Importance Of Academic Integrity

The full definition of academic integrity is two part because it is two words. The first, academic is “a member of an institution of learning”. While the second, integrity means “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values”. (Miriam webster). So when placed together it translates easily into; a member of an educational group who follows a moral code. While this theme is at the center of many institutions of higher education and is something we as students, should strive towards, it is a largely situational topic. Policies vary from school to school. Ranging from looser honor codes to strict student conduct agreements. There are also varying levels of apathy amongst students to deal with. But regardless of what each individual thinks our society has placed great importance on a student’s academic integrity and what we strive for with education, with good reason. Having academic integrity helps us to not only be good students but a good people as well. …show more content…
The first college to adopt an honor code was The College of William and Mary in 1760. But rather then be implemented by faulty or teachers, it was the students themselves who created this ‘code’. “A set of rules that advanced the appearance of duty, pride, power, and self- esteem; and conformity to these rules was required if an individual was to be considered and honorable member of society” (Gallant, 2008) as described in Tricia Gallant’s article Revisiting the Past: The Historical Context of Academic Integrity. This code evolved as universities did, with a diverse student body flooding college campuses; men and women of all races and classes. And by the 1970s almost every institution had some form of academic honesty policy to ‘level the playing field’ in a sense. (Gallant, 2008) Transforming from honor codes to honor