Integrity and acting honorably are essential components of professionalism and citizenship that continue well beyond courses at Baker College. They are the foundation for ethical behavior in an ever-evolving workplace. Academic integrity must be understood, appreciated, and upheld for students to be successful in their academic pursuits and prepared for the challenges of skills-intensive careers in an information-based global society. To support this vision, Baker College has created an Academic Integrity Philosophy.
To promote this philosophy, all members of the Baker College academic community (students, faculty, and staff) affirm and share the belief that values of honesty, trust, and accountability will be adhered to by all. Students, faculty, and staff have a shared responsibility to build mutual trust and ensure their ideas and work will be respected. Members of an academic community practice consistency and professional conduct even in the face of adversity. Demonstrating academic integrity is an individual choice to be responsible for one’s own work, make ethical decisions, and be accountable for one’s own actions and choices. In the pursuit of achieving and maintaining academic integrity, all members of the academic community must understand and exhibit attitudes and behaviors consistent with three critical core ideals. All members of Baker College can exemplify the Academic Integrity Philosophy.
The three core ideals crucial to academic integrity include the following: mutual honesty, trust, and respect; responsibility for professional and ethical conduct; and fairness, transparency, and exemplary behavior.
Mutual Honesty, Trust, and Respect: Education involves the exchange and transference of knowledge and ideas. Because learning is a collaborative process, all stakeholders at Baker College have a reciprocal responsibility to ensure the academic community is grounded in honesty, trust, and respect.
Responsibility for Professional and Ethical Conduct: Academic integrity involves a personal and individual ethical choice to be committed and accountable for one’s own behavior and work. Beyond the individual choice, academic integrity can only be upheld and maintained when all members of Baker College accept the responsibilities involved with their roles and are accountable for their conduct in the academic community.
Fairness, Transparency, and Exemplary Behavior: Fostering a commitment to fairness is an ongoing process, maintained by continuous practice, as well as consistency and assured professionalism even in the face of adversity. Students, faculty, and administration at Baker College all have a right to be treated fairly by each other and will work in the best interest of one another while adhering to practices that promote exemplary behavior, impartiality, and transparency.