Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity
Name
Institution

Violation of the Code of Academic Integrity
One of the events that have shaped my academic life is being involved in a plagiarism saga. Precisely, in one of the microbiology class, I submitted a capstone, which had varying levels of similarity index from published articles. The code of academic integrity definitely prohibits using other people’s work and attempting to deliver it as my own without acknowledging the source. I also failed to cite all the sources and passages. Moreover, I delivered the appropriate citations although I did not change the wording, and structure of the copied thoughts and ideas (Wan & Scott, 2015). Most of my sources were inaccurately cited which led to high level of plagiarism. For this reason, the originality of the work was quite poor because I did not utilize my own ideas. In fact, I relied profoundly on the work of other people. The university considers cases of plagiarism as an abuse of copyright laws. In addition, such cases can lead to discontinuation or failure because it is academic cheating. The university categorizes the cases of plagiarism as a serious academic offense (Kolb, Longest & Singer, 2015).
Some of the factors that contributed to decision to copy various pieces of publications without acknowledging the sources were attributed to academic procrastination (Anderson, Shaw, Steneck, Konkle & Kamata, 2013). In this regard, I did not take close attention to develop my own ideas. More importantly, I learned that the most effective processes of avoiding plagiarism are to take time in planning for the assignment and paraphrasing the paper (Wan & Scott, 2015).

Finally, it is imperative to evaluate and analyze the sources used in preparing the paper.
How My Values Played into These Decisions
Research indicates that academic integrity is founded on an obligation to adhere to essential values of responsibility, respect, fairness, trust, and honesty. My decision to plagiarize was a demonstration of academic dishonesty, which leads to cheating and failure to meet the required expectations. Academic honesty represents the value that the work of a learner is authentic and original (Kolb, Longest & Singer, 2015). Therefore, it should be conducted with the help permitted based on the university guidelines, policies, and rules. It calls for intellectual property, scholarship, ideas, and the words of others to be rightly accredited. Dishonesty in academia affects the original thought, hence the student does not learn to remain innovative. Moreover, academic honesty calls for delivery of own work even in circumstances where the information can easily be accessed from the internet. Similarly, it encourages students to prepare their own papers and correctly referring to resources (LaDuke, 2013). As a student, I was required to believe in the standards and values of the school and ensure that my behaviors are consistent with those of the school.
Academic integrity implies that I can be trustworthy to my academic mentors, tutors, and professors. Such persons can know that they can put your faith in me to perform my tasks or assignments effectively (LaDuke, 2013). The academic trust also ensures that I can do the right thing. In addition, when individuals appreciate a person believes in undertaking the right thing, and his/her character is in conformity with that belief, they are able to trust him/her. The academic integrity is based on the capability to trust one another (Wan & Scott, 2015). In this respect, establishing appropriate ethical behaviors in my education will assist to encounter ethical issues in the workplace.
My decision to avoid plagiarism in the future is informed by the fact that upholding academic integrity is vital because it offers value to my education. The current job markets prefer persons with the high level of personal ethics and integrity (LaDuke, 2013). More significantly, maintaining values of academic integrity is vital since it can deliver peace of mind since an individual has confidence in doing the correct thing.
The adherence to academic integrity helps to promote moral education and students’ development. In addition, it assists in the development of an all-round growth of the students. In so doing, I am able to cultivate an integrity culture that plays an integral role in the utilization of important quotes, reacts suitably to cheating, and establishes proper vocabulary in writing (Anderson, Shaw, Steneck, Konkle & Kamata, 2013). Completing my assignments requires the highest level of integrity and honesty because these characters contribute to the success of professional and academic life. Focusing on personal assignments establishes a teacher-student relationship because it facilitates interaction. I also realized that engaging in preparation for assignment without cheating play an essential part in realizing mutual trust and respect between a teacher and his/her students (Wan & Scott, 2015). Consequently, I observed that such kind of relationships could promote better recommendations and references.
Values and the Way They Influence Decision-Making
Meanwhile, academic integrity is essential not only in the university but also in the professional world. The claims of academic misconduct can affect an individual after many years after completion from college or university. Therefore, it can affect someone’s reputation in the workplace. In this regard, academic misconduct is a severe transgression, which has adverse effects on my professional and university career (LaDuke, 2013). Persons who are involved in such misconducts have a higher tendency to become corrupt in the workplace. Vigilant responsiveness to academic integrity in the university raises the credibility and effectively prepares learners for the workplace. In so doing, I have acquired reasons why I should not reproduce statements, words, and ideas of another individual without acknowledgment (Kolb, Longest & Singer, 2015). I should not utilize unauthorized notes, information, materials in an educational exercise.
What I Should Have Done Differently
Based on my personal experiences, participating in honest academic work prepares a student for the real work experiences. In fact, the job market requires people who have the repute of being truthful. Inability to observe the institution’s code of ethics can adversely affect the opportunities of acquiring admission to academic learning centers of one’s choice (Wan & Scott, 2015). Similarly, I comprehended that failure to meet the culture of honesty could affect the students’ chances of acquiring better employment and the chance to grow their career.
