Jonathan Samaroo
Ms. Gallego
AP.2
3-8-2019
Honor codes should be present in schools to help maintain order, discipline and students work ethic. Some say that honor codes are ineffective in reducing cheating in schools. Honor codes should be implemented because it promotes a healthy academic environment. An honor system makes sure that students work is honest and fair. It is proven that when one receives a high grade on an exam when they use their knowledge, it is far more satisfying than copying the answers from someone else. Honor codes will be effective if all schools that have honor codes maintain them because they promote equal academic opportunities and can increase the integrity of students.
Some students might think that implementing honor codes makes the school a controlling environment. According to Source A, it presents the idea of a totalitarian school system by incorporating spy cams in the classroom and it is an invasion of privacy. We all admit that students should feel secure in an exam environment so that no one around them is copying their responses. I believe Source A is wrong in assuming that honor codes do not work without the use of recording technology; monitoring students in this way refutes the purpose of an honor code to protect their integrity.Another factor that I would consider unnecessary for a successful honor code is the students ' requirement to report cheating they are witnessing. This puts unnecessary stress on students who are forced from their peers to cross social boundaries and risk harassment.
Following Source F, some schools that have honor codes allow students to take their exams without exam proctors present. This will allow students to rely on peer monitoring to control cheating. The honor code system proves that this system can be implemented without monitoring students. Schools that have honor code systems make students write out a pledge of honor before completing an assignment. The overall environment is one of academic excellence with a broad sense of integrity on the campus. Source F says peer culture becomes one where cheating is considered socially unacceptable, and students would be embarrassed if other students discovered that they were cheating.
My school has serious consequences when it comes to cheating and plagiarism can get a student expelled from your course, result in your work being destroyed, and result in expulsion from your school or institution (college), in some cases permanent expulsion. If caught a second time, a suspension will be assigned to the student which is reasonable considering the offense. According to McCabe, "less than their counterparts cheat college students" (Source C). This is because punishments can go from suspension to expulsion, causing students to wonder if it's really worth it to violate the honor code. Not only that, it's a big factor to put your reputational status on the line. "Many students would just be embarrassed to have other students find out t...
