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The professoriate is a gatekeeper, determining a student's first exposure to ethical standards, traditions. Many observers of contemporary academic culture have documented cases if irresponsible and unethical behavior within the professoriate. Examples include lateness for class, use of vulgarity in scholarly forums, showing favouritism among students, improper use of campus funds, plagiarism, sexual liaisons with students, failure to properly perform administrative duties, and, most basic, unwillingness to uphold the value of truth in teaching and research.

La Commission de l'éthique et de la lutte contre la corruption (Celc) a animé une conférence-débat le 6 mai à l'Université de Kinshasa pour sensibiliser les étudiants sur la manière de tourner le dos aux anti-valeurs. A Brazzaville, le professeur d'université toucherait 1.200 dollars Us, en Angola, 2.000 dollars Us, en Ouganda, 2.500 dollars Us. Des salaires bas peuvent "encourager" la corruption dans les établissements scolaires.

The IIEP/UNESCO report "Corrupt schools, corrupt universities: What can be done" has identified private tuition as a major source of "unethical behavior" in India, observing that it has become a major industry, consuming a considerable amount of parents' money and pupils' time. Together with private tuitions, two other major problems that face the Indian education system are the manipulation of entrance test scores and teachers absenteeism.

As a result of the increasing economic scandals, business universities and schools around the world are now interested in including ethics classes in their programs. They are concerned with idea that students are not equipped to deal with ethical dilemmas, therefore several activities that involve the analysis of the causes and consequences of the crises, visits to convicted of fraud and projects to change are taking place.