Steps to Avoid Such Misconducts
Throughout my life as a student, I have appreciated the need to uphold integrity and honesty in all my academic work. Moreover, I have resolved to acquire a good reputation for maintaining highest standards of honesty by demonstrating integrity in my assignments (Anderson, Shaw, Steneck, Konkle & Kamata, 2013). Firstly, I have determined to learn all the honor codes of my school and to ensure that I have met all the set laws and guidelines. The majority of instructors and schools provide their integrity statement at the main page on their channels such as on the website (Kolb, Longest & Singer, 2015). I have also realized the need to make inquiries from professors and teachers to give more information about honesty policies with respect to each classroom. The majority attaches detailed policies on the course outlines or syllabus and they are free to ask questions if clarification is needed. In order to avoid cases of plagiarism and academic procrastination, I have decided to plan thoroughly for coursework and other assignments so that I can avoid the temptations to cheat (LaDuke, 2013). Besides, I made a decision not to permit other learners to copy my work. Finally, I decided to report any case of academic dishonesty to the professor or teacher.
I have made a decision to uphold academic integrity while doing my assignments because it fosters personal values and morals. Such personalities are reflected in my credibility. At my personal capacity, I realized that sustaining academic integrity in my education represent my true academic achievements (Kolb, Longest & Singer, 2015). It also indicates that I am dedicated to earning my degree in an honest and fair manner by committing my time to research and completion of assignments. I also discovered that when a learner deliberately cheats via his/her institution, this integrity is affected and the value of the education is diminished. Similarly, the morals of a person engaged in cheating are weakened. The absence of academic credibility is transferred into the job market, which can affect my career goals (Wan & Scott, 2015). Research has indicated that persons who participate in academically deceitful behaviors in colleges are expressively more likely to cheat, be dishonest, or be involved in crimes such as stealing or fraud in the workplaces (Macfarlane, Zhang & Pun, 2014).
2-page Letter to a Fictional Student
What I Have Learned
I have learned that upholding academic integrity is very crucial because dishonest practice undermines student’s learning. Additionally, engaging in academic misconduct negatively affects the credibility of the education standards of our university (Macfarlane, Zhang & Pun, 2014). Meeting high levels of educational integrity protects student’s reputation and it is replicated on the university. I have also learned that preserving academic integrity helps in promoting the well-being of the community (Kolb, Longest & Singer, 2015). Equally, breaches of educational truthfulness reduce the public trust of my university and its students in academic accomplishments.
Each academic institution fits in a particular community and must meet its obligations to that community. Safeguarding these responsibilities sustains the high regard in which college qualifications nurture and hold public support for academic principles. It is evident that avoiding violation of an academic code of conduct helps to be proud of the great levels of academic integrity that students strive for in their education (LaDuke, 2013). Societies grow when exceptional levels of integrity are maintained.
Based on my experience, I have realized that academic integrity affects a wide range of stakeholders. For instance, it has an impact on the entire academic community such as administrators, coordinators, researchers, teachers, and students. More importantly, it affects professional career because a dishonest student is more likely to be engaged in the fraudulent activities (Wan & Scott, 2015).
The most vital reason why students must endeavor to maintain integrity is that every human relationship is founded on people capability to trust each other. However, such associations depend on honesty. People are able to create strong relationships with persons who are trustworthy or honest (Anderson, Shaw, Steneck, Konkle & Kamata, 2013). Engaging in academic malpractices undermines the principle of fairness. In case a learner cheats, he/she obtains a short-term benefit over other learners, which is not fair. In this respect, it is against the principles of fairness to submit a paper, which is plagiarized when others are providing their own ideas (Macfarlane, Zhang & Pun, 2014).
The Kind of Resources That Exist on and Beyond Campus to Support Academic Integrity
Various academic institutions have invested many resources aiming to support the integrity of the education (LaDuke, 2013). Precisely, they deliver resources to promote students comprehension of tenets of integrity and be responsible for the utilization of sources. Some of these include the writing centers, institutional guide to the utilization of sources, and online tutorials. Some universities enroll students in the writing centers, which are operated by skilled tutors (Wan & Scott, 2015). They offer individual discussions and seminars to learners handling a writing assignment. Instructors are also accessible for consultation on essays, coursework, and dissertations. Secondly, guidance to the utilization of sources provides important data about the application of materials and other references in academic writing. It delivers advice on how to accurately incorporate sources into the academic writing. Thirdly, online tutorials are useful because they support learners’ obligation to academic integrity. Therefore, they participate in 20-minute online lessons. Such resources enable the student to take part without worries about failing or passing. By providing real-time examples, the students are able to learn how to remain honest in his/her academic cases (Kolb, Longest & Singer, 2015).
Advice on Ways to Avoiding Academic Dishonesty
A number of ways can be utilized to avoid academic dishonesty. Firstly, a student must be committed in his or her own statements, words, and ideas by acknowledging the source. In this regard, it enables elimination of plagiarism (Kolb, Longest & Singer, 2015). It encourages learners to cite sources throughout the paper and ensuring that all ideas are consistent with the requirements. Furthermore, students will avoid fabrication of bibliography in order to produce the required standards. Similarly, cheating can be avoided by utilization of certified notes, information, and materials in an educational exercise. Therefore, it will avoid submission of the same paper more than once devoid of instructors’ approval (Wan & Scott, 2015). Students can also maintain academic integrity by delivering correct information to a teacher concerning an academic work. Finally, a learner should avoid the action of assisting others to engage in academic dishonesty. Therefore, they must not permit others to copy assignments, papers, or exams (Macfarlane, Zhang & Pun, 2014).
