Academic Integrity in a Digital Age

In this section you are going to learn about how courage plays a role in developing and sustaining academic integrity. You are now aware of what is academic integrity. You are also aware of the values of the academic integrity. The question you might be having in mind is why some people and institutions perform well, whereas others do not and why most academic institutions set rules related to integrity with its associated consequences for its violations. Someone can go further to ask what it takes to make people and or institutions practice and provide services with integrity. It takes time to enhance academic integrity measures and develop strategies to sustain them.

One is now aware that to develop and sustain the academic integrity, it takes more than simply believing in the fundamental values. The fact is that one needs to develop strategies leading to translating the values from talking points into action. It is also important to note that standing up for integrity, values in the face of pressure and adversity requires determination, commitment, and courage. It involves saying no to receiving bribes so that you remain honest. For students it is important to be aware of academic integrity so that they are ready for taking the consequences of their own actions. It is common to hear in some Universities and college that if you want to pass certain courses just give a bribe to college workers. It means if college members have the courage to stand up for integrity, values, students will follow lessons and have fair competition.

Courage is not a fundamental value, but rather it can be related to a quality or capacity. In many communities, courageous people are often misunderstood as lacking fear, whereas they have the capacity to act in accordance with their values despite the imposed fear.  It is common to hear in Universities, colleges, universities and community that those who commit dishonest cases do not want to be disclosed because of the negative consequences they might face, including losing their personal values of the social community. The one who is revealing is said to be courageous that is ready to take up the consequences of preventing dishonest actions. Therefore, courage is an element of character that allows people to commit to the quality of their actions by holding themselves and their fellows to the highest standards of academic integrity even when doing so involves risk of negative consequences or reprisal.

For one to be courageous, one has to be determined to act in accordance with one’s conviction. It is important to note that courage should be developed along one’s professional development because, like intellectual capacity, courage can only develop in an environment where it is tested. At the University, college and other professional development, capacity building are the venues in which one is tested. It is more important when these values are developed in the early years of University study. Academic integrity, therefore, necessarily includes opportunities to make choices, learn from them, and grow. Through this iterative process, courage, honour, and integrity can develop as interwoven and mutually dependent characteristics.

Students and staff who do display courage in pursuit of integrity not only become role models, but also do increase standards for learning and scholarship. It is the difference in courage displayed by academic members that creates performance differences in colleges and universities. All academic members are a product of community that is forged and becomes a key foundation for building habits of civility for a lifetime. According to Füzér (2016)courage, is the first of human quality because it is the quality that guarantees the other.  This statement indicates a need to develop strategies towards making academic institutions becoming centres on creating the culture of integrity. To do this each social member is responsible for creating opportunities to its members in developing human qualities. It is common to find institutions and companies with good laws governing their operations but not being implemented. It is therefore important for members of academic communities to learn not only to make decisions with integrity, values in it, but also to display the courage necessary to follow their decisions with action. Only through the exercise of courage is it possible to create and maintain communities of integrity, strong enough to endure as responsible, respectful, trustworthy, fair and honest regardless of the circumstances they face.