The Fox School of Business and the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) have committed in their Strategic Plans to promote, value and maintain integrity within our communities. As students at our schools, you are essential in helping instill these values within our community. Below are some tips to help you, your peers and the greater Fox School and STHM community keep it real with authentic learning.
Don’t cheat yourself.
Real-life starts right now. The decisions you make here will follow you to the workplace or your next academic institution. Prepare yourself for your future by building good habits now. Employers want honest, reliable and trustworthy employees. Doing your work and making the most out of your degree is key to success in your professional career.
Learn your ABC’s.
Authentic behavior creates. Your work should be honest, engaging and original. Are you building something new? If not, you are likely cheating. Citing the original author or giving credit to someone on whom you are basing your ideas will help ensure you are producing sound, reliable work.
It’s okay to take ideas and craft them into new ones, but you always must know when and how to cite those who helped you develop your own thoughts. Creating authentic work requires creativity, imagination and application of the concepts learned in class. It means expanding and growing from the knowledge gained, rather than replicating or summarizing what you have read.
Go to the source.
When you are researching and composing make sure you are citing others’ work properly. For information on how to cite properly visit the Business Communications Center, get insights from the Purdue Online Writing Lab and review the appropriate citation guidelines. Plus, learn what are good sources of information.
Primary sources and secondary sources differ. Primary sources can include first-hand material, such as raw data, first-hand observations, interviews or articles, to help build your arguments. Secondary sources, including analyses of primary data and pieces written after an event has taken place, give analysis and justification for your rationales. Finding and citing quality sources that offer unique, justified and honest data create robust academic work.
Speak up.
If you see something, say something. Whether an exam, group project or Chegging, share your concerns with your professor. When it happens, let someone know. Share your concerns with your professors and start a dialog about your desire to do well. This shows the pride and the integrity you have in your own work in a way that your peers can and should emulate. Set an example and take charge of your degree, your grade and your knowledge.