Description

An aspiring emergency medical technician cheats on professional examinations at a technical college to earn his EMT certification. How comfortable would you be with this person rendering aid to you in an emergency medical situation? Would a surgeon who committed academic fraud in medical school be your first choice to conduct a life-saving operation on a loved one? As an employer, would you trust the competency of a certified public accountant who cheated on accounting examinations throughout college? As a juror, you learn that a police detective cheated on examinations in college and in the police academy. Might this taint your perception of his professionalism and trustworthiness on the witness stand? How would it make you feel to learn that your child’s elementary school teacher committed academic fraud to earn a teaching degree in college? Could you trust that person with your child’s academic development? Academic dishonesty is falsification of individual work done with the intent of creating an untrue impression of one’s competency. According to Emrys Westacott (2008), “All instances of academic dishonesty are attempts to appear cleverer, more knowledgeable, more skillful, or more industrious than one really is…The goal is to produce an appearance that is more impressive than the reality” (p. 21). Those who cheat depend on the work of others to prove themselves as an individual. The problem is they are stealing from others to gain an unfair advantage and violating the principles of integrity, honesty, and individual responsibility. Those who intentionally engage in academic dishonesty display a lack of personal responsibility to do the right thing. McMahon (2015) claimed academic cheaters have an external locus of control in that they tend to blame their lack of knowledge or preparation on other people or circumstances and become very good at offering all kinds of excuses for their failures. In contrast, “Students who do not cheat do not need to; they study and blame only themselves when they fail” (McMahon, 2015, para. 5). These students demonstrate an internal locus of control in that they hold themselves responsible for their own academic success, choose to make their education a priority, and do not procrastinate in addressing their academic responsibilities. During the enrollment process all students sign the Reinhardt University Honor Pledge, which is maintained on file. Through this pledge we commit to uphold the principles of integrity, honesty, and individual responsibility in our academic endeavors. Take some time to review the pledge found in Unit #3 course materials. Read the internet articles found in the Unit #3 “read” section as well as the University’s Academic Integrity Policies. Read the items found in the Unit #3 Read Section. Review the Reinhardt University Honor Pledge found in Unit #3 Course Materials. Next prepare a discussion post that fully addresses the following: 1. Explain potential consequences associated with the commission of academic dishonesty (personal and professional). 2. Explain why you think some college students cheat. 3. How might planning, prioritizing, and time management serve to reduce incidents of academic dishonesty.

Get Homework Help Now