Ethical standards and codes of conduct offer opportunities for personal honesty and academic freedom of thought and expression (Exposito et al. 8; Quick and Goolsby 3). In this regard, ethics and the honor code allow taking a responsibility for the way of thinking, conduct, attitude toward others, and obtaining the relevant support. These are evidences of personal and academic integrity among students. The both types of integrity are interrelated as they concentrate on the state of being whole in everyday and academic contexts.
As regards personal integrity, it centers of individual strengths to succeed in life. Quick and Goolsby emphasize that self-examination, self-assessment, and self-correction are the main constituents of personal integrity. Implementing high ethical standards requires individual honesty in relation to peers and academics. These characteristics show that exclusive personal self-interest cannot be included in personal integrity (4). It is vital to develop personal integrity by enhancing related skills and dealing with various challenges in life (Exposito et al. 12). Overcoming the challenges contributes to personal growth because of ethics and the honor code. The concept of integrity is especially revealed in educational experiences since in-class and out-of-class activities involve complying with ethical standards. Having strong moral principles induces individuals to encourage greater tolerance and mutual support (Martin 11).
Academic integrity enables students to succeed in their academic life. Exposito et al. claim that academic integrity impacts a variety of aspects: from validity of assessments to a societal context (16). These aspects emphasize that sustaining integrity during the educational process does not only influence the inner self but also establishes reputation due to ethics and the honor code. Glendinning underlines that providing access to knowledge about the honor code and training both staff and students in academic integrity are essential (14). Additionally, academic integrity is achieved only if a student has integrity in small things. Even paying close attention to unimportant things contributes to the state of being whole in everyday and academic contexts. In this way, students are developed psychologically and socially.
Values shape both personal and academic integrity since they promote equity, freedom of opinion, and a diversity of ideas. In different social and academic settings values change individuals’ perceptions, conduct, and relationships to others (Exposito et al. 4; Martin 8). For instance, honesty as a key value in the academic context implies that you must credit others in an increased collaboration in order to present a fair view. Honesty is linked with courage which allows risking with a view to take a stand and to explore new ways for personal growth. In turn, growth emphasizes personal development, transformation of attitudes toward new concepts. The values form ethical behavior primarily in academic settings. Dishonest behavior is unacceptable even when it comes to academic dishonesty. For example, I felt ashamed after my cheating on the classmate’s paper was disclosed. Fortunately for her, she did not receive any penalty, unlike me so I failed to earn grades. In that case, I myself would have been frustrated if I had learnt that the classmate had copied my paper.
In conclusion, the state of being whole is indispensable for a man of the right stamp who promotes ethics and the honor code. Personal integrity relies on the self-approach to overcome life challenges. Next, implementing honesty, courage, and personal growth during educational experiences shape academic integrity. The interrelated types of integrity are the basis of strong moral principles which should be sustained in the educational environment.
Works Cited
Exposito, Julie Ann, et al. “Academic Integrity: Corruption and the Demise of the Educational System”, 2011. Fischler College of Education: Faculty Articles, Paper 240, http://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_facarticles/240. Accessed 20 January 2017.
Glendinning, Irene. “Reponses to Student Plagiarism in Higher Education across Europe.” International Journal for Educational Integrity, vol. 10, no. 1, 2014, pp. 4-20, http://www.ojs.unisa.edu.au/index.php/IJEI/article/view/930/653. Accessed 20 January 2017.
Martin, Brian. “Defending University Integrity.” International Journal for Educational Integrity, vol. 13, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-14. SpringerLink, doi:10.1007/s40979-016-0012-z. Accessed 20 January 2017.
Quick, James Campbell, and John L. Goolsby. “Integrity first: Ethics for Leaders and Followers.” Organizational Dynamics, vol. 42, 2013, pp. 1-7. ScienceDirect, doi: 10.1016/j.orgdyn.2012.12.001. Accessed 20 January 2017.
