Honor Codes

Honor codes or systems have been established at many schools across the nation, including Paloma Valley High School. These rules dictate what the school defines as ethical and yet not every student in attendance upholds these rules. Paloma Valley High School’s honor codes regarding education require maintenance as students avoid enforcement of the guidelines, meaning unethical behaviors prevail in a rather honest environment. The fact that plagiarism has become easier and benefits the students academically means that the temptation to cheat outweighs the consequences greatly. This reveals that the rules at Paloma Valley need reinforcement. Jennifer Dirmeyer along with Alexander Cartwright, authors of the article “Honor Codes Work Where Honesty

The statistic shown in the student survey of fall 2007 and spring 2008 reveal that only a select few of the students willingly uphold the school’s rules (Source: E). This lack of enforcement relates to the percentage of how many students have not been caught doing unethical behaviors. By increasing the number of students who follow the rules, the amount of students who cheat will decrease proportionally, thus creating a healthier environment. Additionally, students have shown to have an overall effect on other students and their behaviors: “Students who enter a college of mostly ‘honest’ types will more often choose not to cheat even if they are not innately ‘cheater’ types” (Source: C). Honest people who abide by the rules provided can influence other students into being ethical and vice versa, implying that the environment should promote the growth of virtuous behavior. Through a healthy surrounding, a school may have a majority of its students become honest people, thus revealing that the students and the environment directly affect each

However, this may stem from a lack of enforcement of the rules. Even at the most prestigious schools, such as Harvard University, students are not upholding the rules implemented: “The possibility that 125 Harvard students ‘improperly collaborated’ on an exam in the spring has galvanized … discussion about … honor codes” (Source: C). In this case, people may argue that the only party at fault consists of the students. However, the faculty may be partially guilty as well, as their lack of care towards the rules has created a situation that jeopardizes the school’s integrity. Revision may then seem like the least of the school’s priorities, as they must show they seriously consider educational integrity. Likewise, at the University of Virginia, “157 students have been investigated by their peers in the largest cheating scandal in memory” (Source: D). Again, the school and all those who work there hold at least part of the fault for this ignorance because, theoretically, they should preserve and enforce the rules provided. The fact that the scandal exists means that they were not doing their jobs to their fullest. Although revision may seem simpler to carry out, the school’s staff must show an attempt at intervention within the student lives to keep them on a path towards