Interview with a Professional in Public Health Science
Name of the interviewee: Dr. John Miller
Position: Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences
Dr. John Miller is the Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences in my university. The position he holds is very important because it relates to my career aspiration as a public health specialist in the future. He also acts as my role model in this field because he is a person of integrity (Anderson, Shaw, Steneck, Konkle & Kamata, 2013). The interview was conducted to assess the significance of integrity not only in the academics but also in the public health practice.
Questions and Answers of the Interview
What does integrity mean to you?
In my view, integrity refers to adhering to ethical or moral conviction and participating in the right thing in every situation even though no person is watching you. A person with integrity is an individual true to himself or herself and cannot engage in matters that can dishonor or demean him or herself (Wan & Scott, 2015). Similarly, integrity is an individual value of fairness that all human being aspire. Integrity also refers to engaging in the appropriate thing in a consistent way.
How does your character and ethics factor into the work you do?
A proper moral character is required in my work as the dean of students. For instance, I demonstrate a suitable moral character towards my students and I handle them with respect, they are likely to emulate my traits even in their academics (Anderson, Shaw, Steneck, Konkle & Kamata, 2013). They are also able to establish an appropriate relationship with their tutors. More importantly, my ethics and character can negatively or positively affect the student’s ability to develop a decent moral personality (LaDuke, 2013).
How important is it to make ethical decisions in this field?
The decision taken on an ethical issue in the field of public health depends on priorities and values. Importantly, values refer to issues that human being thinks are essential for who they are. In most cases, they are communicated in statements such as ‘dishonest is wrong’. Peers, education, religion, and family influence such values. In the field of public health, ethical decision-making calls for identification of options and their probable consequences (Kolb, Longest & Singer, 2015). It is important to make ethical decisions in this field because it helps to meet people’s expectations and acquire their trust.
What advice would you give others aspiring to your field regarding ethical conduct in school and the field?
For persons aspiring to be in my field, they should be guided by the principles of ethical conduct. They should also understand that honor is acquired only via trustworthiness. Most significantly, trustworthiness is the basis of a great integrity in academia. Without it, you cannot succeed in winning the confidence of your colleagues (Wan & Scott, 2015). However, when an individual is trustworthy, his/her actions and words deliver extraordinary value. They avoid making unnecessary excuses for not meeting the expectations or obligations.
Reflection
From the interview, I have learned that it is imperative to conduct myself in a trustworthy manner, which leads to honorable academic life and workplaces. Being honest is more valuable than money. Therefore, all persons must strive to meet the ethical standards when doing the academic assignments and professional work. Integrity is one of the most important values that any person seeks in his or her workplace. It is the symbol of a specialist exhibiting sound ethical and moral principles in the workplace (LaDuke, 2013). Additionally, an officer with integrity upholds his/her principles when interacting with stakeholders, customers, and co-workers. On the contrary, a person without integrity is incapable of accepting the difference between dishonest and honest deals by normal standards. Integrity is the credentials of being truthful in all your endeavors whether in the workplaces or academics. It also involves maintaining robust moral ideologies (Kolb, Longest & Singer, 2015). For persons aspiring to work in the public health science, they need to hold themselves to reliable ethical and moral standards. People consider integrity as the truthfulness and honesty or precision of one’s practices (Bretag, 2013).
From the interview, I have discovered that it is important to participate in ethical decision making because a person can be able to appropriately organize their actions and goals to achieve the essential values. Furthermore, it helps to sieve one’s choices to define if any of my options will violate key ethical standards or values (Wan & Scott, 2015). In so doing, an individual can eradicate any unethical actions or options. Furthermore, it assists to recognize persons who will be disadvantaged by the decision.

References
Anderson, M. S., Shaw, M. A., Steneck, N. H., Konkle, E., & Kamata, T. (2013). Research integrity and misconduct in the academic profession. In Higher education: handbook of theory and research (pp. 217-261). Springer Netherlands.
Bretag, T. (2013). Challenges in addressing plagiarism in education. PLoS medicine, 10(12), e1001574.
Kolb, K. H., Longest, K. C., & Singer, A. J. (2015). Choosing Not to Cheat: A Framework to Assess Students’ Rationales for Abiding by Academic Integrity Policies. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 9(1), 9.
LaDuke, R. D. (2013). Academic dishonesty today, unethical practices tomorrow? Journal of Professional Nursing, 29(6), 402-406.
Macfarlane, B., Zhang, J., & Pun, A. (2014). Academic integrity: a review of the literature. Studies in Higher Education, 39(2), 339-358.
Wan, G., & Scott, M. R. (2015). Start them early and right: Creating a culture of academic integrity in elementary schools. In Handbook of Academic Integrity (pp. 1-13). Springer Singapore.