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Importance of academic integrity for students
Importance of academic integrity for students
Importance of academic integrity for students
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Value of the Honor Code Throughout the nation, many high schools and colleges have used or still use what is called an honor code. An honor code is a pledge made by the school that states that student are not allowed to cheat, steal or plagiarize another student or author 's work. Students are also expected to inform the school if they see another student breaking the honor code. It is imperative that schools maintain the honor code to prevent cheating and dishonesty amongst its students. The honor code is what most schools use to defend against cheating and other dishonest acts. In today 's world, cheating is becoming more and more common among students. Two-thirds of fourteen thousand college students who were polled admitted to cheating …show more content…
Having an ineffective system is just as bad if not worse than not having one at all. Also, peer-pressure is a very influential force in a student’s life, regardless of age, and using that to create a world of academic integrity is a powerful asset. Honor codes are intended to teach responsibility, self-respect, and integrity. A strong honor code will make sure that students understand that the strict consequences of cheating will outweigh the rewards that students may receive by trying to take advantage of the system. It is important that students are taught at a younger age to have integrity and also avoid tempting decisions such as cheating, dishonesty, and plagiarism. This helps the students develop a pride in doing their own work. The honor code is critical to success of students of all ages and must adapt to the advancement with new technology …show more content…
Students who are under the honor code generally feel the same amount of pressure just like students who are under the non-honor code system do. However, students under the honor code see it as an integral part of integrity to their school or university. Honor codes stresses that students are responsible for policing each other and ensuring a leveled academic playing field. Some honor codes also involve students who help determine what some of the punishments can be when the code is broken. Students under the barrier of an honor code feel as though they are in a community of trust and loyalty to others and themselves and also to honor the trust and expectations from others (Can We Trust School Honor Codes to Prevent
The essay, “Standing Up for the Power of Learning,” by Jay Mathews explained how one of many students was accused of academic dishonesty. During the regular school session of the year 2001, three fourths of 187 students at Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) were found guilty of cheating. This was because they collaborated on an assignment in a computer science (CS) course with friends. By communicating with others about the project, the students violated the course honor code that prohibited the discussion among students for that particular class.
That stomach churning feeling of guilt for many seems to appear as a small price to pay when completing an act of academic dishonesty. Colleen Wenke wrote an essay on cheating eighteen years ago called “Too Much Pressure”. In the past fifty years, the number of students who admit to cheating has increased fifty to seventy percent(Gaffe). Many people wonder what leads the students to make this unjust decision. Today, the reason for a rise in cheaters is because of how easy it has become, leading many students to the false conclusion that they aren’t breaking any rules; It is simply viewed as a shortcut to success in the classroom and beyond.
However, this may stem from a lack of enforcement of the rules. Even at the most prestigious schools, such as Harvard University, students are not upholding the rules implemented: “The possibility that 125 Harvard students ‘improperly collaborated’ on an exam in the spring has galvanized … discussion about … honor codes” (Source: C). In this case, people may argue that the only party at fault consists of the students. However, the faculty may be partially guilty as well, as their lack of care towards the rules has created a situation that jeopardizes the school’s integrity. Revision may then seem like the least of the school’s priorities, as they must show they seriously consider educational integrity. Likewise, at the University of Virginia, “157 students have been investigated by their peers in the largest cheating scandal in memory” (Source: D). Again, the school and all those who work there hold at least part of the fault for this ignorance because, theoretically, they should preserve and enforce the rules provided. The fact that the scandal exists means that they were not doing their jobs to their fullest. Although revision may seem simpler to carry out, the school’s staff must show an attempt at intervention within the student lives to keep them on a path towards
Honor Code has evolved over the years and its becoming more strict in its ways and flaws. “Taggert accused the administration of using the code to punish rather than to help students improve themselves” (Bergera). It lists of forbidden acts are antiquated and invade the students’ sense of privacy without truly defining the quality of honor. Other seemingly arbitrary codes such as no herbal tea, no short skirts and no beards are strictly enforced. Even Jesus Christ could not have attended BYU without shaving first. As a m...
In “Why Colleges Should Ditch Honor Codes” Susan Greenberg is trying to inform the audience as to why society does not require the honor code anymore. The rules that lie behind this regulation are becoming outdated and more students are finding themselves punished for disobeying it. A lot of honor code schools are trying to get rid of this process because it only brings the students more pressure. Typically, students that are in honor code schools tend to cheat more than schools that do not possess it. If a student is enrolled in a more prestigious school, he/she is more tempted to cheat in order to maintain his or her good grades. Greenberg explains a situation that took place in Stanford University that led more than 100 students in academic
Ethics or rather morals entail mechanisms that defend, systematize as well as recommend conceptions of right or wrong. Many organizations develop ethical codes to ensure employees and employers understand the difference in doing good or bad. In that respect, ethics are an essential aspect of successfully running of any organization or government. Ethics ensure employee’s productivity levels are up to the required standards. It also assists them to know their rights and responsibilities. Additionally, employers, as well as any persons in management, are guided by them to ensure they provide transparent leadership. Ethics also defines how customers should be handled. Ethical codes govern the relationship between customers and an
Across the nation, schools, colleges and universities have established honor codes in their campuses to discourage cheating and promote academic integrity. Whether or not their honor codes are effective is a topic well debated and both sides have merit. At my school, Brookwood High School, the honor code should be revised, for only in an environment where the students are involved, consequences for cheating are high, and a culture of honor and integrity are established, can such as system thrive and succeed.
