STUDENT ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY
Learning through own ideas is the core foundation of academic. In order to thrive in learning any student should not counterfeit any idea or seek to form grounds of the unfair advantage to any member. This dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism and professional misconduct among others. University has established standards to prevent and discourage academic dishonesty. These standards are based on the pursuit of knowledge and the high level of integrity that is needed in the academic community. This prevents the violation of academic dishonesty to ensure that education is given a meaningful act and foster fair process of learning (Arum and Josipa, 33).
Cheating is an attempt by a person to obtain assistance academic exercise without any due acknowledgment (Bleeker, 90). Honesty is an academic practice that is essential to learning. With honesty cheating can be eliminated transparency in learning can be achieved. This involves the students, faculty, administrators and the staff who are all involved in learning in one way or another. This practice requires the discussion of an activity that may violate the great spirit of honesty. To achieve this active and vigorous discouragement of cheating is required. The policy of emphasizing and fostering academic dishonesty through cheating recognizes the great need to clear any consequences of this behavior that tends to violate the policy. This is can be achieved together with fair procedures of judging the cases that result due to cheating.
The foundation of personal integrity is based on honesty. This increases the individual own and creative ideas since there is no room for cheating. Honesty also promotes and facilitates substantive learning. With honesty achievements are made possible and they are recognized due to the effort put in them. Through honesty, the work of others is respected (Bleeker, 93). This enables effective cooperation among members of the university.
Plagiarism is another reason why university have established standards to prevent dishonesty (Bleeker, 97). This is the use of other thoughts and language presenting them in others original work. This ranges from the attribution of someone’s original work and paraphrasing their work without citation. This in wholesale is cheating. The standards put in place by the university are meant to limit especially the students from using others work and try to make them more creative. This also avoids severe career damages and avoid the breach of ethics as it is a moral offense. This also prevents students from civil law cases that may arise from copyright infringement that may adversely affect the institution in the extreme edge. This standard also avoids the serious consequences it may have on a student and also calls for greater emphasis for students to be creative (Bleeker, 97).
Professional misconduct is the improper grading of the students in their oral or paper exams. This involves grade fraud, assistance in cheating, and deliberate negligence. This is mostly done because of personal biases and favor towards a particular student. Soliciting for bribes from students which will make the teachers increase the performance rate of the students is also a form of professional misconduct. Occasionally this can trigger sexual favors or sexual harassment all directed to the academic achievement (Bleeker, 98). With the standards put in place, professional misconduct is minimized to zero. This eliminates the biases teachers or a staff may have towards students. This tries to level all the grounds for teaching and make all students equal with none feeling superior to any other. It eliminates such manipulation and makes and promotes students to work hard and achieve academic grades on the right grounds. The standards also make them aware of the possible consequences if one is found guilty of any offense.
Cheating, plagiarism, and professional misconduct can translate my future course and post-graduation career. This is because they are in one way or another hindering the transparent and due course of learning that requires sacrifice and commitment to see on thriving in the program. The learning process should be free from this obstacle because the learning experience and program is put in jeopardy. This will hinder the true grades of an individual and will result to half-well prepared professional for the job market. Creativity is also limited. This makes the students lazy and will look for simpler and easier ways in which they can pass (Bleeker 100).
Academic integrity is sabotaged that may hinder me from completing my own work (Bleeker, 97). This also disrupts the learning process. The university and the students are unable to meet their objectives as a result of this exercise. The post-graduation career program will, therefore, be simply a routine rather than an educative process that will make the best professionals. If this is allowed to happen I would not personally put any effort since the whole process would be so simple (Arum & Josipa, 50). This will affect the overall academic integrity that is supposed to be evident in the whole process to increase credibility, accountability, efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of learning. With this standard put in place, academic objective and integrity will be achieved to enhance and strengthen competition in the university.
References
Arum, Richard, and Josipa Roksa. Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011. Internet resource. 35
Bleeker, Karen C. To Be Honest: Championing Academic Integrity in Community Colleges. Washington, DC: Community College Press, 2008. Print.
