Abstract:

The goal of the paper is to analyze the reasons why ethical breaches are expanding within several levels in higher education. The research paper conducts a case study at a faculty from a technical university in Romania through quantitative and qualitative research with case analyses on the experience of younger teachers and the pressures they faced in student-teacher issues. Results provide insights on how important a good family educational background, applying specific regulations with fairness and objectivity and upholding high academic values by starting with one’s own example are in influencing students’ conduct, teachers’ motivation and the overall perception of higher education institutions. Conclusions show that unrealistic competitive pressures and neglecting to objectively assess one’s own work, avoiding to bear time-consuming procedures to solve student issues as well as the way higher education institutions and their budgets are financed enable non-compliant ethical behavior.