. If students are caught plagiarizing, they will not receive any letters of recommendation from faculty upon Graduation, a threat that goes a long way for career-focused students.

Prevent Academic Theft
While you're responsible for maintaining your own integrity, it's important to be true to yourself when you're a witness to cheating.

"If somebody went inside your home, trashed your room, and stole your CD collection, would you feel guilty about snitching or ratting them out to the police?" asks Fox. "In most circumstances, you wouldn't hesitate."

Likewise, he says, don't be surprised if one of your fellow students is inclined to point the proctor in the direction of obvious cheating, or inform the professor about a stolen test. "It would be their right. After all, what price do you put on a semester of hard work?"

Beyond violating academic honesty policies and tarnishing his or her GPA and reputation among future employers or graduate schools, the cheater also takes something away from everyone who studies the old-fashioned way. Consider this: If a group of students mysteriously aces an exam in a less than legit way, it could potentially wreck a class curve; your hard-earned grade might be brought down a letter or two.

Get the Edge
"It takes as much time to cheat effectively -- fashioning 'cheat sheets' and developing other devious means -- as it does to study effectively," Fox points out. His advice? "Get a long-term edge on students who cheat, and actually learn the material."