Academic Integrity In College

RJ Gare Gare 1
09-27-13James
Eng. 101-032
Academic Integrity: how to solve the problem at MCC
When considering the academic integrity, or lack thereof, amongst today’s college students, it is important to understand that there are a variety of reasons why students cheat. More importantly, they have been influenced by faculty members as well as teachers they had in high school. While every college is different and made up of unique demographics, it is generally true that there are students who will always cheat, and students who will refuse to cheat. In order to preserve academic integrity at MCC, the focus has to be
shifted to the students in the middle who usually don’t cheat, but can be influenced to do so by their peers or the ignorance of their professors. These are the students who need to be involved in one way or another with the formation of policies and “honor codes” that they will agree to abide by. By involving students in this process, they will become more familiar with academic integrity and how cheating impacts everyone, not just those who cheat. They will also become more engaged and they will want to do their part to influence others not to cheat as well.
While many students cheat, and have a variety of reasons for doing so, by far the most popular reason for academic dishonesty is convenience. For example, if a student has a professor who they know doesn’t check the work properly for plagiarism, then they Gare 2
Will be more willing to cheat because they know they have a minimal chance of getting caught.
However if that same student had a professor who strongly reinforced the importance of academic integrity, they may be less likely to cheat because there would be a much higher chance of getting caught. This will only work to a certain extent however because if there are not harsh punishments, students will not fear getting caught. One of the most effective punishments for academic dishonesty can be seen at the University of Maryland. “The standard sanction for academic dishonesty at Maryland is the "XF" grade penalty, noted on the transcript as "failure due to academic dishonesty." Students may petition the Honor Council for removal of the "X" from the transcript one year after being found responsible for an offense if they successfully complete an academic integrity seminar (Office np).” In order for it to be successful, the “XF” grade would have to be mandatory for every class with every professor responsible for reporting all incidents of academic dishonesty. The downfall to this method is that there are many professors who simply don’t take the time to analyze and check to make sure work handed in to them was not plagiarized.
While students must accept their responsibility to do the right thing and preserve academic integrity, faculty members should be expected to do the same. If this means that they have to change their schedule to allow them more time to properly analyze and
check the work for plagiarism then they should do so. Another way professors can influence students is to spend time at the beginning of the semester discussing academic integrity and how it affects everyone. Another step that must be taken to improve academic integrity is a survey of all students at MCC to determine what percentage of Gare 3 students cheat, or could be influenced to cheat. This survey should be given to students every semester to show the affect of new policies and codes on students cheating.
Another factor that has contributed to the increasing academic dishonesty by college students is the adversarial relationship they were exposed to in high school.” An AP history exam, for example, can invite an atmosphere in which the class perceives itself in a competition with the test makers and thousands of other students taking the test.(Dichtl) In high school students are taught that their only goal and purpose in education is to pass the final exam.
This makes students feel like they are playing a game rather than going to school to learn. Because of this, students consider their work less important and, seeing as their goal is to pass a test, why would it matter if they cheated on a simple homework assignment? In order to combat this problem, MCC and other colleges need to work with local high schools to develop a plan to educate students at the middle and high school level to appreciate academic integrity and understand how it affects everyone. Studies have shown that the percentage of students who admitted cheating decreases as they go up in grade. This is likely a result of them hearing over and over again the importance of academic integrity in college. If this process were to start at the high school level, students would be more educated about the issue and would be more prepared to not cheat in
college
Therefore, while some students will continue to cheat regardless of what happens or the consequences, the majority of students can still be taught the importance of academic integrity and can be influenced by those around them to preserve it. By focusing on academic integrity early on in the education process, students will be more prepared and willing to work hard for their grades rather than try to take the “easy way out.”
Works Cited
Reference List
Dichtl J. Teaching Integrity. History Teacher [serial online]. May 2003;36(3):367. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed September 25, 2013.
Office of student Conduct. “Questions and answers about the code of academic integrity.” UMD. n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013