Page 54 - Keys to College Success

KEY 1.6 You benefit from academic integrity.

Earned knowledge Mastering integrity now
equals lasting knowledge makes it a lifelong skill
Why
Academic
Integrity Is
The Rewards of College
Worth It
Standing up for your beliefs Doing the right thing
earns respect from others increases self-esteem

Violations of academic integrity include turning in previously submitted work,
using unauthorized devices during an exam, providing unethical aid to another stu-
dent, and downloading passages or papers from the Internet. Consequences of vio-
lations vary from school to school and include academic integrity seminars, grade
reduction or course failure, suspension, or expulsion. Many schools have legal sys-
tems that investigate and try accused students in a court-like atmosphere, with
decisions made by honor council members (often a mix of students and faculty
members).
When you enrolled, you agreed to abide by your school’s code of honor or aca-
demic integrity policy. Find it in your student handbook, school website, or in your
syllabus, and read it thoroughly so you know exactly what it asks of you. Measure the
consequences of violating the policy against the risk of working hard to complete your
degree with integrity. Which reward would you choose?
It may seem that a slip here and there is no big deal. However, as Professor Taylor
states in his letter, “Personal integrity is . . . a quality of character we need to nurture,
and this requires practice in both meanings of that word (as in practice the piano and
practice a profession). We can only be a person of integrity if we practice it every
day.” Finally, know that a growth mindset can help. Because academic integrity
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comes naturally to students who see struggle and failure as opportunities to learn,
maintaining a growth mindset promotes academic integrity and makes its rewards
more obvious (see Key 1.6).

Self-Sufficiency

Many students have a “helicopter parent” (one who hovers over and monitors a child)
or a “Velcro parent” (one who is constantly calling, texting, or emailing, unable to
unhook). Despite loving intentions, both types of interaction can hamper a child’s abil-
ity to function independently. This can have negative repercussions for adult life, where
children need to make their own way through the minefield of life’s challenges and
adversities.
College is an ideal time to learn how to advocate for yourself in pursuit of the
reward of independence and confidence. When you are tired, overwhelmed, strug-
gling with coursework or a personal relationship, butting heads with an instructor,
or forgetting due dates for tests or assignments, you are now your own first line of
defense.
When a problem appears, take the risk and ask an instructor, advisor, counselor,
dean, RA, or friend for help. The reward is the ability to benefit from resources around
you, one that will use throughout your life as you encounter workplace and personal

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