There are serious penalties for engaging in unethical cheating on a college campus. First and foremost, cheating compromises the foundations of the educational system, which are honesty, accountability, and justice. It makes for a less level playing field, with some students having an unfair edge over others, leading to an unequal distribution of marks and chances. In addition, it creates a culture of shortcuts and dishonesty, which devalues education and diminishes its importance. This might cause people to lose faith in the educational system, making degrees and certifications earned dishonestly seem less impressive.
There are serious moral issues involved while cheating. It betrays the faith of teachers, and the school has put in their pupils. In addition to being unethical, it also shows a lack of regard for the work of others by stealing it. The institution’s credibility and trustworthiness may suffer if cheating is tolerated. From a utilitarian standpoint, college cheating would be wrong since it harms more than one person. Although the cheater may reap some immediate benefits, they risk ruining their professional standing and future opportunities in the long run. Also, students who do not engage in cheating are put at a disadvantage, which may affect their long-term professional prospects. If cheating were to become commonplace, it would damage the credibility of the educational system and make it harder for prospective employers to evaluate candidates. Although there may be some short-term advantages for the cheater, the long-term costs to society and the integrity of the educational system more than cancel out such gains.
Cheating is considered immoral from a religious viewpoint as well. Many faiths, including Christianity and Islam, value truthfulness, integrity, and upholding moral principles. Cheating is unethical since it requires one to be dishonest. Lying and cheating are considered grave sins and are forbidden by many religions’ teachings. One of the Ten Commandments in the Christian Bible is “Thou shall not bring false testimony against thy brother.” Academic dishonesty entails falsely attesting to one’s talents or knowledge, so it may be considered a violation of this commandment. Moreover, the ideas of fairness and justice, which are key virtues in many religious traditions, are violated when one cheats.
In the same way that punishing dishonesty is a matter of justice, so too is preventing it. Those who cheat in school give themselves an unfair edge, which might lead to unfair results. Those who have worked hard for their grades may feel cheated and resentful. Taking out one’s frustrations on cheaters in a physical way is an extremely rare occurrence on a college campus. Cheating, however, may result in severe disciplinary proceedings like suspension or expulsion and can have academic and extracurricular repercussions. The hostility and anger that some students and teachers may already feel toward cheaters may increase due to these repercussions. Students caught cheating, and those who feel their academic integrity has been violated have reportedly gotten into violent altercations in certain situations. While this does happen sometimes, it does not reflect the vast majority of campus environments.
Some may claim that there are circumstances in which cheating in a college context is permissible, even though there are numerous reasons why it is unacceptable. There are various reasons in support of the fraud within the academic circle. Several students claim that the high-stakes nature of college coursework makes it next to impossible to do well without resorting to cheating. Others may defend cheating because it is necessary to gain an advantage in today’s academic, scholarly, and employment climates. Second, some students may believe they are being graded unjustly or punished for things beyond their control. As a result, people may believe that cheating is their best chance for success.
Finally, there are no real repercussions for pupils who cheat, so some students may not see the big issue. They may believe the likelihood of being discovered is minimal and that even if they are, the repercussions will not be serious enough to prevent them from cheating. For certain students, the availability of study materials like online test banks and study guides may encourage dishonest behavior. Some can say there is no harm in using them since they are easily accessible. Some students may subscribe to the view that morality is relative and depends on the circumstances. They could say that whether or not cheating is bad is a matter of one’s moral compass.
Several factors have been recognized as contributors to academic dishonesty, including parental pressure, the pursuit of academic excellence in the hopes of securing a scholarship or a better career, excessive workloads, feelings of inadequacy, and others. Time management issues, the idea that “everyone does it” or “nobody cares,” or a lack of understanding of the content are common causes of academic dishonesty (Jones, 2011 cited in Vučković et al., 2020). Less motivation to study is another contributing factor to cheating. Students attribute the prevalence of cheating and plagiarism to many factors, including a lack of understanding about what constitutes plagiarism, a sense of isolation from campus life, the influence of large groups, and an emphasis on group study.
It is impossible to detail all the factors that contributed to this or the outcomes that followed. Students who cheat must fully appreciate their actions’ gravity and know there will be harsh repercussions. Long-term implications, such as ineptitude in the profession and the associated hazards, should be emphasized to students even more than the short-term bad impacts. It is not clear to students what happens to people who commit fraud (Aaron & Roche, 2013 cited in Vučković et al., 2020). Students stress the significance of institutions doing all their power to avoid fraud in this context (Aaron & Roche, 2013 cited in Vučković et al., 2020). Students should be taught accountability, integrity , and greater time management skills and technical test control (Aaron & Roche, 2013 cited in Vučković et al., 2020). Instructors are required to put more time and energy into their work, develop novel approaches to assessing students’, and push students toward more complex modes of learning and thought than rote memorization. Instruction and evaluation must be of the highest quality. The authors of the pedagogical perspective argue that theories on moral growth and learning should be put to the function of addressing the issue of moral education of young people in current society.
In conclusion, cheating in college is a serious problem that has many negative consequences for individuals, institutions, and society at large. Cheating undermines the foundations of the educational system, creates an unequal playing field, and damages the integrity of the academic profession. Cheating is also a moral issue, as it betrays the trust of teachers and the institution and violates many religious teachings. While some may argue that cheating is necessary to succeed, the long-term costs to individuals and society outweigh any short-term benefits. It is essential to prevent cheating and to teach students about the importance of accountability, integrity, and time management. By doing so, we can ensure that our educational system remains fair, just, and credible, and that our graduates are prepared for success in their future professions.
Reference
Vučković, D., Peković, S., Blečić, M., & Đoković, R. (2020). Attitudes towards cheating behavior during assessing students᾽performance: Student and teacher perspectives. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 16(1). Web.