What is Academic Integrity?

Academic integrity is in part what makes our education worthwhile. If the institution that we attend does not have a reputation of holding academic integrity, then our education in itself is seen as worthless to others. It is important that we as individuals strive for academic integrity, not only for the benefit of ourselves, but for those around us.

Academic integrity is also important for the individual because it is really a question of ethics. I think that this was perfectly put by Michael Josephson when he said "Ethics is not about the ways things are, it is about the way things ought to be." This is an excellent definition of fairness that goes hand and hand with academic integrity. The problem with today's society is that everyone believes that what society accepts as fine is absolutely fine to do. In the academic setting this could be sharing homework with others because everyone you know does the same. It could also be having someone else do your homework, because all your friends do the same thing. However I believe that this is not right. Throughout my whole life I have been working at doing what is right and not what everyone else is doing. I believe this is an extremely important value that people must hold in order to have academic integrity.

Being honest goes hand and hand with academic integrity. As Abraham Lincoln put it, "No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar." This basically means that you won't get away with lying all the time. It is also saying that you shouldn't lie either. This relates to academic integrity because if you are dishonest in your academics, you are lying to yourself, and lying to others. You are lying to you yourself by believing that it is acceptable to do and that you need to do so in order to do well in your classes. You also lying to others by making them believe that you know the material more than you really do, and that you have done the work, and deserve to get the grades that you have gotten.

Responsibility is very important in the realm of academic integrity. Rules were made for a reason. They were made in part to help leveling the playing field so that everyone has a fair chance. Many times we act in a manner that makes us seem like we think we are above the rules. This is what Ivern Ball was referring to when he said "Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it's addressed to someone else." This quote is basically a change to us all to step up and be different. Follow the rules, and don't ignore rules that others break.

Trusting others is also important for academic integrity because you have to be able to trust people in order to have supporters. Philippos says this as "If people trust and love you, you will never walk alone." Basically this is saying that if you are trusted and people love you, you will always have people there to support you and be a part of your life. If you are dishonest, you will not, which I am sure most people would hate. From this aspect you should see that you should have integrity in your academics because it really determines whether or not you will have people who care about you in life. If this is something that is important to you, who it should be, then academic integrity should be as well.

As John Wooden put it, "Respect a man, and he will do all the more." This goes along the same lines as trusting others. In order to gain trust, you probably need to gain respect first. You need to show others that you respect them in order for them to really respect you. In the circumstance of academic integrity this would be you respect others, so you are not going to be dishonest. Since you care about and respect others you are going to follow the rules and do your own work, so that those who produce the best work are rewarded the most.

This is what I believe academic integrity is. With just a few short quotes I think it can easily be summarized. I have always held academic integrity to a high respect, but this analysis of what it really is has helped me to get a better understanding that being dishonest in the academic setting is more than just cheating, it hurts everyone.