After some research on other university honor codes, the processes of honor codes are really similar to the University of Colorado at Boulder. In fact, Colorado State University (CSU) have a similar honor code pledge as us, which is “I have not given, receive, or used any unauthorized assistance. ” Comparing the discipline process between here and CSU and Stanford University, they are looks identical but written differently. However, the discipline from Stanford are harsher than here an CSU. From the Office of Community Standard Student Affairs website, “the standard sanction for a first offense includes a one-quarter suspended suspension. ” While CSU, they have a bit more lenient sanction for a first offense. From the CSU website, there are
All penalties are handled in an all-student court. The author states, “Our honor code is strictly enforced, and the enforcement is handled by an all-student court. Students convicted of lying or cheating can expect to receive punishments ranging from suspension to expulsion.” (Source C) Enforcing the honor code in this way give the students an input on how the students are charged. In order to inveigh a student for cheating or plagiarism, the they must have evidence leading up to the accusation of cheating. This way students will have laws of a propensity to cheat or
Studies have shown that, “…many schools with academic honor codes allow students to take their exams without proctors present, relying on peer monitoring to control cheating…a more important factor seems to be the peer culture that develops on honor code campuses—a culture that makes most forms of serious cheating socially unacceptable among the majority of students” (Source F). By using peers to uphold the honor codes, students are embarrassed if they are caught cheating. Therefore, they are less likely to defy the honor code at their school. However, if they break the honor code they should be punished by the same students and teachers who revised the honor code. Honor codes will be revised and enforced differently. For example one school’s, “honor code is strictly enforced, and the enforcement is handled by an all-student court. Students convicted of lying or cheating can expect to receive punishments ranging from suspension to expulsion” (Source C). If the honor code is in place, it needs to be enforced by the same people who follow it. This creates trust between the students and teachers which is how an effective honor code should
The Honor Code system is the moral expectation of trusting students to confront and report their fellow peers when they see that he/she is not obligating the honor code policies. The Schools should eliminate all honor code policies. By eliminating the honor code policies the high schools and colleges will accept that the non-reporting of lying, cheating, and plagiarism is inevitable whether or not the students sign the honor codes. The schools will gain back the trust and respect of the students by changing the overall atmosphere. Not all schools have the abilities to prove these honor codes effective.
Having a honor code or system in schools promote integrity. This code is the school's position on practices such as cheating, stealing and plagiarizing, along with the consequences of violating the code. Source C explains that the punishment of violating the code ranges from suspension to expulsion. Going even further, a consequence that has been carried through has been taking away a student’s diploma after he/she has graduated (Source D) . By having this penalty, it forces students to move away from the temptation to cheat or plagiarize. Students are now aware of the consequences of their action when they violate the code. Schools, such as the University of Virginia, have students memorize a saying that confirms that their work is nothing but theirs; students also have to write this saying on all their tests during their college career (Source D). Having students continually see and write this statement is a constant reminder
An honor code can affect students’ behavior positively by the student knowing between what is right and what is wrong; that builds a principle that student will follow for the rest of their life. Honor codes reduce the amount of cheating that is occurred in classrooms, this is very beneficial since cheating is looked at very negatively since it is a very dishonest way of showing your knowledge. Also, if a student has cheated their whole way through high school, their life would be much more difficult. An honor code not only gives a school a better name, but it also shows that the kids that come out of the school are honest and hard workers. We need honest hard workers for several important jobs, such as a doctor, etc. If people were cheating and did not learn what they were supposed to know for this job, that can become very harmful. An honor code is necessary to make the world a better
Modern students face many pressures for academic success. They are often unwilling to disappoint their parents or spouses. Some fear that not cheating will weaken a student’s ability to compete with their peers. They rationalize their unethical behavior, unwilling to accept a poor grade, consequently justifying cheating as the only means to that end.
Competition in schools may be the main cause of cheating and plagiarism. Putting in effort to enter a college with a good grade point average or sufficient credits can be difficult, it is why many would prefer cheating from others work. Honor codes could prevent the act of cheating or plagiarism along with building trust within students. Students should feel comfortable in their environment, not having to worry about someone looking at their paper. Which is why I believe an honor code system should be established in every school.