Academic Awareness

The University Honor Council, in conjunction with the Office of Student Conduct, has mailed the incoming freshmen pledge cards to sign. A signature acknowledges that the student is aware of Penn's code of academic integrity. Although the cards are a necessary first step in making the code an integral part of Penn academics, further initiatives need to be taken.

By having students sign the card, not only do they admit to being aware of the code, but if they are accused of cheating, the excuse of ignorance becomes invalid. However, upperclassmen are not being asked to sign such cards. In order to instill the importance of academic integrity into the entire student body, the cards could be sufficient after implementing them for three more years.

According to a UHC survey conducted last spring, only 6 percent of students were aware of the code's rules. Professors need to stress the code's importance, which can be accomplished in various ways -- signing the blue books should be mandatory for an exam, and faculty should review the code at the beginning of the semester with their students.

Also, faculty should be encouraged to report cases of cheating to the OSC so that students realize that academic integrity is a serious matter. In a follow-up UHC survey conducted among the faculty, nearly 70 percent of faculty are not likely to report such cases. By not reporting these incidents to the proper authorities, they are sending a signal to students that cheating is tolerated at the University.

And the UHC can work to create a more concrete standard of academic integrity by making revisions to the code itself. The wording should be made clearer so that students can see the difference between what constitutes cheating and what does not.

Since large numbers of students have voluntarily signed the cards, it is logical to make signatures mandatory for next year's freshmen. By facilitating awareness of the code, the University can foster a high level of academic integrity among students and faculty.

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