2008 Woodie Awards
Academic Integrity Revisited
Michael Lavner
Issue date: 8/31/05 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 3 next >
Yeshiva's academic guidelines stipulate that it is firmly committed to "the highest values of both Judaism and Western Civilization." This commitment requires each student to maintain the "highest moral, ethical, and academic standards." Cheating and plagiarism are serious problems that need to be addressed and I wholeheartedly accept and embrace the administration's demonstration of its commitment to these critical values by imposing and enforcing rules to uphold them. Honesty is the value that solidifies the foundation of our lives. While cracks in the foundation of a building may temporarily be disregarded as negligible defects, the structure begins to crumble and eventually collapses over time.
However, it would be intellectually dishonest to call only on students to act with academic integrity. A true commitment to academic integrity must be universal and, in our case, accepted and enforced by all the members of the institution, including the faculty and administration of Yeshiva. A policy that upheld anything less would fail our university's important commitment to uphold the "highest values of Judaism and Western Civilization." It is not my intention to make any accusations, specific or general, regarding the excellent and dedicated faculty and administration of Yeshiva. Simply, the concomitant beginnings of a new school year and the Jewish month of Elul, when Jews dedicate themselves to introspection and self-improvement, make for an excellent opportunity to revisit these concepts.
For example, professors who employ a grading method not solely based on student performance, compromise academic integrity. While factors such as one's family members or religious background (often reflected in a dress style), may guide and determine our interpersonal relationships with each other, they must be deemed irrelevant in the classroom. The challenge and responsibility of an impartial teacher is to ignore such factors and ensure that a student's grade is only an honest reflection of his performance in the course.
However, it would be intellectually dishonest to call only on students to act with academic integrity. A true commitment to academic integrity must be universal and, in our case, accepted and enforced by all the members of the institution, including the faculty and administration of Yeshiva. A policy that upheld anything less would fail our university's important commitment to uphold the "highest values of Judaism and Western Civilization." It is not my intention to make any accusations, specific or general, regarding the excellent and dedicated faculty and administration of Yeshiva. Simply, the concomitant beginnings of a new school year and the Jewish month of Elul, when Jews dedicate themselves to introspection and self-improvement, make for an excellent opportunity to revisit these concepts.
For example, professors who employ a grading method not solely based on student performance, compromise academic integrity. While factors such as one's family members or religious background (often reflected in a dress style), may guide and determine our interpersonal relationships with each other, they must be deemed irrelevant in the classroom. The challenge and responsibility of an impartial teacher is to ignore such factors and ensure that a student's grade is only an honest reflection of his performance in the course.