Honor Code Pros And Cons Essay

Honor codes have been a strong subject of dispute over the last few years. Whether to hold students accountable for their own actions, and allow them to control the cheating in a school is, in all regards, a major decision that could potentially be detrimental to a school’s society and reputation. However, the rewards for a successful honor code are exponentially higher than the cost. Schools should always have some form of honor code in place, whether it be something like a signed contract at the beginning of each semester paired with an honor court to hold violators accountable, or something as simple as a statement of trust on a worksheet.

Integrity plays a big role in my academic life. Integrity builds trust between teachers and students. Good student-teacher relationships are developed from trust

The existence of honor codes has had basis in helping students learn since their inception, but there are still those who object to their very definition. Nearly every institution centered around the education of children has some sort of code of conduct or set of rules in place for the betterment of the students. However, the term ‘honor’ in the title ‘honor code’ is what people can occasionally take issue with, as the term often implies a much more respectful idea. This issue leads one to question the purpose of honor codes. Although honor codes, like that of the school in Tobias Wolff’s Old School, exist for the purpose of bettering the students by ensuring that they all have an equal chance and that they all do their own work, Mr. Ramsey objects to his school’s honor code because he believes in a much more personal and valuable meaning of the word ‘honor’.

Colleges and Universities across America have enforced what they describe as strict admittance policies, that leave high school seniors fighting tooth and nail to receive an acceptance letter from the school of their dreams. As reports show however, once students reach this highest form of education, less and less reading, studying and academic related activities are taking place. President Obama implied that every American should have the right to a college-level education, in fact, he stresses the vitalness of a higher education in correlation to a prospering America. Chace gives us the perception that Americans today look at a college education as a leisure to middle class families. So with all of this tedious work to get admitted to a college, why are reports showing less studying going on within the school?

As a student develops the question of a honor system within themselves is based on his or he own integrity. The problem regarding that is it honor codes can range from elementary schools to college. Several may argue honor codes unsuccessful in decreasing cheating or lying in schools. While others may argue that honor codes should be enforced because they promote an honest academic environment within any school. In my opinion, I do agree the honor system should be enforced at my school because it’s only fair to students who do their own work and is also punishing those who cheat while also cheating themselves.

If a college campus harbors an environent where cheating is seen as acceptable and an activity many people participate in, even students with correct morals and no desire to cheat themselves are less likely to report fellow students for unsavory behavior. This can also go a step further and that same student who failed to confront a peer for cheating, may give in to the school’s atmosphere and start cheating themselves. This makes them all the less likely to report other students for fear of appearing hypocritical and/or being reported themselves. A study on honor code effectiveness was completed by Sally Sledge and Pam Pringle at a small public university (Source E). Their results showed that only 8% of students would report a fellow student for cheating. Even more surprisingly, 40% of students anonymously stated that they had “violated the honor code and not been caught”. This points to a very cheater-friendly attitude at this particular school and shows that the honor system is not very effective in this

A solution has been proposed to raise values of honesty and integrity within a student body. The solution is the establishment of “Honor Codes”. It is said in Source that the success of the honor codes depend on the student body. Cheaters will encourage cheaters or honesty will win. I deeply believe that schools should establish the honor codes because they will set up an educational environment with better student-teacher relationships,

“At the University of Virginia, there’s a saying that students soon commit to memory: ‘On my honor as a student, I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment/exam.’ Students write this on every test in every class during their college career, pledging as their predecessors have since 1842 never to lie, cheat or steal.” (Source D) By making students write this statement, it creates a false sense of trust that can be abused. They are more likely to cheat because they think that no one will notice just because they wrote a saying on a paper. By putting the honor code in students faces, it creates a fake trust that can be easily

When an honor code is strictly implemented, for example by making students sign a paper that states that they will not cheat, it will negatively affect their ethos, or character, when they do cheat. In an environment where honor codes are implemented, if a student get caught cheating, that student will be deemed a bad person and lose everyone’s trust never to gain that trust again fully no matter how hard he or she tries. Increasing the awareness that the students can get caught and reminding them that they have “responsibility to perform honestly in the school environment” (Source B) discourage them to cheat. As a result, implementing an honor code provides an environment “where students and faculty could live in complete trust of one another” (Source B). Students should not have to worry about the consequences they will face just because another student is cheating off of them.

Honor codes are becoming very common among many American colleges. This uprising in honor codes is due to increased rates of plagiarism and dishonesty amongst many students which has become much simpler due to the advancement of the internet and smartphones. Many high schools are following suit of college in enforcing an honor code and my high school should as well. Based on my experiences and the provided sources I have read my school should enforce an honor code to prepare students for a college institution and its rules and punishments.

Schools often have honor codes, which prevent academic dishonesty. Honor codes talk about punishments if found cheating and ways for the school to prevent cheating. Honor codes are very important and should be in all schools.

     Throughout my years at Xavier and beyond I intend to follow the Xavier Honor Code so I can become a cooperative and responsible person. By being a student at Xavier I notice I will have to take responsibility of my actions and faults. In order for Xavier to trust me and to allow me to continue attending their school, I will have to follow their rules and be respectful. Not only should I do these things, but also I have to respect myself in order to respect others. In following the Honor Code at Xavier I will learn more about others, the school, and myself. The Honor Code will impact my academic and campus life because it will lead my way to the

I have on many occasions encountered an honor code of sorts whether it be from school, my job or just being a respectable citizen of society. In all cases, I have upheld the honor code to the best of my abilities and not in any single case, have I violated such code. I attribute my behavior to the environment in which I was raised as child. I was raised in a family that valued discipline and respect for others. I was taught at a very early age to respect your fellow peers especially your elder, obey the rules of society and so on. My grandparents did not hesitate to punish me if I strayed from “normative” behavior and this only ensured that I as a child will learn not to do such things ever again. I was also raised a catholic and as a catholic,

First honor codes are proven to help stop cheating and plagiarism. But it is the student's responsibility to stop that person from cheating. In source B many students said they did not want it to be their responsibility. If a school has an honor code but most students are uncomfortable turning in fellow students it defeats the purpose of having the honor code. Once the honor code is well established with good sensible rules students might think the honor code is beneficial.

Academic Integrity is significant to the University because we came to school to not only learn education but to learn moral things for the future. Education is very important, but if we do not obtain moral concept we could hardly follow the right path when we graduate from school to be a crew of society; therefore, University should educate people who disobeyed the rule of Academic Integrity and correct their behavior.