"FEU AT 100: BRAVER AND BEYOND"
The word “integrity” can sound heavy and a little unclear when you hear it. Maybe you are aware that having personal integrity is a good thing, but you are unsure of what it is or how to show that you have it.
Integrity means you are a good person who is honest, ethical, and follows established moral principles. When the school has a real culture of integrity, students take their obligations seriously and behave proactively when they aren't fully aware of their responsibilities. Ultimately, accountability is placed on them for results. As a result, education thrives.
It is difficult to maintain integrity, but it's crucial for long term growth. Integrity in a school benefits students as well as teachers, from creating an open and positive school environment to the promotion of strong and resilient teams.
What is integrity?
Integrity is the quality of being truthful and having a good sense of morality. Ethically, even in closed doors, someone with integrity behaves well and does the right thing (Lewis, 1952).
Knowing how to keep secrets and doing the right thing without expecting are some of the activities that show integrity in everyday life.
5 Ways to Develop Your Integrity
Integrity may seem like a vague concept to some people. If it confuses you at times, you might need guidance to attain it.
To help you with that, here are several ways to develop your integrity:
Examine your own morals and ethics.
You can use the following questions to measure you morals and ethics:
What are your morals and where did they come from?
When was the last time you fought against them, even just a little? Why?
Have your ethics and morals developed, or does your behavior need to be changed?
Stand up for what you believe in.
Being able to stand up for what you believe in will always make you feel better about yourself. You can approach this respectfully and productively. Always question yourself with "How could I accommodate my results while simultaneously satisfying my ethics?" Look for the winning outcome; with some positive and innovative thinking, it's possible.
Keep your agreements.
Your word is only for you and other people. We make so many commitments each day that it is simple to forget them, endangering our relationships in the process. Every little promise broken damages trust. If you make a commitment, put it in writing and only check it off when you have fulfilled it, or let the other person know if you are no longer able to keep it.
Surround yourself with people of integrity.
Maintaining your integrity will be simpler if you choose the proper business. Spend as little time as possible with people who do not share your principles and values, and if you are in a position to select those people, think about how you can choose those who do.
Be a role model of integrity to others.
Be dependable, honest, and transparent about your morals and ethics. Encourage those around you to doubt you and others, particularly when you or they don't seem to be performing morally. For instance, if a co-student suggests a strategy that you feel is questionable in terms of your inclusion ethics, you could respond by asking, "Tell me about how what you just offered fits in with our principles surrounding inclusiveness?" This strategy favors collaboration and curiosity over confrontation.
What is integrity at FEU?
After giving you a firm understanding of what integrity is in general, as a Tamaraw, let's dive a little deeper by addressing the question, "What is integrity at FEU?"
The FEU students' dedication to and respect for academic honesty serve as the best indicator of their uprightness. Uprightness refers to moral and ethical integrity, willingness to put others ahead of the self, commitment to fairness and a commitment to work for a greater good. The foundation of academic integrity is the notion that students' work that is evaluated and graded accurately reflects their concepts, information, and abilities. The grade that students receive is not an accurate representation of their ideas, knowledge, and/or skills when they cheat on a test or plagiarize in a paper or project. Assessment thus becomes false or inaccurate (FEU, 2023).
Academic integrity also involves abiding by the conventions of the various academic output formats (such as rules for debate, rules for research papers), no matter how strict and tiresome they may seem. Students who are committed to academic integrity acknowledge ideas and information that are not their own and expand on their original concepts.
Key Examples of Integrity at FEU
Respecting your teachers and school staff
Respecting people shows your concern for them. You can achieve this by being kind to everyone. Your parents, professors, friends, and school staff will respect you if you respect them. This contributes to the positive atmosphere at your school.
Avoiding academic dishonesty
Students who cheat and first get away with it may eventually feel bad about it and have low self-esteem. They may experience issues with their families, jobs, and other important parts of their lives as a result of this lack of self-respect.
Giving full effort on your projects in school
Students must fully commit to the task at hand and throw away any distractions in order to produce hard work. One of the main sources of distraction for students is their phone, which can reduce focus and performance by 20% just by being out in plain sight when they are completing homework or studying.
The Importance of Integrity at FEU
Why does integrity truly matter in FEU?
Academic integrity is the foundation of resilient teams, better leaders, trust, diversity, and a positive environment at school. When students have integrity, they approach their studies in an ethical way and apply values in their own work.
Schools with integrity such as FEU, can establish respectful students, fair teachers, and responsible staff. Plus, integrity leads the people in a school to be honest about what they accomplish and proactive when they have questions. Resulting in fewer missed deadlines and less student and teacher burnout.
Here are six benefits that come from a culture of integrity at FEU:
Promotes learning and creativity
By giving students a sense of trust and security when experimenting with novel ideas or concepts, academic integrity supports learning and creativity in educational environments. Additionally, it motivates students to take chances, exercise critical thought, and ask questions without worrying about retribution or rejection.
It gives a student the confidence to make a good effort and strive for excellence at school when he or she knows his work is respected and taken seriously.
Encourages respect for others
The respect of others' intellectual property and knowledge of the importance of avoiding plagiarism or fraud are needed in order to maintain academics' integrity.
Cultivates trust
Trust between students, teachers, and peers is necessary to preserve the integrity of education. This trust provides an open environment of communication and cooperation within educational settings, which is important for the successful operation of the education system.
Fosters personal growth
The student must become responsible for his own development both inside and outside of the classroom in order to maintain intellectual integrity.
It is a personal responsibility to be responsible for the learning process you are going through and also being responsible for your work. That is why students are encouraged to strive for excellence in school, because they understand that success or failure depends on their own efforts.
Enhances self-esteem
By reinforcing a sense of honor and respect for oneself and other students, academic integrity contributes to the development of a student's self-esteem.
Prepares for future success
Students are better prepared to succeed in higher education and beyond by understanding the importance of academic integrity, because they have a good sense of ethics and responsibility.
It provides them with skills and knowledge that are necessary for success in the workplace, e.g. ability to reason critically, problem solve, or communicate effectively.
FEU's Integrity Within Tamaraws
IntegriTest
References:
Ali, Y. (2023, January 16). 15 Reasons Why is Academic Integrity Important - Curious Desire. https://curiousdesire.com/why-is-academic-integrity-important/
MindTools | Home. (n.d.). Www.mindtools.com. https://www.mindtools.com/ai9794o/how-to-preserve-your-integrity
PhD, M. P.-M. (2023, April 10). Academic Integrity is Essential to Learning. Roots of Action. https://www.rootsofaction.com/academic-integrity/
Waters, S. (2021, June 2). What does integrity mean in the workplace (and why it’s important). Betterup. https://www.betterup.com/blog/integrity-in-the-workplace
What is academic integrity and why is it important? (n.d.). Student Academic Success. https://www.monash.edu/student-academic-success/maintain-academic-integrity/what-is-academic-integrity-and-why-is-it-important