July-August 2019

communities across the world. It says,
“Promoting the fundamental values of
academic integrity in education requires
balancing high standards of integrity with the
educational mission, as well as compassion,
and concern.” At UCSD and other U.S.
universities, it is fundamental, says Bertram
Gallant.
“Academic integrity is so important
because it means that you will experience a
fair education and your degree will be an
honest, respectable and trustworthy symbol of
your knowledge and skills. Without integrity,
there can be no education or learning,” she
says. “Why do so many international students
choose to study in America? Because the
market value of American university degrees
is high, and the reason it is high is because of
integrity.”
While UCSD has a rigorous program to
promote and enforce academic integrity,
Bertram Gallant notes that its objectives
extend far beyond the time students spend on
campus.
“With an emphasis on academic integrity,”
she says, “universities are developing
professionals and leaders who will continue to
act with integrity and create fair, respectful,
responsible, honest and trustworthy
organizations and relationships. A true
democratic society can only exist if the
majority of people and organizations act with
integrity.”
UCSD encourages those who witness
cheating to respond by interrupting the
behavior, redirecting the person to more
ethical choices, engaging others for help or
Photographs courtesy University of California San Diego
reporting it to authorities. But, while
violations carry consequences, the program is
educational rather than punitive, with an
emphasis on “excelling with integrity.”
Integrity Awards are given annually to campus
community members who exemplify and
promote academic, research and professional
integrity.
Most students reported for cheating at
UCSD take responsibility for their actions,
Bertram Gallant notes, and are directed into
an Integrity Mentorship Program. The 10-
week program puts them in touch with
educators, who help them explore strategies
and techniques for achieving academic
success with integrity. This approach, which
requires the students to write essays
explaining why they cheated and then
complete several other assignments, can turn
their experiences into positive “teachable
moments.”
“Our point is that just because students
make a bad decision and cheat once, it doesn’t
mean that they are ‘bad persons,’ whom the
university should expel,” says Bertram
Gallant. “As educational institutions,
universities have an ethical obligation to help
students learn from their experiences.”
In guiding students on how to avoid the
many potential pitfalls that violate academic
integrity, she suggests applying three primary
questions:
• Values: Is the action honest, respectful,
responsible, fair and trustworthy?
• Standards: Is the action prohibited by an
instructor’s or the university’s academic
integrity policy or honor code?
• Exposure: If the action was known to a
professor, would it be acceptable?
Most of all, Bertram Gallant notes, students
should be proactive in determining what is
and isn’t acceptable in terms of academic
integrity.
“People who don’t ask questions are more
likely to mess up,” she says. “They should
assume things are going to be different here
[at a U.S. university], do their homework to
find out what’s expected of them and use the
university’s resources to find answers to
whatever questions they may have.”
ICAI
https://academicintegrity.org
Academic Integrity
at UCSD
http://bit.ly/2ES7eBC
Why do so many
international
students choose to
study in America?
Because the market
value of American
university degrees
is high, and the
reason it is high is
because of integrity.
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Steve Fox is a freelance writer, former newspaper
publisher and reporter based in Ventura, California.
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