The case of the academic credentials falsification of the administrator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Marilee Jones, is one of those stories that we often hear and can be more memorable for long time. Marilee Jones resigns after admitting she “misrepresented” credentials on her resume, according to Reuters. But we need first to understand when falsification or misrepresentation of academic credentials occurs. Falsification or misrepresentation of academic credentials happens “when someone falsely represents to anyone that he or she received credits, grades, a degree, certificate or other credentials that the person never received or earned” (“UW Registrar”, n.d.). According to Reuters article, Ms. Jones admitted her Second, it violates the integrity of the academic process, as the loss of education integrity will impact the social and cultural identity. Finally, it creates an issue of public safety. Do you know where your doctor, lawyer, or clergyman earned his or her degree? In 1986, a congressional committee report concluded, “more than 500,000 working Americans have a fraudulent degree… In a recent case, a man with a fake medical degree was put on trial for manslaughter after a patient died from incorrect medication” (Ezell, 2005). The academic credentials falsification can have serious consequences such as influencing others to commit the same misconduct, especially, the young generation. In addition, this issue leads to a loss of respect and confidence since we can no longer trust someone who lies According to the state Attorney General's Office, he was found guilty on the charge of larceny under $250. Middlesex Superior Court Judge Dennis J. Curran sentenced McDonough to serve two years of probation, and ordered him to pay $20,000 in restitution. McDonough was also ordered to perform 50 hours of community service. (“Bolton man convicted”, 2008) As we can see, when it was discovered that the MIT administrator had falsified her academic credentials on her resume, her resignation is an appropriate punishment for her unethical conduct and is only fair to her peers and the students of MIT. Additional punishments for this fraudulent act may also be evaluated and should be discretionary to her employer for deliberately deceiving them. Whether the MIT should seek legal proceedings or not, this can be based on the consequences this misconduct may have caused the MIT as the
sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. The case against him was largely
have harsh consequences, but he took the chance. In fact McMurphy took one too many
Groves, S. L., & Groves, D. L. (1981). Professional Discretion and Personal Liability of Teachers in Relation to Grades and Records. Education, 101(4), 335-340.
Moeck, P. G. “Academic Dishonesty: Cheating Among Community College Students.” Community College Journal of Research and Practice 26 (2002). 479-91.
Dr. Morris states, “Despite the increase in interest [on ethics], there are pressures on schools to produce students who make money their top priority, particularly from school rankings that are based partly on how much salaries increase after graduation. Built into those structures are incentives to behave unethically” (Gardner, 2). In this case, the bottom line for the school is its school ranking. If schools are able to produce top students with secure and high salaries, the prestige of the school increases. Often times, the pressure for students to perform well is coupled with incentives such as a sense of entitlement as a “valedictorian” or a “magna cum laude” student. Within this context, it is important to keep in mind how money is perceived as a means to an end. With an increased yet secure salary comes a hierarchy of status, power, and image for both the student and the school. . In the real world, there are a limited number of seats for those to be on the top, but many people fighting to attain one of those seats. Competition creates much tension between students of the same school since the opportunity to advance and secure financial stability is appealing and restrictive. Personal integrity may be compromised by students who choose to cheat their way to the top. Unethical behavior such as cheating during exams or projects, lying
The academic integrity of many academic institutions nationwide is becoming more challenging. This case study presents an example on how the academic integrity of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles is being challenged after they’ve decided to inflate students GPAs.
Kaplin, W., & Lee, B. (2014). The law of higher education. 5th ed. San Francisco, CA. Jossey-Bass.
...phen M. Wallace. Judge Montgomery sentenced him to 11 months 29 days with 9 months in jail and the rest of his sentence on probation.
Hanson, J. R. (n.d.). Fraud or confusion? RDH Magazine, 19(4). Retrieved 3 15, 2014, from http://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-19/issue-4/feature/fraud-or-confusion.html
The case under review occurred in the city of Newton against a backdrop of economic decline, political disenchantment, and a widening racial divide. A Newton High School senior,Sheila Allison, is accused by her teacher of plagiarizing a book review. Mrs. Durnitz, the teacher, reported to the school principal that Sheila admitted to taking material from the web but claimed she did not know that doing so constituted plagiarism. The district’s policy states that students found guilty of plagiarism must receive a failing grade and repeat the course. Mrs. Durnitz feels that Sheila, having a copy of the student handbook in which plagiarism is discussed, should have known that what she did violated the policy. The teacher also believes that the policy, drafted by the teachers who teach honors classes and approved by the administration, must be followed to the letter despite any extenuating circumstances.
In the United States, the negative implications of misrepresentations of
In the event they build a career, they are likely to be deemed unproductive and ineffective. In fact, some of their colleagues may suggest that they earned their qualifications through doubtful means. With time, the entire institution is ridiculed, and even after the situation is rectified, it is difficult to disprove its association with academic misconduct. Therefore, it is important for universities to put in place certain regulations to ensure that all students and faculty members follow the set academic codes and principles.
Academic integrity is defined as the moral code or ethical policy of academia. With all morals and regulations, it is easy to fall short of them sometimes. This is primarily evident in the education system. Cheating is an often broken rule of academic integrity. The struggle to maintain academic integrity throughout college students has been an ongoing battle between cheating versus honesty, habitual repeat offenders versus commitment to integrity, and collusion versus cooperation.
Defined as any "theft of ideas and other forms of intellectual property whether they are published or not" (Jones, et al, 2001), academic dishonesty occurs often, usually in the form of cheating or plagiarizing. Students face temptations to cheat and plagiarize throughout their academic career. Unlike past generations, the majority of modern students are taking advantage of unethical, academically dishonest opportunities. Since technology is evolving continually, students are engineering methods to apply technological innovations to cheat or plagiarize – academically cheating themselves from the education provided by the academic community.
The issues and infractions mentioned above are examples of what is and has occurred at universities nationwide. This is not an isolated problem. As these corrupt acts of academic fraudulence and plagiarism continue to reoccur, it is slowing chipping away at the prestige and respect that make these educational establishments what they are suppose to be, institutions of the highest learning. By treating academics as a secondary concern to the athletic primacy, universities cannot fully accomplish their sole purpose. These acts of immoral and unethical procedures do not permit the schools from maintaining unblemished academic environments. Although part of the universities' goals are to create well rounded students, this objective should not come at the expense of academics, corruption, or unethical behavior.