Academic dishonesty has become a major concern on college campuses, particularly at UC.
Also known as cheating and plagiarism, this epidemic is having a profound affect on how academic success is viewed in the United States.
An alarming number of college staff and faculty are becoming ever more concerned with the idea that students are cheating their way to a degree.
According to Donald McCabe, founding president of the Center for Academic Integrity, 87 percent of college students admitted on a survey in 1993 they had cheated at least once during their academic career.
This is an overwhelming statistic, and it exemplifies the idea that cheating on college campuses is not uncommon.
The rise in cheating across college campuses could be an indicator that students are not taking their college education seriously. Students have become too concerned with earning a degree rather than focusing on what they are learning.
If more students have decided that cheating is the only way to get through college then what is the value in receiving a higher education?
Students across the country have become so accustomed to borrowing notes or old exams to study from that they don't even consider themselves to be cheating.
Many students share their old notes or old tests and papers with other students and often times rely on students who have previously taken the course to provide them with their old notes.
Where should the line be drawn?
Cheating has been going on for a long time, but recently there has been a sudden boom in cheating on college campuses.
With the increase in Internet use, cheating has become easier than ever. Students can access term papers, test answers and notes to guide them through their classes.
Such usage of the Internet has made cheating appear as the norm in today's society and students see nothing wrong with using it to get them through their classes.
Really though, are students actually harming their future?
Most students who cheat do it to get better grades. Better grades could mean more opportunities in the job market and more options for attending graduate school and even getting a scholarship.
I know many students that never attend class or study, yet manage to not only pass their classes but also get very good grades.
They know some random person in a large classroom who will sign their name on the attendance sheet if asked and know someone with all of the old tests and notes who willingly shares them.
There needs to be harsher punishment and professors need to act when they suspect a student of cheating.
Students also need to be more aware of what constitutes cheating and need to learn the university's policy on academic dishonesty.
In addition, students need to remember why they are in college.
College is about receiving a higher education and learning the necessary material to succeed in the professional world.
Students that cheat are not valuing their education and are cheating their way to a degree. In general, they are debasing the value of their university degree.
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