9.5: Academic Integrity- Why Does It Matter So Much?

Learning Objectives

At the end of this section, the learner will:

• Locate and summarize the Student Code of Conduct for your academic institution
• Identify academic integrity violations

Student code of conduct

Academic institutions understand and values the hard work and effort you put into earning your degree. It is that understanding that makes the faculty and administration committed to ensuring that your degree has value when you enter the career of your choice. It also ensures that your future employer knows that you are honest, ethical, and competent in your skills. These standards apply to scholars at all levels, and as a student, you are now part of the scholarly community and must abide by the policies that apply to all scholars.

This commitment by your college or university is non-negotiable and every institution will have an academic integrity policy on their website. If you are unsure of the academic integrety policy at your college or university, you can use Google to search for your institution's name and "academic integrity policy" to find it. Faculty, students, administrators, and classified staff share responsibility for ensuring academic honesty in your college community. It is important for you as a student to understand the policies. There are some sample statements below, please read them and reflect on the similarities between a community college and two universities.

Sample Student Codes of Conduct Statements

Bakersfield College: Any test, paper, or assignment submitted that bears BC students' name is presumed to be the own original work that has not previously been submitted for credit in another course unless you obtain prior written approval to do so from the instructor.

Valdosta State University: All students are expected to do their own work and to uphold a high standard of academic ethics. Any violations of this policy may result in the academic penalties outlined in the syllabus and may also be referred to Student Affairs for further disciplinary action. In addition “no student shall engage in plagiarism, which is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were the student’s own.” Content generated by an Artificial Intelligence third-party service or site (AI-generated content) without proper citation is another form of plagiarism.

Boston University: For students, the Code establishes an environment of integrity and professionalism that helps to assure each individual receives appropriate recognition for their work. The ethical decisions that students face in an academic environment are similar to those they will encounter routinely in the professional world they will enter upon graduation or where they are currently employed. The Code allows faculty to conduct a fair and accurate evaluation of student performance and to maintain a supportive and just learning environment. Academic integrity is a critical component of such an environment, giving faculty the freedom to extend their role as educators to include serving as mentors and colleagues as well as instructors.

Specifically, policies on Academic Integrity prohibit students from engaging in the following behaviors:

• Cheating on an examination or an assignment, which could include:
  • copying the work of another; allowing someone to copy; engaging in written, oral, or any other means of communication with another; giving aid to or seeking aid from another when not permitted by the instructor;
  • using material during an examination or when completing an assignment that is not authorized by the person giving the examination or making the work assignment, including, but not limited to, electronic or digital devices such as calculators, cell phones, camera phones, scanner pens, palms, or flash drives, etc.;
  • taking or attempting to take an examination for another, or allowing another to take or attempt to take an examination for you;
  • using, obtaining, or attempting to obtain by any means the whole or any part of an examination or work assignment that is not provided for your use by your instructor;
  • any act designed to give an unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such an act.

• Plagiarism, meaning the unacknowledged incorporation of someone else’s work in anything that is offered for credit.
• Collusion, meaning working with another student on homework or other assignments that are offered for credit when the faculty member hasn’t given permission to do so.

Each class you attend will have a syllabus that outlines the expectations of your work as a student in that professor’s course. Every syllabus should have a statement regarding the expectations for academic integrity in that specific course. It is important for you to read this policy and to ask clarifying questions of your professor. Some faculty members will encourage working with others to problem solve homework, whereas some faculty members have strict policies against discussing homework with other students. Each course will be different, and it is your responsibility to be certain you know and abide by the policies in each of your classes.

Unfortunately, as a student in higher education, you may face obstacles that provide challenges to your academic integrity. Many students find they are pressured by a friend who hasn’t prepared appropriately for class to share their assignments. Others find themselves stressed due to procrastination, and still others are pressured to maintain the highest grades and so make the decision to cheat, plagiarize, or collude to overcome those obstacles. What you must understand is that the consequences of cheating, plagiarizing, and colluding far outweigh any temporary benefit you may receive.

Activity – Academic Integrity Case studies

Academic Integrity Case Studies

Discuss the following case studies with a classmate or your professor.

Case Study A

A student is in a class that is held in a computer lab. All the tests are computer-based. In preparation for the midterm examination, the professor gives several old versions of her tests for the students to use for practice/study material. One student responds to all of the practice tests in electronic format and saves them on his desktop.

The midterm exam date rolls around and the professor indicates that the test will be open book. When the exam is passed out the student realizes that it is identical to one of the practice tests that the professor distributed for study material. The student pulls up a folder on his desktop marked Study Test Responses and copies and pastes his answers from his practice test directly to his examination.

Has the student committed academic dishonesty?

What would your response be if you knew that the student was a part of a study group and that they answered the practice test questions as a group?

What if the student and another student who was a part of the group both used the “group responses” in their examination?

Case Study B

A student submits a paper on the “History of Nursing.” The student cites all her sources in a references page and does an in-text citation for any direct quotes. One section of the student’s paper is below:

According to Wikipedia, “Nursing comes in various forms in every culture, although the definition of the term and the practice of nursing has changed greatly over time.” One of the oldest definitions of the word from the English language is a woman who is hired to suckle and generally care for a young child. Later, this developed into the concept of looking after someone, not just meaning a woman looking after a child. Nursing has developed into this later definition, although the concept of nourishing in the broadest sense refers to present-day nursing and the promotion of quality of life.

When the professor goes to check the student’s sources she stumbles upon this Wikipedia article:

Nursing comes in various forms in every culture, although the definition of the term and the practice of nursing has changed greatly over time. The oldest sense of the word in the English language is a woman employed to suckle and/or generally care for a younger child. The former being known as a wet nurse and the latter being known as a dry nurse.[1] In the 15th century, this developed into the idea of looking after or advising another, not necessarily meaning a woman looking after a child.[1] Nursing has continued to develop in this latter sense, although the idea of nourishing in the broadest sense refers in modern nursing to promoting quality of life.

Has the student plagiarized?

Why or why not?